Collagen ranks as one of the primary proteins within the human body, forming a substantial portion of our skin, hair, nails, joints, and connective tissues. Here are some reasons you should be upping your daily collagen intake:
Now that we've established the significance of collagen in your diet, here are some foods you can enjoy while increasing your collagen levels:
Bone Broth: The practice of simmering animal bones and connective tissues results in the creation of bone broth, one of the best sources of collagen. It's teeming with amino acids like glycine and proline, the essential building blocks of collagen.
Meats & Fish: Short ribs and oxtail are the best sources of beef collagen. It can also be found in pork, chicken, and fish skin.
Gelatin: Derived from collagen, gelatin is a flexible option for introducing collagen into your diet. You can easily incorporate it into delicious desserts like jellies and puddings.
Eggs: Egg whites offer proline, a pivotal amino acid for collagen production. The inclusion of eggs in your diet can kickstart your body's collagen synthesis process (2).
Collagen is more than just a beauty secret; it's the cornerstone of your overall well-being. By introducing collagen-rich foods into your diet, you're not just nurturing your skin's youthfulness; you're enhancing your joint health, promoting vibrant hair and nails, and supporting your digestive system.
]]>Before diving into the benefits of coupling bone broth with intermittent fasting, let's first understand what intermittent fasting (IF) is. IF is an eating schedule where you go longer periods without eating, otherwise known as fasting. The most popular fasting windows include 16/8 and the 24-hour fast. This means you will go 16 hours without eating (including sleep) and then have an 8-hour window to eat during the day (2).
One of the reasons IF is so popular is because it doesn’t restrict the foods you eat, but rather the time you eat them. This is GREAT news if you’re tired of overly restrictive diets and want a creative way to limit the calories you’re eating throughout the day. Here are some of the other ways IF can benefit your weight loss journey:
What’s bone broth's role? Well, bone broth is a nutrient-rich liquid made by simmering animal bones, vegetables, and herbs. It is packed with various essential nutrients, including collagen, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some ways a simple broth can help you with your weight loss journey:
To make the most of this dynamic duo, follow these best practices:
Absolutely! Intermittent fasting with bone broth is a winning duo that can enhance your weight loss efforts. By combining the benefits of controlled fasting with the nutritional richness of high-quality bone broth, you're better equipped to achieve your wellness goals and feel better doing it. To learn more about how you can use bone broth in your wellness journey, check out our Bone Broth Diet: 21 Days to Support your Weight Loss Journey.
]]>Your gut microbiome controls a huge portion of your immune system. Its goal is to maintain homeostasis by communicating with different organs and tissues in your body. An imbalance in your skin or gut can alter your immune response, causing skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, acne vulgaris, dandruff, and even cancer to develop.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help improve gut health and boost your complexion. Here are seven foods you should eat for healthier skin.
Apples are loaded with nutrients that support skin hydration and healthy aging. It’s also a great aid in fighting hyperpigmentation. Apples contain high amounts of vitamin E, which binds water to the skin, keeping it hydrated and nourished. It’s also rich in vitamins A, C, and zinc. These elements can help promote clearer, smoother, and healthier skin. On top of that, it can prevent other irritations such as skin inflammations and even dry eyes.
This rather aromatic ingredient is not something most people would consider a wellness and beauty hack. However, garlic carries tons of nutrients that are great for the gut and skin. A few examples include vitamins B6 and C, two ingredients that can help diminish the effects of hormonal imbalances such as acne breakout.
Bone broth is rich in collagen proteins and amino acids — two compounds that are important for both your gut and skin health. As the beverage is also rich in glutamine, bone broth can also be used to treat chronic conditions like ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis, short bowel disease, and even cancer. You can make bone broth by cooking chicken and beef bones, meat, and cartilage for around 12 to 48 hours.
Tallow contains a wealth of fatty acids and antioxidants that are essential for the skin to maintain a healthy and youthful complexion. It can help slow skin aging and improve skin hydration. It may also promote healthy metabolism, leading to more fat-burning and weight loss. Tallow is typically rendered; however, it can also be taken from other animal fat such as mutton or pigs. You can consume tallow by mixing it into your dishes. Otherwise, a good tallow skin cream would also do the trick.
Kimchi is a popular Korean side dish that goes into nearly every savory dish from the region. Besides being a delicious staple, did you know that Kimchi is also rich in good bacteria and antioxidants? Those with irritable bowel syndrome and colon inflammation can relieve their symptoms by eating a serving of this fermented vegetable dish. Since kimchi is also full of antioxidants, and the ingredient selenium, it can also help prevent wrinkles and hair loss.
There’s more reason to enjoy this tropical fruit than its juicy freshness that quenches almost any type of thirst. If you suffer from acne breakouts and other skin inflammations, a serving of this festive fruit can help ease your symptoms. Pineapple is full of vitamin C and bromelain, two ingredients that promote soft and healthy skin. It also has elements that help the body synthesize collagen and proteins more effectively, allowing the body to absorb them much faster. This helps the skin stay plump and healthy, while simultaneously improving metabolism and gut health.
Dandelion greens are yet another ingredient that has been used in herbal remedies for thousands of years. It first appeared in Chinese medicine before later getting adopted by the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Europeans, and Native Americans. It was used to treat liver, kidney, and digestive problems, as well as skin irritations that were common at that time. Dandelion greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibers that promote gut and skin health. This includes vitamins A, C, K, and E, as well as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These ingredients help detoxify the body and fight inflammation.
What you eat will ultimately affect all parts of your body — including your skin. If you’re currently struggling with skin conditions and haven’t found a single remedy that works for you, it might be time to take a look at what you’re eating. Are you getting the right amount of nutrients to sustain optimal gut and skin health? Or are you indulging too much in junk foods and carbonated beverages?
Eating healthy can do wonders for your overall health. You can start by incorporating the foods on this list into your diet, to avoid shocking your body with big and sudden changes.
]]>Oral contraceptives are made of synthetic hormones, typically a combination of estrogen and progestin (a synthetic version of progesterone. These are two main sex hormones that are crucial for the reproductive system. In simple words, the birth control pill tricks your body into thinking it has certain levels of these hormones (during certain periods of the menstrual cycle), so the body thinks you’re already pregnant. To go a little deeper - estrogen inhibits ovulation and progestin thickens the cervical mucus, making it hard for sperm to move through. In addition, progestin alters the uterine lining, so in case of pregnancy the implantation will not occur. To make it more clear - when on a pill it’s possible that an already fertilized egg will not implant in the uterus and will leave the body with the menstrual blood. In other cases, this can be called an implantation failure, but a woman on a pill might not even notice it’s happening.
Although there’s a long list of potential side effects, in western medicine world oral contraceptive pills are considered generally safe. It’s important to know that some of the most well known side effects include headaches, mood swings, weight gain, tiredness, nausea, bloating, and low libido. However, what is less commonly discussed is the nutrient deficiency that is caused by the birth control pills.
Many studies have been conducted to investigate the physiological changes that occur in women who take oral contraceptives. Here’re some of the key nutrients that the pill can deplete (1) (2):
Folate - a type of B vitamin that’s involved in DNA synthesis and cell division processes. This vitamin is extremely important for proper neural tube development in the fetus. Many women on birth control pills are chronically depleted of this vitamin. Being unaware of this fact when coming off of the pill for the purpose of getting pregnant can lead to serious health defects in a woman's future baby.
Vitamin B2 - this vitamin plays an important role in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and is involved in energy production and growth. B2 deficiency has been associated with headache and migraines.
Vitamin B6 - this is an important vitamin for many functions in the body. It’s involved in heart and brain health, muscle function, nervous system and more. B6 deficiency helps to keep your mood high and happy by producing serotonin - a feel good neurotransmitter. It also has a direct impact on immune functioning and glucose regulation. Moreover, lack of this vitamin can lead to hormonal imbalance of estrogen and progesterone - two vital fertility hormones.
Vitamin B12 - an essential vitamin that your body cannot produce. It helps with red blood cell formation, supports bone health, plays an important role in brain functioning, energy production and DNA synthesis. B12 deficiency can lead to health complications such as anaemia or depression. Moreover, at early stages of pregnancy B12 deficiency in mother may increase risk of neural tube defects, can contribute to premature birth or even miscarriage. Again, think about a woman who’s coming off of a pill and unaware of this fact.
Vitamin C - another important vitamin that is necessary for growth, development and repair of all body tissues. It’s involved in many important functions in the body such as collagen production, iron absorption, proper immune system functioning, wound healing and more. It’s also a very potent antioxidant against free radicals int the body.
Vitamin E - essential vitamin for vision, blood, brain, skin and reproductive health. It also acts as an antioxidant and protects cell membranes. Vitamin E deficiency may lead to increased risk of blood clots.
Zinc - the second most abundant trace element in the human body. Plays a crucial role in immune system functioning, metabolism of genetic material and wound healing. It’s also involved in many reproductive processes. Birth control pills decrease absorption of zinc or increase its excretion, which leads to deficiency.
