StreetStyleChi
by Alex Moresco
Bone Broth: A Miracle For Your Health
Posted on June 14, 2017
Hi guys!! Remember me?! Finals are over and I am back.in.action. Similar to taking turmeric supplements, I have heard the words “bone broth” over and over again as a health “supplement” but my immediate reaction was “no thank you.” I am not a big soup person to begin with, and I literally choke down chicken soup when I am sick. If you read my friendly supplement guide a few weeks back, you know that I am very regimented about what I put in my body. Well GUESS WHAT…much to my surprise, that now includes a big cup of bone broth once a day.
One of my first questions about bone broth was “how is it different than normal chicken soup??” Bone broth is not a “new trend” as many websites and every fitness blogger and their mom will boast: those who follow a paleo diet have reaped the nutrients for quite some time. Essentially bone broth is exactly what it sounds like: stock made with plenty of animal bones and boiled for a much longer time than traditional stock.
I will let The Today Show break it down for you:
“Bone broth calls for a greater number of birds (or beef parts) than traditional stock, though, which increases the protein content, explains Ben Hummel, a brand manager for Pacific Foods. For example, a batch of one broth calls for two turkeys, 40 pounds of beef shin and 15 hens, all cooked in a massive stockpot. After a serious simmer — as long as 24 hours — the collagen and connective tissue break down, helping boost the protein also, explains Hummel. “It takes many hours of simmering to break the connective tissues down into useable form, but the result is a broth with a high amount of bioavailable protein,” he says, adding that Pacific’s bone broths have as much as nine times more protein than traditional store-bought ones. “
Essentially, bone broth is extremely nutrient rich and seen as a detoxing beverage for our body. Depending on your personal problems (as I have said before, I am not a doctor but go off of my research, my team of doctors, and my personal experiences) bone broth can help alleviate joint pain, improve skin, aid in weight loss and most importantly help gut issues.
*Side note: have you ever noticed that after you have a heavy meal or eat a candy bar your brain gets a little “foggy?” That’s because our gut is linked directly to our brain and when we do not treat our gut right, it has an effect on our brain. If you want to learn more, please read this post by Twist Of Lemons.
After allll of the above, if you want to try adding bone broth into your diet yourself whether for serious health deficiencies or you simply want to see shiny hair and better skin, I have just the recipe for you. This recipe is directly from my mom (hi mom!) It is flavorful and I add a little bit of pink Himalayan sea-salt to my cup when consuming. You can use this within a week or freeze up to 3 months.
WHAT YOU NEED:
• 4 pounds chicken necks/feet/wings
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 medium onions, peel on, sliced in half lengthwise and quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, peel on and smashed
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
• 5-6 sprigs parsley
• 18-20 cups water
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Place all ingredients in a 10 quart capacity crock-pot/stock pot
2. Add water.
3. Simmer for 12 hours, skimming fat occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard solids and strain remainder in a bowl through a colander. Let stock cool to room temperature, cover and chill.
This is what your bone broth will look like!
Please let me know if you try this out! If you have any other health recommendations, I would love to hear them! If there is anything you would like me to talk about in an upcoming post, please leave me a comment!
<3 Al
Supplements To Improve Your Body That ACTUALLY Work
Posted on May 25, 2017
When I was in high school and college, I took my daily multivitamin but never gave supplements another thought. I have always made a conscious effort to eat my greens and colorful veggies, thinking I would get my nutrients through my meals.
I was seeing one of my Lyme Disease specialists yesterday and she dropped a mind blowing fact: you would need to eat 75 oranges to get the nutrients of an original orange that was grown many, many years ago. Our soil is so depleted that we no longer get the nutrients our bodies need: giving us low energy and brittle hair, skin and nails.
When I started taking my ten million supplements to help my body fight my disease, I noticed a major unexpected benefit: my hair started growing rapidly, my nails were longer and stronger than ever and my skin was no longer constantly broken out. I have friends and my Insta-friends send me messages asking me what supplements I take because they want to follow along, and while my intensive routine cannot be followed by everyone, there are some general vitamins and supplements that might help you kick that 3pm fatigue or help your hair to be a little bit more shiny!
