Gelatin is a protein that comes from collagen. Gelatin is made from skin, bones and connective tissue of animals. Gelatin improves gut health and provides essential amino acids which are the building blocks for protein. Gelatin has so many nutritional benefits, including, hydration, skin appearance, stronger nails, joint pain, hair growth, sleep quality and manage blood sugar.
Bone Broth
Bone broth is one of the most beneficial powerful superfoods and one of the most nutrient dense foods to consume. Bone broth helps to heal and seal the gut lining. You get all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and collagen from the bones as they slowly cook on a low heat for 24-48 hours. By simmering the broth for long period of time, gelatin is extracted and all the vital minerals from the bones leach out into the broth. The gelatin helps to rebuild our connective tissue. It is also one of the most easily absorbed food and so easy to digest. Bone broth is great for hydration, skin, nails, joints and hair. One of the best things people can do for their health is to incorporate bone broth into their diet.
How do you make it
Please ensure when buying your beef bones and ox tail, that they are grass fed and grass finished. You will need marrow bones and bones from the connective tissue. For chicken bone broth you need chicken carcasses which should be organic or pasture raised and chemical free. Adding chicken feet to your pot will make the broth more gelatinous, so I would highly recommend chicken feet. The better quality the bones the better quality the bone broth. I personally like to roast my bones for about an hour first as I feel it gives the broth a richer flavour. At the 30 minute mark I will add my vegetables and roast them with the meat ( garlic, onion, celery and carrot). Once the bones and vegetables are nicely roasted, place them in a large stock pot filled with water to cover. Add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, good quality salt, a few bay leaves, peppercorns and let it sit for 30 minutes. The apple cider vinegar helps to extract all the minerals from the bones into the broth.
You then turn the stockpot on and once it has come to a boil, you will need to scoop out the ”scum” that comes to the surface. After that quickly bring the broth to a simmer. At this stage you can add any other herbs. I usually will add some rosemary, thyme or parsley.
After 24-36 hours remove everything but the liquid. You will then put the broth through a fine mesh strainer so the liquid comes out nice and clean. Best to do this over the sink as it can get messy.
When the broth cools down it will be a little jiggly, put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning you will have a thick layer of fat which can be scooped out and kept in a glass jar. This can be used for stir fry’s or other cooking or it can be thrown away.
The end result will be a liquid gold. My favourite way to consume bone broth is to sip it in a mug with flavour add-ins such as miso, chilli flakes, tamari, ginger, coriander or fish sauce added. You can also use it for the base of casseroles and stews, Asian soups and can even be frozen into ice cubes to be put in a smoothie (only beef). I promise it has no taste at all!
Gut Healing Gummy Bears
While bone broth is extremely nutrient-dense this can sometimes be hard to encourage the kids to ingest and sometimes we want something “sweet” without all the nasty ingredients while still getting the goodness of gelatin into us. I regularly put healthy gummy lollies into my kids lunchbox as it’s super easy to make with only 4 ingredients. Juice, grass fed gelatin, lemon, sweetener. This healthy alternative to jelly or lollies can also be moulded into different shapes and sizes which can make it even more fun for the kids.
Grass fed panna cotta
I am always searching for new ways to consume gelatin as I love it’s healing properties. I have started to make home-made panna cotta with grass fed gelatin which is absolutely delicious. You can play around with different flavours like chocolate, matcha, blueberry and coconut. It is really easy to make with so few ingredients. Coconut milk, grass-fed gelatin powder, sweetener and vanilla extract. I love adding a simple berry compote to mine but there are so many options.
There are so many options when it comes to improving your gut health with food, all you have to do is to get a little creative in the kitchen.
Until next time,
Nat.