Magnesium - very important for energy production, heart and blood health, nervous system regulation, digestion and much more. It assists more than 300 enzymes to carry out various chemical reactions in the body. It’s clear that magnesium deficiency can lead to a lot of serious health complications.
Selenium - serves as a cofactor that helps to convert inactive thyroid hormone to an active form. It’s crucial for proper thyroid functioning and a deficiency may lead to hypothyroidism. It also acts as an antioxidant, supports cardiovascular health, fertility, cognitive and immune functioning.
Looking at the vitamins and minerals that can get depleted, it’s easy to conclude that there’s a clear correlation with the long list of potential side effects of the oral contraceptives. All these nutrients are vital for proper functioning of nearly every system in your body. In addition, it’s important to remember that a nutrient deficiency can lead to things like hair loss, skin problems, digestive issues, abnormal formation of bones or teeth, eye problems, diabetes, heart diseases and more.
Some of the research also shows an association between oral contraceptives and Crohn's Disease, as well as Ulcerative Colitis (3) . Oral estrogen, that is used in the pill, modifies intestinal permeability and can also cause damage to the intestinal microbiome (gut bacteria).
Moreover, nearly all the research shows the link between oral contraceptives and cancer risk (4) . The studies have consistently provided evidence that women who take oral contraceptives have increased risk of breast and cervical cancers.
First thing first, if you’re coming off of the pill and wish to have control over your fertility, there’re alternative ways of doing so. Fertility Awareness Based-Method is one of them and it allows you to have a family planning option without causing your body to go through health complications that come with the pill. This is an evidence based method of cycle charting that can be used as an effective way of birth control.
Secondly, as you can imagine, your body needs to replenish all those vital nutrients (5) . Having a balanced diet rich in nutrient dense foods is a must after coming off of oral contraceptives. This is where organic bone broth can help. Organic bone broth is abundant in essential elements such as amino acids, collagen, magnesium, zinc, vitamins B6, B12, E and much more. It’s the ultimate natural multivitamin that will help you to not only replenish your body with the necessary nutrients, but also heal your gut and repair the potential damage of the birth control pill. Here you can learn more how bone broth can support your fertility.
Lastly, as we learned that oral contraceptives can disrupt the intestinal microbiome, supplementation with high quality probiotic is something to consider too.
For those of you who may need an additional support, guidance or custom programs I offer a Free 20 Minute Consultation where we can seek to uncover the ideal solutions for your optimal wellbeing. Please click here to get in touch.
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this article is not a medical advice It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read in this article.
References:
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When I was trying to get pregnant with my first child I experienced challenges that come with unsuccessful pregnancy attempts. This led me to explore the subject of fertility very closely and when I dove into it, I was amazed how little I knew about how this whole deal of getting pregnant works. So many pieces need to fall together for it actually to happen.
In this article, I put together the top 5 things to remember about fertility, but commonly dismissed by couples. And yes, organic bone broth can tremendously help with those.
Many times I see women focusing mostly on their ovulation when trying to conceive.
Ovulation is the process of releasing a mature egg from the ovary. After the release, the egg is moving through fallopian tubes and stays there for a period of 12-24 hours, waiting for fertilization. Indeed, knowing when your ovulation occurs significantly increases your chances of getting pregnant. But, ovulation itself is not the only thing to keep in mind.
The quality of the egg is extremely important and here’s why.
Right before ovulation, due to high oxidative stress levels, the egg cells can experience chromosomal abnormalities. These chromosomal abnormalities (as you can guess by the name) can cause abnormal development of the fetus. In fact, chromosomal abnormalities cause more miscarriages than any other cause of miscarriages combined.
The really good news is - diet and lifestyle have a major impact on the rate of chromosomal errors and you can take control of the health of your eggs by having the right nutritional support for your body.
Another factor that often gets dismissed is male fertility. American society of reproductive medicine estimates that 40% of infertility cases, male partners are the contribution to or the cause of these cases.
While you can do semen analysis to figure out whether the sperm is functioning well, it’s important to keep in mind that these tests won’t measure DNA damage within the sperm that is often also caused by oxidative stress. Research shows that sperm with higher levels of oxidation in semen have more extensive DNA fragmentation and fewer normally functioning sperm.
Interestingly, eggs can overcome sperm damage but only if they are minimally damaged.
Similar to women, male fertility is directly impacted by nutrition and lifestyle.
Most fertility doctors will not mention the fact that digestion and fertility are directly connected. In allopathic western medicine, we are used to treating each body part or system separately, when in reality our body is a whole organism. As you noticed from mentioned earlier, nutrition is an integral part of fertility and reproductive health. The food you eat a few months before conception is highly important not only to your health, but also for the health of your future baby.
However, food is not the only part to remember. How you digest this food is an equally important factor. You can feed yourself with the most nutrient-dense foods, but if your body can’t digest it well - it simply will not get all those vital nutrients from the foods.
If you suffer from digestive disorders, your body is unable to break down and absorb the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for healthy hormone production. In this case, supplementing those nutrients with a supplement will not fix the problem, since you won’t be able to fully absorb and assimilate it either.
I can’t stress it enough - good gut health is essential for hormonal health and fertility.
Toxins are anything that the body doesn’t find useful or that harms its integrity. We’re combating these toxins all the time - they are, literally, everywhere. It’s the sad part of our modern lives.
In general, our body is miraculously designed to detox itself out of these harmful substances through the elimination systems - skin, lungs, liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and bowels. But with the number of chemicals and toxins that are being used in almost everything we touch, breathe and ingest - the body might not be able to successfully do it on its own.
One of the most important chemicals to remember is xenoestrogens - they have the potential to harmfully impact your health, fertility and even your future baby. Xenoestrogens are chemical compounds that mimic the hormone estrogen in the body. They’re often called endocrine disruptors because they are filling the true estrogen receptors. This can lead to hormone imbalance in the body which directly interferes with reproductive health.
Here’re some suggestions to minimize your endocrine disruptors exposure:
Stress. We all experience it pretty much on a daily basis. Even just talking about stress might make you feel tension in the body. Especially now, during a time of rapid changes and instability, stress is something that we have been learning to live with.
While short-term stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing when experienced constantly it can have an impact on your reproductive system. When you feel the threat, your body reacts by releasing a cascade of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, I’m sure you’ve heard about those. This puts your nervous system into ‘fight or flight’ mode - your heartbeat fastens, your muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, your breath is shallow and rapid. All this tells your body that it’s in danger and it needs to prepare to fight, run or hide. You can guess that in these conditions, no way your body would want to conceive a baby. Your body is extremely intelligent and it knows when the time isn’t right. The stress hormones disrupt the signaling between the brain and the ovaries, which can delay or impede ovulation. Research shows that stress also diminishes male sperm count and motility.
Stress doesn’t always mean emotional struggle. In fact, bad sleep, over-exercising, coffee, alcohol, smoking and poor nutrition are also highly stressful for your body. What’s interesting is that the body doesn’t differentiate whether it’s emotional or physical stress you’re going through. It always responds in the same way, releasing the same cascade of reactions.
The good thing is that lot of these things you can take under control and help your body to cope better with day-to-day life.
Some of the things you can start doing today: make sure you rest well, minimize your alcohol and coffee intake, spend at least 30 minutes every day and nourish your body with nutritious food.
You’ve probably noticed that all the things listed above have a few things in common - they’re all directly impacted by nutrition and digestive health, the way you nourish your body.
Bone broth has a lot of healing powers. Here’re some of the key nutrients in bone broth:
19 amino acids, including all 9 essential amino acids. This helps to nourish your body with proteins that are vital for many functions in your body, such as tissue repair, bone mineral density, blood sugar regulation, hormonal balance, gut healing and nutrient absorption.
Gelatin. This is an important compound to help with the gut healing process. Research shows that gelatin is beneficial for restoring the strength of the gut lining and fighting food sensitivities. It is also found to help with the growth of probiotics, the good bacteria in the gut.
Collagen. Studies found that people with digestive imbalances have decreased concentrations of collagen in their bodies. The amino acids in collagen build the tissue that lines the entire GI tract, including the colon, so increased collagen intake can support healthy digestive functioning.
Glutamine. One of the amino acids found in bone broth. Glutamine has been shown to support healthy intestinal lining. Tight junctions between intestinal cells ‘loosen up’ when exposed to foods that cause an inflammation reaction. Many studies have shown that glutamine has the potential to tighten those junctions and heal the lining.
Glutathione. This is the master of all antioxidants - very powerful and strong. This antioxidant helps to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation within the body. Glutathione is an important compound used in detoxification and removing toxins out of the body, including heavy metals like mercury and lead. Studies show that it also plays an important role in nutrient metabolism, gene expression and helps to normalize DNA and protein synthesis.