*Obviously- I am not a doctor! I have a team of FOUR doctors AND a nutritionist telling me what to take, eat, do…etc! This is not meant to cure, treat, etc anything! But if you want to live a little bit healthier or understand what vitamins are great for your body, this is for you! If you are wondering why I am not linking to direct supplement brands here, it is because I take special supplements that are stronger than the normal “healthy” person should. Here is an interesting article on what vitamin/supplement brands actually do the job they claim to on the bottle, and which to avoid.
Turmeric: Turmeric is a “trendy” health supplement right now- and with all of the benefits it reaps, it should be here to stay. Turmeric is comprised of curcumin- a chemical that is mostly known for being anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that turmeric is very effective in fighting pain and inflammation- better than Motrin or Tylenol. In addition to being anti-inflammatory (this is the reason I take turmeric- it has massively helped the inflammation in my joints) Turmeric is known to fend off heart attacks, delay diabetes, and protect the brain. If you are curious, here are two (1, 2) good references.
Vitamin D: Essentially, vitamin D keeps our bones healthy and regulates our immune system! While vitamin C tends to steal all the spotlight, vitamin D should not be neglected due to it’s help in absorbing calcium and phosphorous (this keeps our bones stronger.) Vitamin D also helps fight risk of disease and is a serious mood booster. Believe it or not, a vitamin D deficiency can cause serious headaches. Learn more here.
Vitamin B-12: Personally I take vitamin B-12 in two forms for energy: a tablet every morning and a B-12 shot once a week. After I get a B-12 shot I am noticeably perkier for 4-5 days after. B-12 is an amazing source of energy due to it’s ability to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and use them more efficiently in your body throughout the day. While this is not the main benefit of taking B-12, it is also linked to aiding in speeding up your metabolism, healthier hair, skin and nails. Read more, here.
Magnesium: Magnesium is not a supplement we typically run to the grocery store to buy. I was introduced to magnesium after my doctors found that my heart was not pumping blood properly, and I began taking magnesium to strengthen my heart and help my blood flow easier. So needless to say, magnesium is great for your heart, but also has many added benefits! Magnesium aids in keeping your energeti, as well as in enzyme production AKA helping your body digest your food with ease. If you are an avid gym goer, magnesium helps build muscle safely. Read more, here.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!
<3 Al
Organically Gorgeous
Posted on April 6, 2017
Over the past few months, my skin has completely changed. This is not something I normally talk openly about, but I think it is important to know that not everyone is perfect! I went from having crystal clear skin with a few bumps here and there to having flare ups of tiny little bumps all over my face. Let me tell you: it isn’t fun!
I have always stuck to a strict skincare routine involving a lot of high-end products that worked wonders for me for years and I had not recently changed anything so I was puzzled. I go for a monthly facial at Cowshed Spa in Chicago (I see Ashley- she is a miracle worker!) and found out that my sudden little bumps were not acne, but bodily toxins trying to expel themselves through our largest organ: my skin. Ashley had me switch all of my beauty products over to being 100% plant based, organic + all natural and I was totally lost. I started researching brands that are gentle but effective and stumbled upon TULA.
Each TULA product nourishes your skin with a balanced meal of good-for-you ingredients, the same way a healthy diet nourishes your body. At TULA, they are not just looking at what we put on our face, but looking inside at internal medicine to improve the health and appearance of our body’s largest organ, the skin. That means leveraging the power of probiotics, “the newest breakthrough in skincare.” TULA uses carefully selected skin superfoods and probiotics AKA good bacteria to help skin reveal it’s best self.
My personal favorite and new hero product is the Exfoliating Treatment Mask. I have never used a mask that has exfoliating particles in it, but was pleasantly surprised at the texture. This particular mask contains Lactic acid and Bentonite clay to gently peel away impurities, dead skin, and debris and the tiny beads are plant-based and biodegradable. They release hydrating nutrients including Jojoba and Vitamin E to heal and calm skin.
If you have sensitive skin like me or are
making a conscious effort to switch what you put on your body to being plant-based, TULA is the perfect line to dip your toe into. They offer this great little started pack so you can try different skincare items to see what works best for you.
PS: how funny are these products from Anese? The silly names make me laugh every time I look at them. Currently obsessed with this hair elixir. PSS: take 20% off your order with code FIRST20. No…I do not earn anything from this.
<3 Al
Thank you TULA for working with me on this post!
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