Bone broth is nothing new.  Eating bone marrow and making stock from bones has been around and part of healthy eating for centuries and it’s good for everyone because it is rich in nutrients like magnesium and calcium that support your immune system, feed your gut microflora, and keep your bones strong.  But for folks with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, bone broth can reduce the systemic and intestinal inflammation and help you heal your gut!  If you haven’t tried it, you really must.  Don’t expect instant gratification.  Like all origin-oriented solutions to chronic disease, this one takes time.  Two weeks into daily consumption, you should start to see the results.  Get your family in on it too – I’ve had two added bonuses from my own daily doses over the past three years.  One, my hair is the healthiest of my life.  Two, I previously had moderate knee pain which has disappeared.  Being 48 with no joint pain is a blessing!

How to make your own bone broth

You will need:

3-4 lbs of marrow and/or joint bones (I like to use both) from beef, chicken or bison that has been raised with antibiotics or growth hormone

5 fresh Bay Leaves

6 Carrots

1 Large Onion

8 cloves of garlic

6-8 whole peppercorns

¼ cup apple cider vinegar 

Large slow cooker (Crockpot is still the best)

Filtered water

Roast the bones, carrots, onions and garlic in the oven at 450° for about an hour.  Then glaze the pan with a cup of the filtered water and scrape everything into the slow cooker.  Add the Bay leaves, peppercorns, vinegar and fill to the top with filtered water.  “Low” is the setting on my cooker.  

Slow cook for 48 (max 72) hours.  Be sure to add more water as it cooks down.

Strain and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Remove solid fat and strain again.

DO NOT MICROWAVE!!!  Reheat on the stove.  Microwaving will kill all the best parts of bone broth.

Add a pinch or two of iodized sea salt or Himalayan pink salt to individual servings.  We drink about a half cup to a cup a day.  If you are healing your gut, you may want to drink one in the morning and one in the evening.  

Enjoy!