Zinc. An essential element of male fertility. It’s the second most abundant trace element in the human body. It can’t be stored, thus needs regular dietary intake. Zinc has antioxidant qualities and helps to reduce toxin levels in the body. Zinc acts as a hormone balancer and helps testosterone function and also has antibacterial properties for a healthy male urea system. Zinc is shown to be essential in maintaining the lining of the reproductive organs and zinc deficiency is found to impede sperm health, cause sperm abnormalities and negatively impact testosterone concentration. Zinc deficiency before conception also disrupts fetal development, research found.
Magnesium. A powerful relaxation mineral that supports stress management and sleep. It also helps to ensure the right amount of blood flow to the uterus and plays an important role in balancing hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen. Magnesium also helps to reduce inflammation in the body, which is associated with poor egg quality. . Male fertility has also been associated with low magnesium levels.
As you can see, organic bone broth is packed with lots of essential nutrients that have fertility boosting properties. It’s not by chance that this healing drink has been used in traditional cultures for centuries. It has the power to heal the gut and create an optimal environment for fertility and pregnancy.
References:
For the next 30 days, I’m experimenting with a new way of eating. It has been coined the Carnivore Diet by Dr. Paul Saladino (aka Carnivore MD). I won’t be going full carnivore (i.e. eating ONLY meat), but I’ll be carnivore-ish, eating mostly animal foods and a few other foods like seafood, fruit, honey, fermented foods, and very limited amounts of root vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash.
The general premise for eating this way is:
This isn’t too far off from how I already eat, but I’m interested to see how making some small changes will impact my overall health.
I’ll be practicing nose-to-tail eating, which means I’ll be consuming muscle meats, organs, animal fats like tallow, and of course, bone broth.
I’ll also have seafood, eggs, fruits, and honey. I’m cutting out almost all vegetables other than sweet potatoes and squash.
And that’s pretty much it. I may add in some dairy like goat or sheep feta from a local farm, but overall, it’s pretty simple.
Here’s a list of foods that I was consuming regularly that I’ll be cutting out for these 30 days:
Now you might be thinking most of the foods I just listed are generally considered healthy foods (except for maybe alcohol). It’s not like I wasn’t feeling healthy by eating these foods (other than nut butters, they for sure aren’t good for me) so I’m not here to tell you there’s anything wrong with eating them if you are. I’m just here to try something a bit different and see what kind of results I get from doing it.
The main differences here for me are:
A big part of the Animal-Based Diet is to cut out seed and vegetable oils. I haven’t had these oils in years other than if they’re hidden in restaurant foods, which is super common because of how cheap these oils are. My main fat sources over the years have been beef tallow, grass fed butter, and high quality olive oil, but I wanted to make a note of this because it’s worth mentioning that if you are consuming any seed or vegetable oils in your diet, I’d recommend cutting them out immediately as there is mounting evidence to suggest that these oils are hurting us and a huge contributor to many of our modern day health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
Ever since I started sourcing my meats from local farmers over 10 years ago, nose-to-tail eating made a ton of sense to me. If we’re going to kill an animal, why in the world wouldn’t we use the whole thing?
I would usually purchase half a cow (or elk, or bison, or lamb) and store it in a large deep freezer. I wouldn’t just get the most premium cuts of steak, I’d also get the organs and the bones (which was actually what inspired me to start Broya).
This can’t be overstated enough. It’s so important for us to be sourcing our food locally. Here are reasons why this process is near and dear to my heart and something I’ve been preaching for over a decade:
As you can tell there are many reasons why supporting local farms is an absolute no brainer for any one.
Animal foods are, hands down, the most nutrient rich food we have available to us. It’s one of the only foods we can get Vitamin B12 from. Without Vitamin B12, we run into a lot of problems including neurological issues, mental illness, nerve damage, and infertility.
Animal foods also contain iron, zinc, vitamin D (especially in liver), and other critical B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, folate, and others.
It’s also important to note that eating an animal based diet requires that you eat the whole animal otherwise you will run into some nutrient deficiencies. If you’re only eating steaks, there is a good chance you will be low on folate and vitamin C. If you’re getting organ meats in you’ll be getting enough folate and some vitamin C, but you’ll want to think about eating fish roe, shellfish like mussels, clams, oysters, and crab to get a good dose of that. I’ll be eating oranges as well so that should suffice.
It’s also super important to be eating the collagenous parts of the animal to get enough glycine in the diet. Glycine is not considered an essential amino acid but is considered a conditional essential amino acid. We synthesize a bit of it in our bodies, but fall short by 10-60 grams per day, which is a lot! So we want to make sure we’re having enough bone broth and collagenous cuts to get enough glycine in our system. Glycine stabilizes blood sugar when taken with a meal, and it helps with sleep by being an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps calm and relax you. It’s also critical to collagen synthesis (i.e. bone, skin, connective tissue)
In order to survive their co-evolution with animals, insects, and fungi over the last 450 million years, plants needed to develop chemicals that protect them from unabated predation.
Now I won’t go on the record saying that eating vegetables is bad for us. I’ve been eating all sorts of vegetables for years now and haven’t felt any negative effects from many of them, but I am super curious what happens if we were to cut them out completely, which is something I have never done.
Who knows, maybe I will notice a huge difference. TBD.
If we look back many generations, we see many examples of different tribes consuming meat including the Inuit people of the Canadian arctic and the Maasai tribes of Eastern Africa to name a few. Back then, heart disease and diabetes did not exist! That’s because refined sugars and seed oils were not around, but it’s also likely that it’s because they were eating a high protein, nutrient rich, nose-to-tail diet that included a lot of meat.
I’ll be writing about my experience over the next few weeks as I get deeper into this and share what I’m learning and noticing in my body.
Ideally, I’d be testing critical biomarkers before and after, but I didn’t get around to doing that this time so everything I report will be based on my subjective N=1 experience so take this with a grain of salt.
If you are interested in trying out the Animal Based Diet, I’d definitely recommend chatting with a Naturopathic Doctor about it beforehand. Or you can read more about it in Dr. Paul Saladino’s book The Carnivore Code.
]]>The biggest reason by far for why women going through perimenopause or menopause order Broya is because they want something nutritious and low-calorie that can help them feel full so that they’re less likely to snack and gain those extra, unwanted pounds. We’ll get into how bone broth in particular can help with menopause symptoms, but first, let’s talk about why you start to feel like this in the first place and what can help.
Once you stop having menstrual periods, there’s a decline in estrogen and progesterone associated with it. With this sudden drop in estrogen levels, that’s what causes most menopause symptoms.
It can happen to any woman in her 30s to 50s. Underweight women are more likely to start feeling symptoms of menopause earlier while women who are overweight will feel the symptoms a lot later.
You may have thought to yourself several times: “Why do perimenopause and menopause make it so hard to lose weight?”
According to multiple studies, there’s no one factor that causes menopause weight gain. It has a lot to do with these factors:
In one study done, they wanted to verify if the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin, was more prevalent in women in the perimenopause and menopause stages of their lives than in the pre- and post-menopause stages of life. They were right: they found that the hormone level was twice as high in women during perimenopause and menopause stages than in women in the pre- and post-menopause stages of life.
Another study showed that the reason why weight gain in menopause occurs is a result of impaired function of hormones that control fullness and appetite; when estrogen levels are low, so are the levels of leptin and neuropeptide Y. That’s why you’re more likely to consume more calories than you intend to during the late stage of perimenopause or in menopause.
Above all else, menopause and weight gain often go hand in hand because of poor sleep, lack of exercise, and stress. The less you sleep, the more you want to eat. The more you stress, the more you want to eat. And vice versa. All these factors have a big influence on your fluctuating hormones and therefore can lead to menopause weight gain.
In theory, losing weight is quite simple, but obviously, not easy at all, especially when your hormones are working against you.
But generally, the most important thing is a calorie deficit. If you burn more calories than you consume, that’ll help you lose weight. Following this type of menopause diet can be tricky because the number of calories you burn during rest becomes significantly lower in this stage of your life.
So the goal of your menopause diet shouldn’t be to eat as little as possible in terms of calories; the goal should be to take the long term approach and take it day by day. According to Dr. Marc Bubbs, you’re more likely to lose weight and keep it off if you aim to lose 1% of your body weight each week.
Trying to lose weight quicker will make it harder to stick to habits and what’s even more is that a steeper caloric decline will also result in loss of muscle mass (and you really don’t want that during this stage in life - I’ll explain why below). So if you want to learn more about the right approach to losing weight, I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode I did with Dr. Marc Bubbs.
It’s best to talk with your doctor about this, especially if you’re thinking of fully overhauling your lifestyle with a menopause diet. If you look online, you’ll see talk about black cohosh, ginseng, and red clover, but studies on those are limited, however, there are a few vitamins that are proven to help.
If you’re thinking about using supplements, you should talk to your doctor about these ones listed below that minimize the symptoms of declining estrogen:
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 helps to support bone health, the creation of red blood cells, stable nerves, and healthy brain function. Beef, tuna, salmon, and eggs are all excellent sources of vitamin B-12.
