BONE BROTH ON THE GO

Ok this is a quick message to share a new product that I am currently LOVING that I picked up at the Australia Health & Wellness Summit where my talented hubby was speaking cutting edge training methodologies from the Institute of Motion for optimal health and longevity. I’m a lucky duck I know.

So what is this awesome new discovery you ask?

Well I am afraid it doesn’t involve any baked goods, or fancy superfood BUT it is very much a superfood (just not a fancy one) and of course a nutritious one (that’s what a “super” food should be after all).

It does come in a container so technically it is processed BUT hold your horses not the type of processed food…..

It is BEST OF THE BONE, Bone Broth Concentrate!!!! And no it’s not a powder but a liquidy, paste like substance that is slow cooked (& pressure cook), pasture raised, ground up bone and cartilage with the the marrow and all the goodness in a concentrate.

So all you do is add 1 Tablespoon to boiling water and you have a delicious, mineral, collagen rich bone broth. You could also add it to any cooking to infuse it with the boney goodness.

It is really great for those:

• Who don’t have a slow cooker to make your own bone broth (me at the moment, sad I know)
• For travel. Having broth whilst travelling is so handy to keep our immune system fighting well and aid recovery
• For peeps who want to try out the taste of bone broth before committing to the task of making it
• Time poor folks who still want to incorporate broth into their day but can’t be bothered with all that straining

*** Please note I am not endorsing laziness: making your own broth is way more cost effective and really not that time consuming; chuck it all in, let it simmer for 20 hours then do the messy straining job and your done!!!!

In case you need a brief recap of the benefits of bone broth and a recipe to make your own, check out this blog here.

But in short, the benefits of bone broth date way back to our grandma’s, grandma’s day and well before that, where they insisted on a cup of chicken broth to heal a variety of ailments, like tummy flu. Beyond assisting in digestion, and promoting a healthy tummy lining bone broth has many other reasons to drink this liquid gold daily.

Benefits include:

• Improving joint health and arthritis
• Reducing inflammation
• Helping bone repair
• A rich source of collagen (great for health skin/wrinkles/cellulite and soft tissue repair)
• Supporting the immune system

So if you are looking to improve the health of your skin, the health of your digestive tract, joint health, muscle, bone and soft tissue health and reduce inflammation, incorporating a cup of bone broth is a great starting place.

Using the whole animal (bones, cartilage, organ meats) and not just consuming the muscle meat of animals are key points missing in most peoples diet. These parts offer so many unique benefits and have soooooo much nutrition that it is embarrassing that we toss them out or never eat them. Have you watched, The Revenant, with Leonardo DiCaprio ??? You should, it’s a goodie. But there is a reason why when he is starving and needs food he cuts open the beast and chews on the liver — he knows its’s the most nutrient dense food on the planet and will give him most bang for buck nutritionally for him to survive.

So if you have been toying with the idea of bone broth and haven’t been able to stay committed to incorporating into your life regularly, these guys have done the work for you, and provide it is an easy to use form.

All you need to do is heat the kettle, add a dollop, stir and sip away at the goodness. I was extremely impressed by the taste as I am a bit of a flavour nazi when it comes to bone broth.

Check out the little info video and purchase here: https://theherbaldoctors.com/collections/polypill/products/bestofthebone

Love

Chantel x

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT MY TRAINING

This is a topic that I have wanted to write for years now. But something has always stopped me. Mostly it was fear of it being interpreted wrongly by others.

I talk a lot about nutrition, hormones, the gut, stress management, and the importance of sleep. What I have purposely neglected to post/promote/educate about is movement.

The biggest reason for avoiding it was out of respect for my very own talented, Husband. But what I realised is that I am doing actually doing him and others a disservice by not acknowledging the impact that movement and he has had on my overall health.

*** He doesn’t know I am writing this and in no way is this a plug for our services***

My other main concern with posting about my training is that I don’t want to influence girls/women in negative way. What I mean is I don’t want to “show off” my body or create comparison for other females.

I am very conscious and passionate about this as I think we are all so critical of ourselves and others and I have worked really hard personally to get better with this. Hence, I have tried to stay away from the whole training arena and leave it on Jan. However, in doing so I do feel a bit selfish as it is a HUGE positive in my life that has helped me so much with my mental, emotional and physical health.

