I promise I am not vain, but I have to admit, recently I have started thinking seriously about my skin and its elasticity.
I use all organic natural products to cleanse my face and body, natural oils to moisturize it, and as you have all probably figured out by now, like Jennifer Anniston, I try to hydrate with plenty of water. But still, my cheeks are not the plump little baby’s bottoms that they used to be.
So bone broth has started to become part of my diet this past year, and I am sure that in time I will definitely reap the benefits from having a house that smells of poached chicken bones rather than White Company Candles!
What I’m aiming for in sipping a cup of chicken or beef stock (or soup) each day, is to boost levels of collagen in my dermis to provide strength, elasticity and great structural support to my skin. I might not get that insanely expensive, (ridiculously toxic) botox look, but stemming the development of a few wrinkles is sufficient for me.
Beauty aside, an increase in collagen can provide the building blocks to repair any intestinal lining damage (ensuring correct digestion and absorption), and maintain the integrity of cartilage in my joints (A 2006 review found that the supplement, collagen hydrolysate, helped to significantly decrease painful symptoms of osteoarthritis while improving joint function)
So if you’re over 40, have arthritis or feel your digestion needs a little help, this is the (smelly) bone broth you want to be whipping up!
Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken necks/feet/wings
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium onions, peel on, sliced in half lengthwise and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peel on and smashed
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
3 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar (which helps to extract the minerals from the bones)
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 sprigs parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
18-20 cups cold water
Method:
Place all ingredients in a 10L capacity cooking pot i.e. a le Crueset pot
Add in the water.
Simmer for 24-48 hours, skimming fat occasionally.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard the solids and strain the remainder in a bowl through a colander. Let the stock cool to room temperature, cover and chill.
Use within a week or freeze up to 3 months.
You may feel you can rely on cosmetic products such as revitalizing lotions that claim to increase collagen levels, but unfortunately, the collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed through the skin, so these are ineffective and expensive. If you’re trying to prevent collagen production decline it’s good to know that sunlight, high sugar consumption and smoking all interfere with the production of collagen. So if you want to stay young and beautiful, think about swapping that chocolate bar for a nice punnet of blueberries:-)