Got a Bone to Pick With Bone Broth
Hello Tribe! It’s probably safe to say that you’re confused by the title of this writing since I have been yelling accolades from the mountaintop in my last few blogs on how amazing bone broth is—and it still is.
As explained in the previous blogs, collagen, a major component found in bone broth, helps minimize lines, wrinkles, joint pain, and the other unwelcomed effects that come with aging, AND has unique properties that have been shown to support digestive, immune, neurologic, and cardiovascular health.
On an recent occasion when I was hosting an event in my home, one of my guests asked me if she could look in my refrigerator. I responded “Sure, can I get you something?” and she said, “No. I just want to see what is in a healthy person’s refrigerator.” Needless to say, I was flattered, and I replied, “The gold is in the freezer—that’s where my treasure of bone broth is!”
Unfortunately, you can easily screw up all those healthy benefits that this nutrient-dense food promises which, in my opinion, is heartbreaking! So, in an effort to avoid such a tragedy, this post explains how you can prevent having bad bones with bone broth.
No-No #1—Factory-Farmed Animals
What source do your bones come from? This was discussed in Boost Your Body Image and Heath With Collagen—Part 2 but bares repeating—in my opinion, it’s CRUCIAL to know where your bones come from, i.e. healthy humanely-raised animals, that are grass-fed and/or pastured-raised, and wild-caught fish from remote unpolluted waters are A MUST!
Factory-farmed animals from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) are fed most, if not all, of their lives, with GMO corn and injected with hormones in order to increase milk production. Sadly, these animals are crammed into filthy dark sheds and have no space to move. These animals are injected with powerful antibiotics on a regular basis to prevent disease from the excessive amount of feces and urine caused by the cramped conditions these animals are made to live in.
Bottom line, you don’t want animal products of any kind to be tortured and of poor health, and you want your broth to be free from the residue of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other contaminants to prevent being passed on to you.
No-No #2—Toxic Equipment and Utensils for Cooking and Storing Bone Broth
What you use to cook your bone broth matters! The popular non-stick or aluminum cookware can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals and heavy metals into your food.
Birds started dying and people experienced “teflon flu,” a series of symptoms related to exposure the fumes released from Teflon when heated. Some research suggests that the newer non-stick options are better than before and could be safe.
Aluminum cookware has been popular for use even among our grandmothers. Aluminum exists naturally in the environment and we all have some exposure to it daily. But recent research shows that aluminum is toxic at certain amounts. Scientists are unable to agree on what that amount is. Some studies suggest that aluminum exposure may be linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and neurological problems
Bone broth requires cooking for many hours (typically 24-36 hrs) and when you use non-stick cookware containing Teflon, PFOA, PTFE, or traditional non-stick, and aluminum cookware you are essentially infusing the broth with toxins that can damage your health. Healthier cookware options are: cast iron, stoneware, glass or Corningware, and stainless steel.
When you are ready to store your bone broth, don’t use plastic containers, use glass jars instead. Emerging research and data from decades of increasing use of plastics have harmful impact on our health and the health of our planet
It's long been known that infinitesimal bits of plastic get into our food from containers. Scientists have tied chemicals in plastics, like Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Phthalates, to ailments including asthma, cancer, infertility, low sperm count, genital deformity, heart disease, liver problems, and ADHD, and are linked to immune system impairment, reduced testosterone, infertility in men and many other problems. If you are going to freeze your bone broth, remember to allow enough space in your glass jar for expansion in order to prevent the glass from breaking.
No-No #3—Heating Your Bone Broth In the Microwave
So you made sure that the bones you purchased to make your bone broth are of high quality and sourcing, you wisely chose safe cookware to cook them in, and used glass jars to store your broth treasure. But all that meticulous work is for not if you warm up or defreeze it in a microwave oven.
Microwaving your food basically zapps all the nutrients in food with radiation so that they are of a different chemical composition which significantly reduces its nutritional value and leads to food degeneration that causes health problems. Instead, reheat your bone broth on the stove in a safe pot, and thaw it at room temperature to preserve its health-packing properties.
Conclusion
Since ancient times, bone broth has been consumed as a nutrient-rich healing and nourishing “elixir”—it contains antioxidants and nutrients that fight aging and disease. But if made wrong, it can sabotage your health and it is better not to be ingested.
Avoiding these three common mistakes will help ensure that you’re getting the most out of your painstaking efforts making bone broth in order to become more healthy—bone appetit!!!
If you’re looking for a way to take charge of your health and life, please check out my Reset-21 Program—it’s a fun and intuitive approach that applies sustainable healthy behaviors to make true habit and lifestyle changes so that you look and feel awesome!
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I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to respond to this blog with your comments, or contact me with questions or feedback. Until next Sunday, be well and live awesome!
Sources
All of the information in this writing is for educational and informational purposes only. We are passionate about leading a healthy lifestyle and aim to share that passion with you through coaching, blogs, readings, chats, social media, etc. Primary sources to ensure accurate and current content, including studies, scientific references, and statistics, are found below:
National Association of Local Boards of Health (2010) Understanding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Their Impact on Communities
Katie Wells (Jan 23, 2019) Wellness Mama, What Are the Safest Cookware Options?
Katie Wells (Jan 23, 2019) Wellness Mama, The Dangers of Plastic
Natural Society, The Dangers of Microwaves and Their Effects on Our Food