Most peoples perception of health is usually associated with “being fit” or “exercising a lot” or “training hard”. But what they don’t realise that excessive exercise such as marathons, ultra-marathons, very long distance bicycle rides, is associated with damage to the heart, muscles, soft tissues and joints. I am often assumed or associated with training a lot, training everyday, training hard, running, being strict or being disciplined.

I know I do spend a lot of time in my gym gear but the true reason for that is it’s most comfortable for me –  light weight shorts and a tank top is so much more me than a tight dress.

So if I appear to always be in my training clothes please don’t confuse that with me exercising all day everyday – as this is certainly not the case nor do I think it is healthy. I am not an athlete and it may surprise you but most athletes aren’t exactly healthy.  I am someone looking to look good, feel good, age well, be energised and move well so I can enjoy everyday of my life with my loved ones for a long time.

I too have a life to manage. I work long shifts, I sit and read and study on my days off, I make most of our meals from scratch everyday and need to prepare food for my work days, I get tired, I get sore feet and legs from standing for 12 hours, people drain me, and some days or weeks I don’t feel to go to the studio and train.

However, what I have not given enough acknowledgement and credit to is Jan and his amazing ability as a coach and an educator. I knew exercise = better health outcomes (especially physical) before I met Jan but what I didn’t appreciate was what intelligent, purposeful movement/program design does for vitality and longevity. Expecting your body to perform the same repetitive exercise(s) week in, week out or year in or year out at the same level or better is not doing your body any favours.

In my Pre-Jan days,  I would work long hours, set my alarm to go to the gym, train hard/heavy for an hour. Feel good from the adrenalin, cortisol, serotonin release. Then crash and be more tired and exhausted over the day. Sometimes I would have a nap. Then go back in the afternoon when I got a second wind and train again for an hour. Then be totally wrecked. I would wake up sore thinking that was a good indicator of the hard work I had done and that meant my muscles were working (Anyones who mantra is NO PAIN NO GAIN seriously shouldn’t be working in the fitness industry) .

If I had a second day off I would repeat this. Only to find I couldn’t sit on the toilet because of my sore quads. But hey, that was ok as I had to work the next day so it meant I wouldn’t make it back to the gym until 2-3 days. My head said cram as much in as you can on your days off. Now when I think back to this I just feel sorry for my body.

This was and is totally unsustainable, a sure fire way to end up with an injury, hormone disruption, become less motivated, and honestly it does’t even bring good outcomes for body composition or appearance. The body adapts to an imposed demand based on its environment. If you have inadequate recovery, poor program design, poor nutrition, you are not going to achieve the much desired outcome you are trying to achieve.

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When it comes to exercise MORE OR HARDER doesn’t necessarily equate to BETTER.

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The more I have learnt about the human body and how it is a vehicle for movement and the influence movement has on all our internal structures from bone, to skin , to connective tissue to cells, to hormones, to metabolic pathways you begin to appreciate and embrace the concept of intelligent movement so much more than exercise. I am grateful everyday to know that my action in and out of the studio is benefiting my body so that my body can benefit me for life.

Fast forward to 3 years ago to current date – I am never sore to the point of discomfort EVER. I have not had one injury. I am stronger as a whole. My skin appearance is more youthful. I am energised more when I leave the studio. I don’t wake up to train. I have a trainer who knows how to adapt a program based on how I feel. If I am tired I do a recovery session that still involves load and movement without high intensity or heavy load that would bring me down more OR I rest. When I feel well I train hard – but never to exhaustion and never at the sacrifice of poor form. I lift, I do cardio, I do restful/yoga like poses and breathing and I do loaded movement training.

I don’t subscribe to only one thing as all of these things impose a different demand on the body and have different benefits. I want all the benefits. I am conscious of my movement during any given day. I try to walk more, change positions, get up and down if I sit. If I stand too long my body tells me I want to sit and change positions.

My typical week looks something like this– (I am a person who likes some structure and I am naturally disciplined so this works effortlessly for me).