Vitamin B-6
During menopause, serotonin levels decline (and therefore contribute to menopause symptoms like mood swings, low energy, and depression), but thankfully, vitamin B-6 can help make more of it. If you’re low on vitamin B-6, it can cause irritability, skin inflammation, and even anemia.
That’s why you’ll want to have plenty of salmon, chicken breast, bananas, and fortified tofu.
Vitamin E
You’ve probably heard that antioxidants are great at reducing inflammation in the body. Well, vitamin E is one of those awesome antioxidants. When you have the right amount of vitamin E (the daily value is 15 mg), then you’re less likely to have inflammation, stress, depression, and weight gain.
Foods rich in vitamin E include: almonds, spinach, broccoli, and sunflower seeds.
You might be thinking: “If I need to burn calories, then I should probably do as much cardio as possible.” While that makes sense, it’s actually not entirely true.
Did you know that estrogen has a lot to do with supporting bone and muscle mass?
Because you lose a lot more bone mass and muscle mass around the time of menopause, strength training becomes a lot more important than cardio. And guess who’s the culprit that’s behind decreased bone and muscle mass? That’s right - estrogen. Estrogen has a lot to do with supporting bone and muscle mass and since estrogen levels go down during perimenopause and menopause, you need to focus on keeping your bones safe.
The way you keep your bones safe is by strength training because you’re building a wall of muscle around them. It’s like a highly fortified wall, but for your bones!
Supplements can be really helpful, but if you’re not eating the right food, all the right supplements in the world won’t do much to ease menopause symptoms. Why? Inflammation becomes particularly nasty during menopause because the defence against inflammation, estrogen, has waned.
That’s why you’ll want to avoid foods that cause inflammation like: gluten, dairy, soy, processed sugar, lots of alcohol, vegetable oils, and processed meats. Instead, you’ll want to eat foods like grass fed beef, wild salmon and other fatty fish, leafy greens, walnuts, bone broth, and other foods high in omega-3.
After you take out these foods (or at least consume less of them), your diet on menopause should be richer in vitamins and minerals, rather than calories that don’t do much for your overall well-being.
Here are foods that you should be consuming on a daily basis so that you get plenty of antioxidants, proteins, healthy carbs, vitamins, and minerals:
At the beginning of this article I mentioned that many customers order Broya bone broth to help them on their menopause weight loss journey. In addition to containing many minerals that help to strengthen bones like calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, bone broth can help significantly with feeling fuller for longer. So instead of reaching for sugary, processed snacks that cause more inflammation, many say that after drinking bone broth, they no longer have this urge.
Delicious all the way!
“I wasn't sure about the idea of drinking bone broth until I had my first sip! Wow! I was amazed by the explosion of flavor. I strongly recommend it to anyone like me who lives a busy life and doesn't have time to make their own! Best broth ever! It definitely helped with the cravings too…”
- Janick
See what Janick is talking about…
What’s more is that you get plenty of collagen and amino acids when the bones are simmered for 24 hours like we do here at Broya. We simmer the bones for that long because all that good stuff gets released into the water and your body is able to more easily absorb it all.
Take a look at all the benefits here:
Now you have a good starting point with how to keep menopause weight gain at bay. Remember to steer clear of foods that cause inflammation, consume more antioxidant-rich foods, focus on strengthening your muscles to protect your bones, and if you’re having cravings, reach for a pouch of bone broth. The low-calorie, high protein content will allow you to feel full and have less cravings for sugary, processed foods.
]]>It all started in 2015 when Dr. Kellyann, a naturopath and nutritionist, published a book titled: “Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches—and Your Wrinkles! In Just 21 Days”.
Now the bone broth diet is all the rage. But what exactly is it and how does it work?
Think “Paleo diet meets intermittent fasting” for 21 days—and voila, you have the bone broth diet. You’re on the Paleo diet for five days and you do intermittent fasting for two days for three weeks.
Before you start thinking, “Oh man, I can’t eat solid foods for two days in a row?!”—Relax. You don’t have to fast for two days in a row. You can spread out your fasting days if that’s easier for you, however, weight loss is more likely to happen if you fast for longer than 24 hours. That’s because around the 24-48 hour mark, your body reaches a state of autophagy. This is when your body literally starts to eat itself and instead of using glucose for fuel, it starts to use fat, hence the weight loss.
Autophagy is a beneficial state to reach not just because it supports weight loss but also because in this state your body gets rid of old, damaged cells, and replaces them with newer, healthier cells. It’s like turning the clock back on your body!
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Bone Broth Fast |
Bone Broth Fast |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Bone Broth Fast |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Bone Broth Fast |
Bone Broth Fast |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Paleo |
Bone Broth Fast |
Paleo |
How much bone broth do you drink on Paleo days?
For each day that you’re on the Paleo diet, you’ll end up drinking anywhere from a cup of broth to a few cups. If you’re someone who loves to snack, then you’ll be drinking more bone broth than others. Because guess what? You’re not allowed to snack on the broth diet! You’ll need to substitute all those sugary or salty snacks you’re normally used to with warm, soothing broth.
How much bone broth do you drink on fasting days?
Everyone is different. If you’ve never been on a diet like this before, you’ll probably have around 5-6 cups per day. If you snack a lot, you might have even more because when you have nothing but bone broth, the urge to snack could become magnified. It happens to many people, but it’s natural when you’ve been putting a bunch of junk in your body for a very long time.
Your body will fight you during your bone broth fast, but you just have to remember that the pain you feel from wanting to eat sugary and salty snacks is temporary. You can pull through!
This diet isn’t meant to be like a typical diet. It’s not meant to be difficult to understand, strict, or hard to keep up with. It’s meant to help you lose weight more naturally using a way of eating that our ancestors used.
Ask yourself this: before the Industrial Revolution and the Agricultural Revolution, would we have the same kind of access to food as we do now? When you think about all the ways we can get food within the next 15 minutes, it wouldn’t surprise anyone that it’s so hard to lose weight. You can get food delivered by a restaurant or through delivery apps, you can pick it up ready at restaurants or drive-thrus, or you can get it at grocery stores (and more). A lot of these options are even available 24/7. The worst part? Most of this ready food is highly processed and inflammatory.
When you take all that away, you’re left with how hunters and gatherers used to eat. Some days or even some seasons they’d have more food, and others not so much. On the days when there wouldn’t be a lot to eat but people would still have bones left, they could make bone broth out of it and get plenty of the minerals that their bodies needed.
Bone broth for weight loss is just one benefit of many, however, you need to make sure that the bone broth you’re consuming isn’t just your regular grocery store broth with added ingredients that shouldn’t be in there. You need high quality keto bone broth made from bones that come from farms with healthy animals that roam freely on pesticide-free soil and aren’t grown using hormones.
That’s why Broya partners with local Canadian farmers who we trust and have been growing healthy, happy animals for decades.
“I tried a combo pack, I love all four flavours. They have amazing flavour and are delicious used in recipes or on their own.”
- Carrissa
When you have a GMO-free, ethically sourced, paleo + keto-friendly bone broth like Broya, you can enjoy all of these benefits:
Glutamine (one of the key amino acids found in bone broth) helps boost metabolism and energy, so you can burn calories more efficiently.
Not only that, but bone broth is super hydrating because it’s full of electrolytes. People often mistake dehydration for hunger, so staying hydrated is a key element in healthy weight loss.
When you simmer bones in water for 24 hours (like we do at Broya) the broth becomes infused with collagen from the connective tissue and bone marrow. Collagen releases antioxidants inside the body, which help boost skin health and prevent early ageing of skin.
Collagen is also essential in supporting healthy bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, hair, and nails.
Bone broth is chock full of glycine, a naturally occurring amino acid that interacts with neurotransmitters and assists in calming down the brain and relaxing the central nervous system.
This one-two punch helps you “turn off” for the night so you can get a restful sleep.
Bone broth contains gelatin and amino acids that are super helpful for digestion. They can ease many digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, and gas.
Glutamine also helps to actively reduce inflammation in the intestinal barrier. This can help relieve symptoms of more severe conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and Leaky Gut.
The nutrients pulled from the marrow inside the bones also contain a hormone called ‘adiponectin’ that ensures smooth digestion of food and regulates insulin levels.
And when gut health improves, so does mood, depression, anxiety, and brain fog.
The glycine in bone broth also speeds wound healing and promotes recovery...
It’s got glutathione, an antioxidant that’s critical to repairing tissue and muscle fibers...
AND... it’s rich in proline, another amino acid that helps to build muscle, repair tissue, and decrease inflammation.
Bone marrow also contains more vitamins and minerals than the meat itself… which end up in our bone broth to provide a wallop of nutrients like calcium, glucosamine, and chondroitin which can help to alleviate pain in stiff joints.
