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The Healing Benefits of Broths
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"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates
Rachel Condon, Lic. Ac.
This fundamental truth can be found across ALL belief systems on health and disease, East to West, and it is not to be underestimated. Consider it your first line of defense - before supplements, before medications, before many other interventions. While it may not absolutely cure all that ails you, if you are eating well and nourishing your body and spirit, you're way ahead of the game!
Over the past few years, I have been experimenting with making my own broths at home, primarily bone broths, and urge you to give it a try! For a vegetarian option, Katie has included a delicious and nourishing recipe for a Medicinal Herb Curried Lentil & Ginger Soup below.
Another great reason to experiment with bone broths, if you eat meat, is that you are using the whole animal - this is also referred to as nose-to-tail eating, and it's a more ethical way to respect the whole animal, and all the nutrition therein (from a grassfed and/or free-range, and ideally local, source).
And so, I came across bone broths a few years ago, and have become an avid fan, often having a pot of simmering bones on the stove on the weekends. There are many books on the subject, and one even by a local author with yummy and simple recipes, that we feature in this newsletter! - And now, onto the benefits-
Healing Benefits of Bone Broth:
Dr. Josh Axe, a certified doctor of natural medicine and popular speaker and author on the subject of food as medicine, describes the main benefits to include:
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treat leaky gut syndrome
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help overcome food intolerance and allergies
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improve joint health
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reduce cellulite
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boost the immune system
Much more can be said on the many benefits of bone broths, take a look online, or at Craig's book. See below!
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Herbal Remedy of the Month
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Looking for a way to heat up your winter? Ginger is not only an extremely potent and warming herb--increasing circulation and creating heat in the body--it has incredible medicinal benefits. And it can be integrated into your diet or health care regimen in so many ways!
This root or "rhizome" has been used as a medicinal spice for thousands of years. It is known to treat digestive issues, stomach upset, nausea and heart conditions as well as for general inflammation and pain (including acute and chronic conditions, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis and headaches).
**Please take caution if you are on a blood thinner, blood pressure lowering medication or diabetes medication, as ginger is known to thin blood, lower blood pressure and blood sugar**
Ginger may be taken in powdered, capsule, liquid tincture, topical, chewable or dried herb form. Unlike many herbal remedies, it is delicious and also may be enjoyed in cooking, your favorite recipe or as a warm cup of tea.
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This handy little cookbook is packed with 60 simple soup recipes, plus covering the basics of making your own homemade bone broths, from chicken to fish, beef, pork, or a combination.
The author of the book is one of our very own, Craig Fear, NTP. Craig is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who specializes in helping people with digestive issues. He believes in real food from small-scale sustainable farms and the pioneering research of Dr. Weston Price as a starting point for what to eat and why.
His book, Fearless Broths and Soups, is on sale at the clinic for $15, or you can find it on Amazon. He also has a fantastic website packed with information, a blog, e-courses.. go check him out at
Fearlesseating.net
CHICKEN BROTH RECIPE
(from Fearless Broths and Soups)
Yields about 4 quarts
Ingredients:
1 whole raw chicken or parts, cut up OR 1-2 chicken carcasses from a roasted chicken
Vegetables, chopped - 2-3 carrots, 2-3 celery stalks, 1 med. to large onion
2-4 T apple cider vinegar
Filtered water to cover chicken
Optional chicken parts for more gelatin and nutrition:
1-2 chicken backs*
1-2 chicken feet *
Giblets (but not the liver) - neck, heart, gizzards
Chicken head (often included on whole birds from ethnic markets)
Directions:
Step 1: Soak. Place chicken in stockpot, cover with water, and add vinegar. Soak 30-60 mins.
Step 2: Skim. Bring to a gentle rolling boil and skim any scum that forms on the surface. Add veggies after skimming.
Step 3: Simmer. Turn temperature to low and simmer very gently, covered, for 4-24 hours.
Step 4.: Strain. Let broth cool to room temperature. Strain broth and transfer to storage containers.
Step 5: Store. Store in fridge up to 7 days. Freeze whatever you won't use within a week.
See Craig's book for tips and variations on this recipe, and instructions for beef and fish broths.