Monday. Work 8.00am – 8.15pm

• Morning routine. Water on verandah, golf ball under foot, foam rolling to help improve hydration and feel good.
• Some reaching with scapula, some sit and reach. Some hip drive. Whatever just some gentle movement to unglue the tissue and hydrate the tissues and move the joints. Remember, you have been lying with minimal movement and no water for 8 hours, there is a reason you feel stiff .This helps to wake me up and allows be to see how my body feels.
• Walk to work – 15- 20 mins. I am consciously walking at a casual pace. Taking in my surroundings and appreciating the sun and the nature as I know I will be in air conditioning for the next 12 hours and will not see the outside world. SIGH.
• I consciously try to keep good posture at work, not slumped over whilst on the computer, not favouring a standing leg. I sit down when and if I can throughout the day.

Tuesday.  DAY OFF

• Wake up naturally.
• Morning routine. Water on verandah, golf ball under foot, foam roll. Some reaching with scapula. This helps to wake me up and allows be to see how my body feels.
• Decide. Do I want to do some movement today ? Most of the time YES.
• Go to see Jan. He asks how I feel. Decide on a program. I have 2 programs prepared for me that I do over 6 weeks or sometimes we come up with something new depending on how I feel.
• Never longer than 20-30 minutes in work. Usually more movement oriented with sub-maximal load as my legs are still saw from long day at work and brain is a little more fried. Followed by restful poses, breathing, hip de-couple, play. The other day we played soccer:).
• Day is spent studying. I get up and down from the chair to get water. I may change from the chair to the ground and sit in different positions that challenge my ankle, hips.
• Go for a walk to get out of the house and clear my head at around 5-6pm and chat with Jan before dinner.

Wednesday. Usually DAY OFF

• Morning routine.
• Decide if I feel to go to studio today.
• Usually do more strength orientated session. With weights, ViPR, cable. Some traditional linear movements, some 3D movements, usually depends on my goal ! Like becoming a surfer chick/a soccer player/or whatever else I throw at Jan.

Thursday. Sometimes OFF , sometimes work

• If work, same as Monday.
• If no work, sometimes just stay home and study or go to our studio and do less structured program. Usually shorter in duration.

 Friday –  WORK 8-8.15pm

• Morning routine or ViPR Beach session with has been flow and swim in the ocean before work. My favourite way to start the day.
• Walk to work if no session/Jan drops me on a Friday to save time in we have gone to beach.
• Be conscious at work.
• Dive into the been bag when I get home from work.
• Sleep

Saturday – DAY OFF

• Morning Routine.
• Market Day
• Train with one of Jan’s Client. Usually recovery or strength depending on the week and his client’s disruptors sheet. I like to train with another person who is similar to me. Sometimes I need the support of another person.
• House work.
• Swim in the afternoon, a little beach tennis.
• Relax in the afternoon

Sunday – DAY OF REST

• Morning routine
• Walk to local Fat Frog Cafe for a coffee
• Cooking day, doing something we enjoy and together
• Maybe afternoon walk/beach swim
• Try not to study or think of work or training.

At the moment this is my “Goldilocks” regime FOR ME – I am getting enough but not too much physical activity. My training this week looks different to this time last year and I dare say it will look different to next year. But I give full credit to Jan and his execution and knowledge gained from Institute of Motion Team to adapt my program based on where I am at a given time in life. I feel like we have been given a special toolbox to effectively fight back the ageing process AND stay strong for life. What greater gift could I hope for.

Movement and training has helped me to recover from stressful events, improve mood, improve strength, improve ageing, improve tissue quality and appearance, improve confidence, increase body awareness, prevent injury, be present, and probably the biggest for me appreciate my body for more than aesthetics. To give it the respect it deserves. To rest it, to move it well and often and ultimately to love it.

As Jan always says to, “It’s important to not get crazy”. Love the simplicity of a man’s world!

You aren’t fat, you aren’t good legs or nice but. You have those things but they do not define you. That is not why somebody loves you. So please don;t let those things get in the road of loving yourself. Your body is a vehicle to carry you to experience life. Most people only appreciate this once their body starts getting in the road of their experiences. Then they wish it back.

“Those who think they have no time for movement will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”  ~Edward Stanley

Love Chantel

NUTRITIONAL INFLUENCES ON SOFT TISSUE INJURIES

Soft tissue injuries are amongst the most common injuries in sport and normal life. Most people have experienced or know someone close to them that have battled with shin splints, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, achilles tendonitis, knee or lower back pain. The commonality of these injuries is concerning and should be addressed with a thorough understanding of all contributing factors. These injuries usually occur during physical activity, and although impact forces influence these tissues, this is not the only culprit.