You already know that you need to 1) have high-quality bone broth 2) stick to the paleo diet. So how do you do that?
Here’s what you can and can’t eat on the Paleo diet:
Credits to: CookSmarts
Now that you’ve seen this graph, the bone broth diet suddenly makes a lot more sense, right? When you put together a bone broth cleanse with the paleo diet, you’re supporting gut health and weight loss BIG TIME. That’s because you’re only consuming anti-inflammatory foods.
If you need help with figuring out full meals, I’ve got your back!
Here are some Paleo recipes that can get you started for your first week on the bone broth diet. You’ll see that none of them include grain-fed meat, grain-based products like potatoes or corn, refined oils, refined sugars, or dairy.
Breakfast Ideas
Lunch Ideas
Dinner Ideas
In case you needed to see what a week would look like on the broth diet, I’ve prepared a sample schedule. You’ll notice that some of the meals repeat and that’s because you’ll probably want to make a lot of some meals or even freeze them for the week after. No one’s got time to cook three times a day, am I right?!
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
Breakfast: Avocado Banana Smoothie Lunch: Creamy Keto Salmon “Pasta” Dinner: Paleo Meatloaf |
Breakfast: Smoothie of your choice including whole fruits, veggies & water/non-dairy milk Lunch: Leftover meatloaf Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie |
Breakfast: Chia Pudding Lunch: Italian Wedding Soup Dinner: Leftover Chicken Pot Pie |
Breakfast: Flourless Pumpkin Pancakes Lunch: Paleo Chicken Broccoli Dinner: Leftover Italian Wedding Soup |
Breakfast: Chia Pudding Lunch: Paleo Chicken Broccoli Dinner: Buffalo Chicken Casserole |
5-6 cups of bone broth, depending on how hungry you are |
5-6 cups of bone broth, depending on how hungry you are |
Make Your Own |
Dr. Kellyann Broth |
Broya Bone Broth |
Campbell’s Organic Chicken Broth |
|
Ship Time |
If you’re buying from the store - none! But if you’re ordering bones from a farm, it really depends |
Unknown |
1-5 days depending on where you are in Canada. |
Unknown/depends on where you order from |
How long have the bones been simmered for? |
Depends on you, but we recommend simmering bones for 24 hours to maximize the amount of collagen protein and amino acids you get |
24 hours |
24+ hours |
Unknown |
Where are the bones sourced? |
Up to you - make sure that you research farm practices whether you’re buying in store or online |
Unknown, but the company is based in the USA |
Local Canadian farms with 100% grass fed beef and certified organic chicken. |
Unknown |
Taste |
It depends on what you add. You can do something different every time which is why we personally encourage making bone broth at home, but if you don’t have the time, that’s why we exist! |
We’re not too sure about this one! |
“Great tasting, love the varieties I really love the bone broth - all the flavours are great.” - Sue |
We’ve heard that it doesn’t compare to Broya! :) |
Price |
Good quality bones can cost ~$4-9/lb + spices and veggies (1 L of broth = 3lb of bones) |
4 cents/ml |
2 cents/ml (includes free shipping!) |
½ cent/ml |
We always encourage people to make bone broth on their own at home because there’s nothing like the smell and taste of home-cooked broth (although some people hate the smell and would rather not stink up their home! However, if you’re in a pinch for time, you don’t have the tools or enough room at home, or you want a more convenient way to get home-cooked bone broth shipped right to your door, that’s why we’re here.
You might’ve heard varying opinions about collagen.
It can be quite the seesaw of information.
However...after spending years creating and drinking bone broth that has an exceptional taste and collagen profile, I’m a big believer of collagen (but more specifically, bone broth). Not just because of my own story of how I noticed the difference in my gut, mood, and especially my energy after drinking it, but because of the stories of so many of our customers who can’t go a day without it.
So if you’ve heard about collagen, want to know more about it, and want to understand whether you need more of it in your diet, then this article is for you.
Did you know that there are eight types of protein? One of those types of protein is structural, otherwise known as “fibrous” protein. Collagen is one of the three fibrous proteins. It’s incredibly important for holding your body up and making sure everything’s in place — not only does it give strength to so many functions in the body but it also protects them.
Collagen is so strong that it holds up your muscles, bones, tendons, skin, blood vessels, cartilage, teeth, ligaments, and parenchymal organs (e.g. heart, lungs, etc.) using a structural framework. Just imagine a giant scaffolding throughout your body and you’ve understood the gist of collagen!
There are 28 different types of collagen (1). It’s the most abundant protein in mammals (2) but most collagen in the human body is made up of types I, II, and III.
You can find type I in:
You can find type II in:
You can find type III in:
Now here’s the million dollar question...is collagen good for you?
And the answer is: not only is it good for you, but you actually need it! Since it literally holds your body up and makes up about 30% of the body’s protein content, it’s essential to include it in your diet (3).
But exactly what is collagen good for?
According to a 2019 study done on collagen peptides, an effective amount to take would range from 2.5 to 15 grams daily.
But how much collagen per day makes sense for you? Well, it all depends on how much collagen you lack and where it’s going in the body. Even if you try to target one specific benefit, your body will prioritize and put the collagen towards where it’s needed most. For example, if you’re taking collagen peptides to improve the appearance of your skin, your body might redirect it to your joints instead.
Collagen peptides are what’s known as hydrolyzed collagen. It’s collagen that’s broken down into smaller, easier-to-process amino acids so that you can absorb the contents more easily through the gastrointestinal tract.
In other words, collagen peptides serve as the building blocks for production of collagen. The peptides also work as antioxidants, helping existing collagen that you yourself have synthesized naturally to stay intact.
While there are many non-vegan sources of collagen, it doesn’t mean that collagen itself isn’t vegan. It’s a form of protein so yes, it is vegan and you can find it in plenty of vegan sources like beans, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, almonds, spirulina, and more.
But consuming collagen isn’t the only way to get its benefits. For example, vitamin C is incredibly important for the production of collagen and it also helps to protect the collagen that’s already present in your body (10). So definitely add thyme, parsley, kale, citrus fruits, broccoli, and strawberries to your diet if you haven’t already (and even if you’re not vegan because maintaining a well-balanced diet is important to keep your body functioning optimally!)
According to an article produced by the Nofima The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Research, fish like cod, coalfish, herring and mackerel are great sources of collagen. Fish skin in particular is a rich source of collagen (11).
Great news for people who don’t eat meat but don’t want to rely only on vegan sources for collagen benefits.
One of the richest sources of collagen is bone broth that’s simmered for 24 hours or longer, especially with the use of some kind of vinegar — the acidity in it helps to break down the collagen into smaller amino acids and help you digest it more easily. That’s exactly how we make bone broth at Broya and get the maximum amount of collagen benefits.
If you want collagen from whole meat sources, the best place to look would be from a chicken. If you’ve ever cut up a raw chicken, you’ll see that they have a lot of connective tissue and that’s where collagen is concentrated.
I’ve given a lot of information about collagen itself - but what about supplements in comparison to bone broth?
Well, we can’t speak for all bone broths so we’ll compare Broya bone broth with what we’ve heard about collagen supplements.
Which one’s better? |
Broya bone broth |
Collagen supplements |
SOURCING |
Organic Non-GMO Ethically raised Antibiotic-free |
Factory-made Heavily processed |
NUTRITION |
15+ different amino acids & minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron |
15+ different amino acids & lower amount of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron |
HOW IT’S PROCESSED |
24+ hours simmering in a pot of water |
Deodorizing & decolourizing |
The biggest factor you want to look at is: do you want all the electrolytes that come with bone broth and do you care how it’s sourced? If your answer is yes, then bone broth is a great option.
The best time to take collagen all depends on what you want to achieve. If you’re taking it to relax and improve your sleep, then the best time to drink collagen would be before you go to sleep.
A lot of Broya customers like to have bone broth as their natural nightcap because it feels like a warm hug in a mug. So not only will glycine help you relax, but the temperature of the liquid will too.
But when is the best time to take collagen if you want its other benefits? Any time during the day is a great time to have it, as long as you’re taking collagen consistently. And remember, it’s not a cure-all. You can’t just consume loads and loads of collagen but at the same time have plenty of processed foods.
No amount of collagen will help with digestive or joint inflammation if you’re not making sure to keep up a balanced diet.
While liquid bone broth can be great for electrolytes, hydration, and giving you all the benefits that collagen itself has to offer, collagen powder can be pretty handy when it comes to shelf space.
But if you’re looking for collagen powder, make sure that the company you buy from is transparent about sourcing, their manufacturing process, and any additives that could unnecessarily be included.
The best way to answer this is: it depends.
Everyone’s body is different but according to the studies cited above, it can take as little as 3 days to as long as a few months to see the effects.
That’s why you always want to be consistent when taking collagen supplements, as well as including more bioavailable options like bone broth so that your body can absorb the collagen right away.
