Slow Changes: Step 1

If you know you need to modify your diet, but you don't know where to start, this 12-Step series is for you! It is based on the premise that it's easier to add than to subtract. We going to focus on what you can put in to your diet one step at a time, rather than what you have to take out.

The first whole, nutrient-dense, properly prepared food to add is bone broth.  It's inexpensive, it's easy to make, it's simple to incorporate into cooking, and it is very nutrient dense.
Some of its beneficial properties include:

• proline for making collagen, tendons, ligaments, and heart muscle
• glycine for detoxification, wound healing, and digestion
• l-glutamine for gut repair and protection, fat burning, and muscle building
• potassium for electrolyte balance, nerve conduction & muscle contraction
• magnesium for energy production, nutrient metabolism, cell formation and many more biochemical reactions 

My primary reason for putting it first in the Slow Changes series is its ability to repair a leaky gut. Let's review. Chronic diseases have one thing in common:  inflammation somewhere in the body, not visible from the outside.This inflammation occurs when we are under chronic stress, when undigested proteins penetrate the gut membrane, when antibiotics weaken it, or when chemical or bacterial toxins attack it. Picture a mesh bag, like the one below.

It isn't supposed to let the apples through, but this one does. And the result is going to be a mess if the tear is not repaired.

Of all the foods that support gut healing, broth made from bones is the number one choice of many naturopaths, dieticians, and food scientists. It stands to reason that bone and gut should interact to provide the very basis of health. Bone, the cradle of marrow, symbolizes regeneration; and the navel or core represents the artery of sustenance, a link to a nourishing parent.

You can find a basic recipe here for beginner's bone broth. My recommendation is to start with oxtail. These bones are easily obtained. You can use a gallon of water for every two pounds of oxtail bone. That will be ample for one week.

How are you going to incorporate this slow change into your routine?  Your goal is to ingest at least 1 cup of bone broth every single day. You can

• drink it by the mug
• thicken it with flour or cornstarch to make a gravy (season as desired)
• use in place of water to cook grains, noodles or vegetables
• add to potatoes when mashing
• dilute tomato paste for marinara
• thin refried beans
• substitute it for milk or water in scrambled eggs
• use as a base in making soup, chili, or stew
• moisten meat during re-heating
• replace half the milk in white sauces and cheese sauces

Burrito Soup
1 Tb. avocado oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, optional, chopped
1 16-oz. can refried beans
1 c. bone broth
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 tsp. chili powder
salt to taste
optional: red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste
salsa
avocado, sliced

Instructions
Saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper and jalapeno in avocado oil until softened. Combine refried beans and bone broth in a saucepan, whisking until smooth. Add sauteed vegetables,  green chilies and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes to marry flavors. Pour into serving bowls and top with a spoonful of salsa and several avocado slices. Makes two entree servings or 4 side servings.

Best wishes in this worthwhile journey. Check back March 15 for Slow Change Step Two. By then, drinking broth will be an ingrained habit and you'll be ready for your next healing adjustment.

Note: As long as you are eating foods that cause inflammation, broth will only be able to maintain your current status, not improve it. Eventually, you will want to decrease pro-inflammatory foods. Hang with us for the next 11 steps as we work through this process!