As you have probably noted a common theme in my posts is that what you eat influences what happens inside your body. Nutrition, plays a significant role in preventing soft tissue injuries.
Just to make sure we are on the same page, a little anatomy first.

What is soft tissue?

Soft tissue is tissues that connect, support or surround other structures and organs of the body, not being bone. It includes, tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, fibrous tissues, skin, fat and synovial membranes (which are connective tissue) and muscle, nerves and blood vessels (which are not connective tissue).
Connective tissue is responsible for responsiveness of whole body movement. Most soft tissue injuries relate to poor connective tissue. Collagen (a protein made up of a triple helix chain of amino acids) is an abundant protein of connective tissue. The longer the collagen the more strength it exerts.
Research indicates that individuals who have weak collagen experience more injuries through out their lives. Notably wrinkles, arthritis and circulatory problems also indicate poorer quality collagen that cannot prevent the tissues from pulling apart. The level of complexity of making collagen makes it very dependent on good nutrition and very susceptible to the effects of pro-inflammatory foods.

Top 3 Pro-Inflammatory Foods to avoid:

1.  Refined Sugar. Eg. Table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, soft drinks, sweetened beverages, candies, sodas etc.
2. Industrial Seed and Vegetable Oils and Trans Fats. Eg. corn, cottonseed, canola, peanut, rice bran, grape seed, sunflower, safflower and soybean oils. Artificial trans fat found in highly processed, refined, fried foods like doughnuts, margarine, fast food, frozen foods, chips, cookies, crackers, candy, instant soups, cake mixes, pasta mixes, microwave popcorn etc.
3. Processed Foods (artificial food additives)
4. Gluten and other refined grains. Eg. Cereals, breads, pasta, pizza, muesli, rye, barley, wheat.

These foods lead to inflammation in the body, which results in an increase in white blood cells, which attack free radicals and release enzymes that break down collagen. Chronic exposure to pro-inflammatory food in addition to a nutrient deficiencies leads to the production of poorer quality collagen negatively affecting ageing, joint stability and soft tissue. Hello injuries!

BONE BROTH BENEFITS

For most of us the the thought of throwing in a heap of bones into a slow cooker, leaving it simmer for 24 hours, and then drinking it, sounds a little gross. Well at least it did for me. But then I opened my mind and experienced the benefits and never looked back!
What is bone broth? It’s a traditional process that places on emphasis on preparing and eating from nose to tail, the whole animal. Broths, stocks and bone broths have been used around the globe throughout history for babies and young children, in Asian households using fish bones and broth and in Europe broth is used in soups, stews and preparing sauces.

“Bone” is alive, it is a living tissue. We often think of bone as a hard, strong, calcium filled structure and somewhat dead! But this is not the case! Bone is in fact rigid but at the same time slightly elastic due to collagen and it is an organ making it very much alive and up there with the other organ super foods like liver, heart, brain, kidney and sweetbreads. “Broth” is the liquid or in this case gel-like liquid that occurs as a result of simmering bones in water.

Bone broths are typically simmered on low for a long period (greater than 20 hours) which encourages extraction of minerals, nutrients and other important components of the bone and joint structure. The end product should be a nutrient dense gel-like liquid and bones that crumble when pressed lightly between your fingers.

Why should you consume it regularly?

“Modern nutritional research continues to prove what traditional cultures learned through observation over time, when we eat a specific part of an animal, it nourishes that same part of our body”. For example the highest source of Vitamin A is not broccoli or carrot but rather the tissue in the back of an eyeball. Vitamin A is specifically known to be crucial to support eyesight, amongst many other roles. Keep this concept in mind when considering the below points.

Bone Marrow:

Bone marrow is where the body manufactures red and white blood cells. It’s the fatty, slimy part that contains protein and loads of minerals. Bone marrow plays a crucial role in the immune system and in bone health.