]]>1. Be clear on why you do what you do and don’t settle for anything less
When I thought it aligned with our brand to promote sustainably raised, antibiotic and hormone free meat, it actually took away from who we really are. Of course, sourcing high quality meat is super important to us, and we would never source conventional meat, ever. However, our mission, first and foremost, is to help people heal themselves with good food choices. Most people see a tremendous amount of health benefits from drinking broth on the regular, and that’s why we do what we do.
2. Timing is everything
I thought this product was clearly something the market was missing. There are very few, if any, high quality meat snacks in Canada so I assumed people would be thrilled to see this product. However, most of the market wasn't as pumped about this product as I was. Bites are still not ‘in’ in Canada. They’re all over the US, but unfortunately, most Canadians still think this is a weird concept and view most jerky-like products as low quality with a bunch of crap in it (thanks Jack Links).
3. For the love of God, know your customer and talk to them every damn day
When I thought our loyal broth customers would love this product, they actually didn’t care that much about them. People who drink broth do so for specific health reasons (like myself) and they don’t care much about a healthy meat snack. This seems so obvious in hindsight, but as a hopeful entrepreneur, I let the ‘build it and they will come’ sensationalism get the best of me here. Major fail.
4. Keep it simple, you silly goose (KISSG)
When I thought this would diversify our product set with the broths, it actually made it 10x harder to manage. Different buyers at the retail level to deal with, a new production process I had to learn from scratch, and a new facility half way across the country to complicate the supply chain. When you’re a startup in the food space staying in 1 category and producing in 1 facility, makes your life a lot easier and your focus sharper as your customers get to know you.
Another lesson on keeping it simple; if I were to do this over again, I'd keep the flavours as simple as possible and I would have listened to the market and made it keto-friendly. I would also steer away from the tender bites format and go with traditional jerky or a peperette stick, which are much more common in Canada. The less you need to make your customer work at understanding what you're selling, the more likely they are to pick it up and try your product.
5. Is your competitive edge enough?
Although I believe this is a superior product to everything else out there in Canada, our price point wasn’t competitive because we were competing with jerky products that were owned by the farmers who owned the land or large companies that owned the production facilities. We had neither so we paid extra to produce this product, which resulted in us being priced $1-2 per unit more than our competition. Our high quality meat and tasty product were not enough for a customer to choose us over the competition.
So as you can see, this was akin to launching a second business when my first business (bone broth) still needed a ton of TLC.
If this resonates with even 1 person, that makes me happy, and hopefully, you won't make the same mistakes I did. So, please, do me a favour, go to our store, order some Bites, use the discount code BITES50 for 50% off your order, and tell me how much you’re going to miss them.
]]>
If someone told you that you have two brains, you’d probably laugh them out of the room, right? You’d be like, “Hey Dave, who invited that guy to the party?” Ok, so obviously you don't have two brains. But what you do have are a brain and a gut that are more complexly and completely connected than you might have originally known or suspected, to the degree that one intimately affects the other. “Ok, BROYA blog, tell me more…” we hear you saying. Happy to oblige!
Our guts contain a microbiome. What is a microbiome, apart from a really cool sounding word? A microbiome is essentially a collection of gut bacteria, both good and bad, that live within us in symbiosis. Microbes are part of our regular “flora” and our intestines are jam-packed with them. In fact, it has been determined that there are approximately 100 trillion unique microbes within one person’s microbiome, reflecting 10,000 different species. Yes, that’s right, you read correctly. Our bodies are incredible. And terrifying.
Ok, so now that we know about the microbiome, how in the world does this relate to our brains? Essentially, the “gut-brain axis” is a biochemical signalling system that exists between our gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. For those who prefer a metaphor, think of a whole series of telephone wires or invisible highways connecting one part of the body to another. What this means is that bacteria found within our guts are actually able to control important levers within our nervous systems, intrinsically linking our gut to our brains.
What does this mean?
This means that we are, in many more ways than we may have known, what we eat.
Ok, so if gut bacteria now have a say over what’s going on in our brains, what does that mean? Well, just like with anything else, this bacteria can have a good or bad influence over our mental health and cognitive functions.
The Good
A healthy microbiome is filled with happy and helpful bacteria that have our best interests at heart (er…. stomach?) Gut microbes actually produce 50% dopamine and 90% serotonin (the “feel good” chemicals that regulate our mood). They also absorb, break down and assimilate nutrients from our diets, and essentially help to fuel and sustain every process in our bodies.
If we have a healthy gut, the lines of communication between our gut and brain function effectively. When our gut is functioning at its best, it also produces adequate serotonin and effectively sends and regulates signals to do with hunger, satiety, anxiety, learning and memory (to name a few).
When our gut is full of good bacteria, we will feel, for lack of a better word, good.
Ok, but there’s a flipside to this, right?
The Bad
Naturally, if an abundance of good gut bacteria can help us to thrive mentally and emotionally, then an overabundance of bad bacteria will do the opposite.
Unfortunately, bad bacterial growth is affected by digestion. When our digestion isn’t functioning at its best, it can prevent proper nutrient absorption (meaning we’re not getting the nutrients that our bodies need to thrive). The even more insidious side of poor digestion? It allows undigested food particles to build up in our GI and these attract bad bacteria. Poor digestion can then lead to the bad bacteria outnumbering the good bacteria in our guts. And what does this mean for our nervous systems? Well, essentially it means that the lines of communication between our brains and guts are now being controlled by a bunch of bad guys. Essentially, data is now being collected and sent to our brains saying there is something seriously wrong with our guts. Wuhwoh.
How does our brain respond to this kind of message? Not well, as you can imagine. An overabundance of bad bacteria in our guts can trigger anxiety, depressive-like behaviours, mood swings, and irritability. If an imbalance continues and is prolonged it can cause more sustained problems like obesity and addiction. Interestingly, IBS is actually considered by some to be a “gut-brain axis disorder”, where anxiety and depression can at times coexist with digestive symptoms and both mental and physical symptoms seem to continually exacerbate each other.
Ok, so this is all kind of grim. What can we do about it?
Eat Your Greens
It stands to reason that if our nervous system is affected by our gut, and if our gut is affected by our diet…. then we should probably be pretty darn focused on maintaining a healthy one. Steamed vegetables might remind some folks of grandma’s house, but they’re on the plate for a reason (or thirty). Steamed veggies are rich in fibre and act as “prebiotics” to help feed and repopulate healthy gut bacteria. If you are looking to heal your gut, then choosing steamed veggies is especially important because they help to cook down and predigest fibre. Though nutrient dense, a diet rich in raw veggies can be quite harsh on a healing system as they require extra work to break down.
Lower Your Stress Levels
This is just good advice, in general. Ever been really stressed and gotten an upset stomach? I think we’ve all been there. Chronic high-stress levels are hard on our whole bodies, including our guts, as stress wreaks havoc on our digestive and absorptive processes and can be the culprit for all range of unpleasant GI symptoms. Consider meditation, yoga and/ or exercise to help alleviate stress.
Eat Fermented Foods and/ or Probiotics
Either you hate kimchi or you love it, but there’s no denying that it’s a gut- saver. Kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt and beet kvass are some excellent fermented foods that help to replenish good bacteria in our bodies. Probiotic supplements also do a good job of this and can be really helpful in maintaining the balance you need to thrive.
Drink Bone Broth
You saw this one coming, didn’t you? But seriously, bone broth is a gut- healing powerhouse. Bone broth is full of beneficial proteins called collagen and gelatin. These proteins are made of anti-inflammatory amino acids which help to heal the gut lining and protect it. What this means is that bone broth helps to create the optimal environment for good bacteria to grow, populate and support our systems.
Reduce Junk Food Intake
Now, here’s one we’ve heard before. Fatty, sugary foods and your gut just don’t really get along. A diet high in junk foods creates a breeding ground for bad bacteria, which, as discussed above, can put a strain on us both emotionally and mentally. It’s honestly just not with it.
Basically, everything’s connected. Our brains are connected to our guts which are connected to our diets which are connected to our stress levels, etc. Our bodies are extremely complex and intricate ecosystems that thrive when the balance is restored and upheld. And we can continue to make healthy and positive choices every day to support our bodies and therefore, ultimately support our minds, and keep our gut-brain axis in check. It’s in our hands. It’s in our guts. How great is that?
Sources:
https://blog.kettleandfire.com/gut-brain-axis/
https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/home/gut-brain-axis/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E479yto8pyk
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_body/the-brain-gut-connection
]]>Word on the street is that bone broth is pretty darn good for you. As producers (and big fans) of bone broth, we would have to agree with that. A warm cuppa broth boasts a whole slew of health-enhancing properties. Honestly, we’d love to tell you about all of them. We’re assuming, however, that you don’t have all day. So, we’ll keep this short and narrow things down to *five* key health benefits that will help to support your general wellbeing and give you the strength and energy to thrive in your busy life. Drum roll, please.
