I’ve always focused on being well (hence, “Be Well with Arielle”!) but now that I have a baby in my belly, I’ve been more focused than ever on staying well.
It’s the middle of winter and with all of the colds, viruses (and flu) circulating around, I’ve been very conscious of keeping my immune system boosted and feeling my best during these last few weeks of pregnancy.
One of my fave ways to prevent colds is to sip on homemade healthified chicken bone broth soup.
{Scroll down for the recipe}
Here are some of my other fave ways to prevent winter colds:
– Sleep: good sleep is obviously key to feeling (and looking my best) so to make sure I’m getting deep, quality zzzz’s, I use an eye mask, like this. I also sip on something warm before bed like this Apple-Cinnamon tea to help wind me down.
– Bone Broth: aka Grandma’s penicillin. I try to make a batch every Sunday night. My husband sips on it in the morning with eggs. Check out my recipe below for a delish, home-made chicken soup, as well as a few companies that you can order from, too.
– Ginger: in nutrition school they call it “nature’s antibiotic” because it’s that powerful. I love adding ground ginger or fresh ginger to my morning Orange Creamsicle Smoothie, and I’ll make this Home-made Ginger Tea when I want something warm.
– Garlic: also “nature’s antibiotic”. I make sure to add it to almost every dinner recipe – from Spaghetti Bolognese to Healthified (Un)fried Rice Quinoa, it’s the perfect ingredient and immune booster.
– Essential Oil Diffuser: I get my house cleaned once per week and use an aromatherapy diffuser like this to keep it smelling fresh and clean. Some essential oils also fight bacteria. My fave concoction is: eucalyptus, spearmint and lemon.
– Hand washing: Ok, I’ve definitely been a little OCD lately, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with being smart and cautious, right!? I’m a not a fan of hand sanitizer – I like washing things off of my hands, not spreading it around. So, anytime I enter my house or a restaurant, I wash my hands with soap. Before I eat with my hands, I wash. Oh, and this one is big – after I workout, the first thing I do is wash my hands! I also keep these delicious, healthy hand wipes with me in my purse. They come pre-packaged in little packets so they’re perfect to bring on the subway and out to dinner. I love the lemon and eucalyptus – Mmmm!
In addition to chicken soup being Grandma’s jewish penicillin, it has such incredible benefits – from more energy, to better skin and digestion….to fertility!
Many fertility experts swear by bone broth, including Aimee Raupp, author of Yes, You Can Get Pregnant and Christa Orecchio, author of How to Conceive Naturally: And Have a Healthy Pregnancy After 30.
When I wanted to get pregnant, Aimee recommended that I sip on at least 3oz per day…and I did!
Here’s a simple recipe just like my Grandma used to make, but even healthier. I hope you love it. I have a feeling you will:)
Healthified Chicken Bone Broth Recipe
What You Need:
Broth:
3 large carrots, peeled (you can leave carrot tops intact) or approx 15 baby carrots
3 celery stalks, cut in half (you can leave celery leaves intact)
1 white or yellow onion (you can also use red), peeled and cut in quarters
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Pasture-Raised Chicken (one small 3 lb whole chicken, or 1-2 chicken carcasses and/or chicken feet, necks and backs), washed
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
water
1 piece kombu (not necessary, but makes it thick and adds tons of minerals)
parsley, handful
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Gluten-Free Matzah Balls:
Check out the ingredients you’ll need and recipe here.
Directions:
1. In a pot, add carrots, celery, onion, chicken, garlic, vinegar and fill up with cold water (leave about 1.5 inches of room leaving some room for it to boil.
2. Let sit in cold water for 30 min.
3. Turn up the heat to medium heat (with the cover off) and wait until it boils. Skim off any scum that floats to the top using a spoon.
4. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, place cover on pot and let simmer. Let simmer for at least 8 hours.
5. At some point, add in kombu. I usually add in when I have about 1-2 hours left.
6. When you’re ready to turn off the heat, add parsley and let cook for 1-2 minutes until it’s dark green.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste and voila!
8. At this point, you can serve but I usually place the entire pot into the refrigerator and leave overnight for it to cool down so the fat settles to the top. You’ll know the fat has settled when theres a ring of hard white stuff floating at the top. Also, it’s easier to strain when it’s cold vs. straight off of the stove!
9. To strain, place a strainer or colander over a big bowl. Ladle out chicken, carcasses and veggies and strain soup so the broth collects at the bottom of the bowl. If you want chunks of chicken, carrots and celery in your soup, hand pick them out (de-skin the chicken) and chop them up and add to the broth mixture. If not, toss.
10. I like to store it in these containers. Depending on how much I plan to drink that week, I’ll put some in refrigerator or some in freezer.
Notes:
*I prefer using chicken carcasses vs whole chickens and I get them from my farmers market. You can ask the butcher at your nearby grocery store if they have any.
*My farmer told me that the chicken feet, neck and back have the most collagen so if you can get your hands on any or all, I would suggest putting them in (I will typically put 2 feet, 1 neck and 1 back in). TRUTH: It was really difficult for me to use them when I first started making the broth (especially the feet), but it’s gotten easier over time.
P.S Don’t want to make it yourself? Buy it! Purchase from your local farmer (if you live near a farmers market), a store that sells fresh pasture-raised broth (I love getting Brodo delivered – they also have a spot in New York City), or purchase online from Broth Masters. Use code: BEWELLWITHARIELLE for $10 off your order at brothmasters.com. It’s super delicious. Just add sea salt and voila!
According to Broth Masters, the benefits of bone broth:
– Gut health: aids in soothing upset stomachs, gas, bloating and intestinal issues
– Rich in protein: 10 grams of protein per serving (in Broth Masters)
– Rich in calcium: 260 mg (25%) of your daily calcium intake per serving to support bones
– Supports immune system
– Anti-inflammatory: may help to reduce inflammation and join pain
– Loaded with collagen: great for your skin, hair, nails
And, as mentioned above, it’s super nourishing and may also boost your fertility. Win, win!
Be warm. Be delicious. Be nutritious.
be well,
Arielle