Collagen and gelatin:

Collagen is the protein matrix in bones, tendons, ligaments, skin, arteries, hair and just about everywhere and is broken down by cooking into another protein called gelatin. Gelatin as the name suggests gives the jelly like appearance. These proteins provide your body with the raw material to help support and rebuild your connective tissue. The health of your joints depends on the health of the collagen in your ligaments, tendons and on the ends of your bones. It pays to start looking after your joints early as the number of people who undergo preventable knee, hip replacements is astonishing. Skin, hair and nails, just like gelatin, is made of collagen. Gelatin-rich broths help build connective tissue, which makes skin smoother (less cellulite, fewer wrinkles) and healthier. Gelatin may also have benefits for healing and supporting the gut lining.

Glycine (non-essential amino acids):

Stimulates the production on stomach acid which is very important as the stomach works optimally at an acidic PH. It also aids fat digestion in the small intestine. It plays an important role in liver detoxification and is important at balancing out the effects of excess methionine (present in muscle meats and eggs). Glycine is also precursor to the bodies own natural antioxidant, glutathione (we want plenty of this guy)!

Glycosaminoglycans:

Think Glucosamine, Chondroitin and Hyaluronic acid. Very special molecules found in bone and cartilage that help keep our joints healthy. Great for post injury, osteoarthritis or other causes on joint pain. And important for growing and supporting healthy joints. Broth is superior at delivering these components over supplemental tablets mainly because broth gives you the entire complex of cartilage components which affects absorption and utilisation in the body. Also the methods of extraction are far gentler than the destructive heat and pressure involved in the production of glucosamine tablets.

Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Sulphur, Potassium, Sodium, Iodine (fish bones)

Overall, the proteins found in bone broth exhibit overall anti-inflammatory action. This is why it has benefits in improving and treating osteoarthritis, leaky gut, joint pain and fatty liver. The strong anti-inflammatory effects of the proteins in broth is another reason why it can be used to aid recovery from injury and illness.

Personally I have seen the following improvements:

• stronger hair and nails
• reduced cellulite
• improvement in the appearance of my skin
• increased immunity
• improved digestion
• quicker recovery from training

It is my go to food when:

• I feel I am getting a virus
• One time when I got diarrhoea from something I had eaten
• When I am stressed and my digestion plays havoc
• To aid healing (cuts, grazes, when I slammed my finger in the door)
• When Jan feels a cold sore starting
• To reduce sunburn (although interesting fact is that since eating a anti-inflammatory diet I don’t get sunburnt very much and if I do my recovery is so much quicker)

And its a staple in our diet to balance out the effects of eating lean muscle meats along with eating more nose to tail.
– I have read and know stories of people who have healed broken bones remarkable quickly through consuming broth daily. 

Recipe

Based on using a 6.5L slow cooker

Ingredients

2kg Bones (Marrow, chicken backs, beef knuckles, chicken feet, lamb necks, hooves)
Note: It will come back to quality! Use only bones that come from well-raised, well-fed animals. We use marrow bones from grass fed cows from Master butchers.
1/2 cup of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (aids in the extraction of minerals)
1/4 cup of sea powder (source of sea minerals, namely iodine)
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp tumeric, or 2cm of fresh, minced
3cm ginger, minced
fresh herbs of choice
salt and pepper

Method

1. Add bones to slow cooker.
2. Add apple cider vinegar and allow to sit for 20 mins with the lid on.
3. Through all other ingredients in.
4. Add filtered water, enough to cover the bones but about 1-2 cm below the top of the slow cooker to avoid spillage.
5. Allow to simmer for 20 hours.

Once you have switched the broth off. You will need to remove the bones from the broth with a pair of tongs and place into the bin.
Then use a ladle and strainer to strain the liquid from the vegetables and other parts into a glass container. You can eat the vegetables or use them for making something else however in my experience they are tasteless as they have leached most of there nutrients into the broth so I don’t enjoy them. ( I am happy to hear suggestions).

Place lid on glass container and place into the fridge for 8 hours.

A solid layer of tallow will form on the top. This can be removed and thrown out or used like butter for cooking.

You should be left with a gelatinous broth to consume as stock, to add to cooking dishes, to add to smoothies, or to heat up on the stove top (NOT microwave) and enjoy as a hot drink.

How to strain bone broth below!

I like to drink my broth straight as a snack or as a add on to my meal. I particularly like it for breakfast with an egg and veggie scramble mix.
I hope this article will encourage you to drink bone broth regularly.

Love Chantel