Bone Broth Heals Your Gut & Aids Digestion
You probably already knew this one, but we’ll tell you a bit more anyways. Bone broth is your gut’s new best friend. It contains amino acids that are extremely helpful for digestion and can help to ease common digestive issues like constipation, diarrhea, and gas.
Bone broth goes beyond just supporting digestion, however. It also has properties that help to actively heal an inflamed and unruly gut. In particular, glutamine (one of the key amino acids found in bone broth) helps to heal inflammation within the intestinal barrier. Bone broth can be extremely beneficial for those struggling with leaky gut and other inflammatory bowel conditions. A happy gut is a happy life, and bone broth is here to help
Bone Broth Supports Weight Loss
Bone broth supports weight loss in a way that is healthy and productive. Yoyo and fad diets... be gone! When you go on a diet, it’s vital not to starve your body of essential nutrients. That’s where bone broth comes in. Bone broth is nutrient dense, containing numerous essential and non- essential amino acids, collagen, gelatin and nutrients that support brain health, gut health and immunity. So, in other words, it will provide your body with much of its needed nutritional intake, in the place of a regular diet.
There are many ways to use bone broth to lose weight. You could go on a bone broth fast, or do intermittent fasting (combining your usual diet with intermittent time periods of drinking bone broth and bone broth alone). There’s no “one size fits” solution when it comes to incorporating bone broth into your weight loss regimen, but many success stories have emerged of people using it to lose that weight that they’ve been unable to shake through other approaches.
Bone Broth Is the Best Way to Intake Collagen Protein
What is collagen protein, you ask? Most basically, it’s an essential protein found within human and animal connective tissues. It is the most abundant protein found in our bodies and supports the structure (and therefore function) of our bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, hair, nails and skin. In other words, it’s pretty darn important.
Collagen is widely marketed in a number of forms throughout the wellness, fitness, and beauty industries. You can find it in everything from supplements to skin creams. Bone broth, however, is truly one of the most natural ways to intake this incredible protein, because it comes directly from the source. It also provides a nutritional boost from the inside and therefore serves to more effectively strengthen and maintain numerous key parts of our bodies all at once.
Bone Broth Aids in Injury Recovery
Have an injury and looking to add some recovery- promoting foods to your diet? Introducing bone broth! Bone broth can aid significantly with injury recovery. Bone broth contains gelatin, and gelatin, in turn, contains glycine. Glycine is a simple naturally occurring amino acid which speeds wound healing and promotes recovery. Bone broth is also rich in proline, another amino acid, which helps to build muscle, repair tissue, and decrease inflammation.
Furthermore, bone broth contains some natural pain relievers, because it is jam-packed with nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin which can help to alleviate pain in stiff joints. What we mean to say is that bone broth has got your back (or your leg, or knee, or arm… you know, whichever part of you needs the help!)
Bone Broth Is a Great Sleep Aid
We bet you never thought of bone broth as a sleep aid! Well, guess what…. it can definitely help. Bone broth is chock full of gelatin, and gelatin can help to induce sleep because it contains glycine, as mentioned above. Glycine not only helps with wound recovery, but it interacts with brain neurotransmitters and actually assists in “calming down the brain” and therefore, helping you to turn off for the night. Cool, right? So, next time you’re settling down with that warm cup of sleepy time tea, consider sipping your good old friend bone broth instead!
These are just five of the many ways that bone broth can enhance your health and livelihood. This golden elixir is chock full of nutrients that can support almost every part of your body, in some capacity or another. Interested in taking a deeper dive into the world of bone broth and its many offerings? Check out our “Definitive Guide to Bone Broth” here. How do you integrate bone broth into your healthy lifestyle? Drop us a line and tell us how bone broth has helped you!
Sources:
https://www.louisehay.com/18-amazing-health-benefits-bone-broth/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323903.php
https://www.kettleandfire.com/pages/bone-broth-benefits
https://www.spinemd.com/news-philanthropy/health-trending-in-2016-top-5-benefits-of-bone-broth
]]>We may know that bone broth has some pretty unbelievable health-enhancing properties, but we don’t necessarily know how to incorporate it into our daily routines. Never fear, that’s where this guide comes in. In this article, we’ve taken a deep dive into the common uses of bone broth and the benefits that it can provide, as well as detailing the frequency and amount you should consume, based on your particular health concerns. Keep reading for some good to the bone insights on the latest addition to your pantry.
Bone broth contains glutamine which helps to repair the walls of your intestines and reverse leaky gut. It is also rich in nutrients that help to stimulate stomach acid, resulting in improved digestion. Further, bone broth is rich in healthy fats and protein, both of which support the big intestine to effectively eliminate waste. It has long been recommended by gut health specialists as an effective way to promote gut health.
How often? Consider drinking bone broth daily. When you are suffering from problems with digestion, absorption, inflammation, and irritation, it’s essential to consider what will help you to maintain and balance your gut health over time. Bone broth isn’t best served as a quick fix here (though it may help with a bad flare up) but should be something that you incorporate into your wellness regimen for the long term.
How much? At least one bottle (or around 8 ounces) a day. Possibly more, depending on your current state of gut wellness.
How? Consider spreading consumption out over your day. Start your day right by drinking 8- 12 warm ounces. Consider factoring it into lunch as part of a soup and ending your day with some after dinner. The key is consistency, to allow for the continued maintenance of your gut.
Do you suffer from arthritis (rheumatoid or osteo), fibromyalgia or another chronic pain condition? Bone broth can also help here. Bone broth is rich in chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine. These are two properties that help to ward off joint pain and keep your cartilage healthy and strong.
How often? You should drink a minimum of one bottle daily.
How much? It may be advisable to start with a larger amount (16 - 32 ounces a day) for a short stretch (one-two weeks). Starting big like this can help to significantly challenge and reduce inflammation. From there, you can go down to 8- 12 ounces daily.
How? Plain or in a soup or stew with other ingredients that can help to reduce inflammation.
Bone broth has become a very interesting and well-reputed option for people seeking to detoxify and lose some weight. It contains glycine which helps the liver to remove toxins from the body. Bone broth is also extremely hearty and nutrient dense, so you will feel quite satisfied after having a bottle (as if you’ve eaten a full meal), while only taking in 50 - 60 calories.
How often? This really depends on what your end goal is. Are you following a bone broth diet plan or simply trying to incorporate it into your regimen when and where you can? Are you using it as a meal replacement or a meal accompaniment? Remember, bone broth can help to regulate other parts of your system that will aid in detoxification and optimal health as well.
How much? Some people drink 40 - 50 ounces of broth a day. Some people drink less. This depends on what kind of plan/cleanse/fast you are on and the degree to which bone broth plays a part.
How? This again depends on how you are incorporating it into your diet. If you are going on a “bone broth fast”, then you would need to heat it in a mug and drink it plain. A lot of people get nervous about doing this, but this has been well reputed as a high protein, nutrient dense and nourishing weight loss/ cleanse option.
Firstly, bone broth supports a healthy gut. A healthy gut supports a healthy immune system. The gut is known as the body’s “second brain”. When there is an imbalance, studies show that this increases inflammation in the whole body and predisposes the body to autoimmune conditions. Secondly, bone broth is absolutely rich in essential vitamins and minerals that support immune health, like zinc, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, and many other others.
How much? As much as you or your doctor deem fit based on what specific health issues you are tackling.
How often? Daily, or at least 4 times per week. This too can depend on what in particular you are dealing with. Bone broth can help to support both an overactive and underactive immune system, and it’s definitely worth trying different amounts to see what might be best for your particular ailment.
How? If you have a bad cold, consider sipping it in place of a traditional hot drink like tea. If you’re in the middle of an autoimmune flare up, try to incorporate as much as possible (3 bottles would be ideal) and try to incorporate it into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Consider making a stew or soup with other immune boosting superfoods.
Bone broth is an amazing and nutrient dense solution for a lot of life’s problems. The great news? Just because it’s treating you for one thing, doesn’t mean it’s ignoring all the others. That means that even if you are primarily drinking bone broth for its gut healing benefits, you are still gaining all of the additional health perks discussed above, which are all serving to turn your body into a more balanced and thriving ecosystem! Awesome. We hope this guide helped to answer some questions that you have. Now go drink some bone broth, before we beat you to it!
Sources:
https://1md.org/article/bone-broth-helps-arthritis-pain-1md
https://www.medicaldaily.com/4-reasons-you-should-be-drinking-bone-broth-every-day-364000
https://blog.kettleandfire.com/how-to-drink-bone-broth/
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"Over the years, I have found that eating clean whole foods, taking supplements that support a healthy digestive tract, participating in various types of physical activity, and taking my medication has helped me manage my symptoms. I started to become conscious and aware of what I was eating and researching where the food products I was eating were being sourced. I started believing that what I put in my body could either help or fuel my disease.
