The Key to Gut Health is Bacterial Balance

Everything feels awful and you don’t look your best when your digestive system is out of whack. On the flip side, there will be a whole new you once you get your tummy in order. Here’s why it’s such a big deal.

The best kind of probiotics are the natural bacteria in our stomachs. In her new book Heal Your Gut with Bone Broth (Ulysses Press, 2015), Robin Westen details how bone broth contributes to good digestive health utilized for thousands of years. With her program, you’ll restore digestive health and eliminate the damage created by toxic foods consumed every day. Westen also includes a way to identify your own bacterial imbalance with a test that measures the possible toxicity level in the body.

The benefits of broth have been consciously used to cure the common cold, so why not the gut as well? There are almost 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms living inside your digestive system’s microflora. Numerous studies are now reporting that these organisms play a huge role in our mental and physical health. In fact, all this intestinal bacteria are crucial to a healthy immune system and are absolutely necessary to:

• Counter inflammation and control the growth of disease causing not-so-good-for-us bacteria
• Produce vitamins, absorb minerals, and get rid of toxins
• Reduce the risk of allergies, including controlling asthma
• Stabilize our moods
• Keep weight down

So what is it about bone broth that makes it so quintessentially healthy? For one, it’s the abundance of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine, and arginine, as well as the natural amino acid cysteine. From nutritionists and health professionals around the world there is no doubt that the natural restorative properties of bone broth are a definite YES for every individual to incorporate in their daily routine.

Bone Broth Recipe

The following recipe makes 5 quarts of broth. It’s best to freeze all but the 1 quart of broth you will be consuming that day and defrost a quart the night before for the following day. Any leftover broth you have after the detox is completed you can save in your freezer for a later date. Broth stays fresh when it’s frozen.

Bubby’s Chicken Broth Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (or more) bones from an organically raised, free-range chicken
• 2 chicken feet for extra gelatin (optional)
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 tablespoon or more sea salt
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 2 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Place the bones into your stock pot, pressure cooker, or crockpot. Pour the filtered water over the bones and add the apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes in the water.
2. Roughly chop the vegetables and add them to the pot. Add the parsley, salt, and peppercorns.
3. Bring the broth to a vigorous boil, then reduce the heat and let it continue to simmer until done, usually 24 hours.
4. During the first few hours of simmering, you’ll remove the waxy foam that floats to the top with a big spoon. Do this every 30 minutes. During the last 30 minutes, add the garlic.
5. Remove the broth from the heat and let cool slightly. Drain the broth through a fine metal strainer to remove the bones and vegetables. When cool, freeze what you’re not using that day. Defrost a new batch the night before.