Healing with Food - Last Chance Broth

Hello everyone!  I hope that you are having a good weekend.  As for myself, I went to the Urgent Care today due to being under the weather for a week or so now.  I was diagnosed with Viral Bronchitis and Laryngitis. This means no training until I am well as my body is fighting and I am both fatigued and full of mucus, sorry for being blunt.  The doctor told me, like so many other people, that over doing it now will set me back weeks. So, doctor's orders are the be taken into complete consideration.  Rest rest rest!

Since I will not be burning calories this week training, I decided to clean up the diet and go completely vegan and sugar free to eliminate all dairy and other inflammation causing foods.  Also,  because I am on an antihistamine, I cannot take the food sensitivity test as antihistamines can alter the results which means that I will be staying on this detox for at least a month.

One thing that I find calms a sick body is a good soup.  I make a lot of random thrown together soups, so tonight is no different.  In an effort to help me be ready for the next week, I decided to make a detox broth chocked full of veggies.  Since I have a new Door to Door Organics order coming Tuesday, I decided to clean out the fridge and use all of the veggies that are in there to make what I am calling "Last Chance Broth".

I named this Last Chance Broth because it is the last chance for me to use these veggies.  Between the Vitamix and the soups I make, I have been very good and not wasting as much.  This broth can be used as a ready to eat soup, or can be the base for so many other things - everything from the medium in which I steam veggies, cook foods, or make other soups from.  I will even make my rice with the broth.

So this week I am back to tracking and eating clean clean clean and very plainly as my body heals.  I can tell by the amount of fatigue that I have that my body is fighting this thing with all of its might.  I realize that it is best to respect this and take a week or so off from training, than to set myself back a month.  I have a long road ahead of me and with that I must practice the fourth sport of Ironman - patience.


Detox Last Chance Broth

This can be made with literally any and all vegetables you need to use up in a hurry.  The list below is what I had on hand, you can use whatever you like and it will still turn out.  I find that using a rainbow of veggies makes the most nutritious broth.

• Kale
• Celery including leaves
• Carrots
• Beets including greens
• Yams
• Onions including skins
• Green peppers
• Zucchini 
• Garlic
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Turnips
• Celtic Sea Salt (with trace minerals)
• Water
• Stock Pot
• Coconut oil (or any other veggie oil)

I start by adding a few teaspoons of coconut oil (or a tablespoon of whatever oil desired) into the bottom of the stock pot over low heat. Coconut oil melts are very low temperatures, so if youa re using another oil you may want to cook over a higher heat. 

After rough cutting all the veggies, I place them in the pot and toss in the oil, allowing them to cook a little bit before adding the water and salt.  

Add enough water to coat the veggies - for me I had to add about 4 cups since I had quite the full pot.  I then added ~ 1 Tbs of Celt Sea Salt because it has so many nutrients and helps draw out the flavors of the veggies.  

I increased the heat to medium to bring to a boil., then reduced on low for an hour.  Remove the veggies and use the broth immediately, or store in the refrigerator and use in place of water in any recipes.

Enjoy!