Over this winter, as some of you witnessed, I got this horrible, lingering cough. Despite my best efforts through acupuncture, herbs, rest, and allopathic medicine, the cough was getting the better of me. I always like to look on the bright side of things though, so without this cough, I never would have been introduced to the nourishing powers of bone broth!
About week four of this cough, a friend and fellow acupuncturist “forced” her bone broth on me. I was warned . . . it was unpleasant at first, but then it was amazing. And true to her warning the first few sips were “interesting” to say the least, but after sip three it felt like the most nourishing thing I had ever ingested and exactly what my body needed to heal. After a few days of drinking this broth, I definitely started to take a turn for the better.
First, what is bone broth? Bone broth is stock you make from simmering (for a day or two) good quality organic bones and veggies. You can find a detailed recipe here.
Second, why is bone broth so nourishing? This is where I get to geek out and talk about Chinese medicine nutrition! Bone broth is considered to strengthen and nourish Kidney Jing, supplement Qi, build Blood, warm the Yang, and strengthen bones and tendons. It is said to enter the Kidney, Liver, Lung and Spleen. Let’s start with Kidney Jing: this is most basic Qi that you acquire from your parents and it essentially has a hand in all functions of your body. With longer term illness (or over-work, too much partying, lack of sleep … you get the picture) we start to draw more upon the Kidney Jing, so supplementing it is key to recovery. Now, let’s consider the role of the Lung and Spleen. Lung Qi is directly related to our Wei Qi (or immune Qi), so boosting Lu Qi also helps in the recovery process … and my Lung Qi was definitely depleted from all that coughing! Spleen Qi is in charge of transforming food into Qi and Blood for use in the body … and bone broth is easily digested by the Spleen. Qi and Blood are some of the basic building blocks in our body, so essential to recovery.
These are just the basics on how this food is so helpful for recovery. I could talk more and more about this but I see your eyes glazing over. If you want to learn more, ask me next time you are in! Chinese medicine nutrition is awesome and easy to incorporate into our Western lifestyle.