In March 2018, I had a severe UC flare. The flare took a toll on my body. I was in constant pain, and I was scared to eat because I wasn’t sure if that one piece of food would soon wreak havoc on my digestive system. Every day was a struggle because I didn’t know how my disease was going to be from one moment to the next. I was losing weight and I knew I had to do something to help heal my insides. This is when I started using Broya chicken and beef bone broth as a part of my healing practice. Broya bone broths are loaded with collagen and essential amino acids which support a healthy digestive lining. After some time, I noticed a significant improvement in my overall gut health, which allowed the rest of my body to harmonize in alignment.
Having a bottle of Broya on hand in my pantry makes it so easy to reap the nutritional and gut health benefits, especially when you’re in a flare. The bone broths are infused with bright flavours and healing spices which make them super tasty. I use Broya bone broth in many recipes and I drink it on its own."
Thank you for your kind words, Nadia! We love when people share how Broya is helping them on their journey to wellness! Please feel free to share your stories by contacting us at talktous@broyaliving.com. You can follow Nadia’s inspiring wellness journey at @gustygirldiaries and through her blog www.gutsygirldiaries.com.
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Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body - it contains a mixture of amino acids like proline and glycine, which are found in all connective tissue, including the vital organs. In fact, collagen makes up 30% of the total protein in the body, and 70% of the protein in the skin. However, our natural collagen production declines with age with exposure to modern lifestyle factors, such as stress, poor diet, and pollution. And so, the need to replenish its supply is crucial to maintaining overall health.
Improves health of skin and hair
As you age, there is a natural decrease in collagen production, resulting in wrinkling and dulling of the skin. Increasing collagen levels in your body assists your skin cells to keep renewing themselves and repairing normally - making your skin look firmer and smoother. In fact, in one recent study, women who took collagen supplements daily experienced a 20% reduction in wrinkle depth around their eyes after 8 weeks! It is important to note that although there are various products out there that can help externally, your diet has the biggest influence on your skin.
Reduces joint pain
The building block of healthy joints come from a healthy diet - this includes the consumption of key amino acids like proline, lysine, and glutamine, which support the natural production of collagen in the body. When we lose collagen, our tendons and ligaments start moving with less ease, leading to stiffness, swollen joints and more. In fact, a recent study found that collagen supplementation is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis and other joint and pain disorders.
Improves digestion
In conjunction with the Standard American Diet, digestive issues have increasingly been on the rise; gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation, and abdominal discomfort seem to have become the norm these days. The latter are signs of unbalanced bacteria in the gut that can be aided by consuming collagen, which assists in rebuilding and restoring the protective lining of the intestinal tract. In fact, collagen is loaded with the amino acid glutamine, which has been shown to be effective for preventing various digestive issues, such as leaky gut, IBS, acid reflux, Chron’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Supports weight-loss
Collagen supports weight-loss in a unique way by impacting your satiety levels. Adding collagen to your mid-morning coffee or mid-afternoon tea can be a great strategy to curb cravings and make it through to your next meal. Additionally, unlike some weight-loss promoting products, consuming high-quality collagen guarantees no fillers, hormones or any form of harsh chemicals that may affect the normal functioning of your body.
When it comes to sources of collagen we get from our diet, the main ones are foods that are very high in protein, such as beef or chicken. However, it’s the connective tissue of animals that is loaded with collagen - making bone broth an ideal food to consume for upping collagen intake. Simmering bones and marrow of chicken or beef for a long period of time creates a hearty bone broth that has a tremendous amount of easy-to- absorb collagen. Although we believe that the best source of natural collagen is found through the foods that you eat, you can find high-quality collagen supplementation for times where you need a boost or are on-the- go. One of our favourite’s is Organika’s Enhanced Collagen, which is naturally sourced from grass-
fed cows and free of hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs. This collagen is ideal as it is virtually tasteless, making it easy to add to a variety of foods and drinks, such as your morning coffee!
Sources:
https://draxe.com/what-is- collagen/
http://organika.com/2016/10/20/6-amazing- benefits-of-collagen/
http://www.vitalproteins.com/collagen-supplements- beautiful-skin/
https://authoritynutrition.com/collagen/
Trying to get all the extra nutrients required during pregnancy can often leave moms-to-be feeling overwhelmed. Especially if you are experiencing morning sickness or finding the ever growing baby to be limiting the amount of food you can eat at one time. This may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, sleep issues and major fatigue. If you are exploring supplements to fill your nutritional gaps, it can get expensive and many are made with questionable, synthetic versions of vitamins and mineral and loaded with fillers and artificial colours and flavours (i.e., unnecessary chemicals).
If you are looking for a more natural (and easy) option to meeting your ever-increasing nutritional demands in pregnancy, bone broth is it!
Leanne Sedentopf is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Women’s Health Coach. When it comes to nutrition and lifestyle she believes that our ancestors’ knew a lot more than we give them credit for. She supports her clients to tune into the wisdom of nature and their bodies and to utilize whole foods, movement and self-care to achieve optimal health and wellness.
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How popular is turmeric? In the 2016 Food Trends on Google report, searches for turmeric grew 56% in 3 months[3], and there are currently 3,913 peers reviewed studies on turmeric on PubMed. It’s a popular topic!
Whether you are using dried or fresh turmeric, keep in mind that a little goes a long way.
About the author:
Hema is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP) and culinary nutritionist. After more than 10 years in consumer marketing & project management, Hema’s journey into nutrition began when she started experiencing her own health issues. Her path into her own healing led Hema to become a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, culinary nutritionist, 21-Day Sugar Detox Coach and a volunteer Food Revolution Toronto Ambassador. She focuses on educating others about the powerful healing abilities of nutrient-dense whole foods. Check out Hema's blog at nomadicnutritionist.com!
Sources:
[1] Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Malani N, Ichikawa H. Curcumin: the India solid gold, 2007, Web.
[2] Stoyell KA, Mappus JL, Ghandi MA. Clinical Efficacy of turmeric use in gingivitis: A comprehensive review, August 2016, Web
[3] Pina, Pedro. 2016 Food Trends on Google: The Rise of Functional Foods, Google April 2016, Web.
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(The Man and Legend. 75 Years Young)
7 Reasons why Chuck Norris Drinks Bone Broth:
Chuck Norris is not the only who drinks bone broth, discover another celebrity that consumes bone broth regularly, and you actually might know her.
]]>For some this means green juice or a superfood smoothie but for an increasing number of folks the go-to healthy choice is quickly becoming bone broth.
The beautiful actress Shailene Woodley counts herself among this group and even shared a recipe along with some information regarding leaky gut and the “Paleo” movement with David Letterman during an appearance earlier this year and shared her recipe on Dave’s Instagram which is truly a nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory, health restoring concoction.
Her Recipe you ask? Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=227&v=gLbFyrZtOlM
So why exactly is starting your day with a healthy dose of this ancient elixir such a good idea?
The reasons are many but lets focus on three.
Bone broth is composed of whole foods that supply the body with a broad array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and high quality fats. It is the perfect breakfast to go and is a complete life changer for folks that still rely on drive through coffee and pastries each morning. Instead of spiking your blood sugar first thing and then riding the energy highs and lows that follow why not nourish yourself and be energized, satisfied and feeling great for hours.
It travels well:
Many people who are on tight schedules each morning don’t make the time to prepare, cook and eat a homemade breakfast each day. The reality for most is that between commuting to work or school, taking care of children or getting ready for meetings and appointments there is no shortage of “stuff” that needs to get done once we’re awake and getting into the day. While in an ideal world we would all be able to wake up in a unrushed manner, and prepare a wholesome breakfast while listening to our favorite tunes and dancing in the kitchen this is not practical for most. But what is practical is heating a cup of pre-prepared bone broth, throwing in your extras whether that be grass-fed butter, coconut oil, a raw pastured egg, MCT oil, turmeric, ginger, cayenne, salt, pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg or whatever is your favorite dried herb or spice, whipping it up in the blender and then taking it to go in a travel mug and sipping it like tea you can read more about how to enhance your bone broth. It may sound unusual but it is damn delicious and super satisfying!
Regardless of the brilliantly crafted messages we’ve been fed by the beauty industry there is virtually no way that expensive lotions and creams are going to do the trick in helping you to attain glowing skin and a natural radiance. In reality, the path to beautiful skin starts in the gut and by supplying the body with lots of collagen, gelatin and essential vitamins and minerals, we are able to achieve a glowing appearance without spending hundreds of dollars on the latest peels, scrubs, toners, cleansers and creams that are often filled with toxic ingredients and actually do more harm than good. To see how clean your products are and to find alternatives checkout http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ which uses a ranking system to score products in terms of how their ingredients impact human health.
So there you have it, three no brainer reasons to start your day with a steaming cup of delicious bone broth. It’ll fuel your inner fire and help you become a healthier happier version of yourself, which at the end of the day is something that truly matters.
Happy brothing!
sources
http://greatideas.people.com/2015/03/17/shailene-woodley-bone-broth-recipe/
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