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(Note from Rachel): If you are new to this, I know the idea of using such parts as backs and feet can seem pretty strange. It took me quite a while to get up the courage to do it myself. River Valley Market carries both, not always though, call to check or ask at the meat counter - and they can be found in the freezer. It is notable how much more gelatin they add, and even flavor! And again, think of it as using the whole animal, not wasting parts. It's how many of our ancestors ate, and probably how your grandmother cooked!
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An excerpt from Chapter 2:
"Despite the bewildering variety, there is one universal feature that unites all traditional soups across the globe. They all start with a properly prepared bone broth (which you'll learn to make in Part II). Basically, all that means is animal bones that have been simmered in water for extended periods of time.
This simmering does three things in particular. First, it leaches out nutrients and presents them in highly absorbable form to our bodies. Second, it helps to develop flavor... And third, it creates a simple, inexpensive base for a diverse range of soups and stews such as bisques, chowders, porridges, congees, bouillabaisses, cioppinos, gumbos, borschts, tagines, and curries."
Time to get busy making soups... and Craig makes it fun and easy to nourish yourself well, all winter long!
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Below is a batch of beef bone broth I recently made. Here it is cooling in the fridge; the fat will settle to the top, and then I usually skim off most of it and compost it, but I save a little in there for extra flavor. For this batch, I let the pot cool outside on the back porch on a chilly morning, and then strained it into the yogurt containers for easy freezing. I get my beef mostly from a lovely farm in Shelburne that raises all grass-fed cows - Wheelview Farm. It's a beautiful place to visit as well. And if you feel so inclined, try their hard cider too!
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Medicinal Herb Curried Lentil &
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Katie Oleksak, Lic.Ac.
You will need the following:
1 TBSP oil (I suggest coconut oil, sunflower oil or something that can stand high heat)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 TBSP fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1 tsp cumin, ground
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
8 cups veggie broth
3 TBSP fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 TBSP lemon juice
-Cook onion until soft, over medium heat.
-Add garlic, jalapeno, ginger, curry, cinnamon, cumin and bay leaves.
-Stir in lentils and broth, bring to boil, reduce and simmer (partially covered) until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
-Discard leaves, stir in lemon juice and fresh herbs, add salt and pepper.
-Garnish with greek yogurt or sour cream, if you like.
-Eat solo or add to rice or quinoa, enjoy!
**As with all recipes, there are so many variations that you could make. Add or subtract your favorite herbs or ingredients.
**This dish is a great way to get some medicinal herbs (especially ginger) into your regimen this winter.
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I made some variations; added peeled and minced turmeric root (one of my favorite anti-inflammatory herbs), organic carrots (added at the same time as the lentils), omitted the jalapeno and bay leaves, added cooked brown rice and topped it with greek yogurt.
It
was delicious!
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Acupuncture Point
of the Month
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Katie Oleksak, Lic. Ac.
When I think of Kidney 7 (KD7), I think of restoring energy and strength to the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Kidneys include all of the functions of the kidney/urinary system (similar to Western Medicine), as well as the endocrine system--particularly the adrenal glands--which regulates stress and energy. Acupuncturists and TCM practitioners focus on the Kidneys in terms of strengthening overall vitality and health. KD7, in particular, treats sweating (or lack thereof), swelling, weakness and strengthens the lower back--the Kidney meridian travels up to the back. This is why we can strategically place needles on your hands, feet, arms and legs, to treat other parts of the body! This point is particularly tender, if it needs to be needled, so gently press it/massage it and see what you notice!
KD7 is located above the medial ankle, close to the achilles tendon; see picture above.
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Katie Oleksak, Lic. Ac.
One of my favorite beverages; it makes me crave winter all year long. Recently, I found a recipe alternative that is even more delicious than the kind I remember drinking after a day of sledding in the snow.
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You will need:
1 cup almond milk (or any alternative that you choose)
2 tsp. cocoa powder; or organic, raw cacao (a powerful and delicious antioxidant!)
1 TBSP. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint or your favorite extract
Pinch of sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over med-high heat, stirring consistently--avoid boiling. Serve hot!
I like to add cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. You may want to try honey instead of maple syrup or add a little chili pepper. I have even melted a piece or two of Rachel's Phat Fudge Recipe (from our November newsletter), it gives it a tasty kick. It works well to give it an extra mix after heating, with a mini frother or hand blender.
Make it your own, and enjoy warming up on one of these cold days of winter.
Let me know how it goes!
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