Bone Broth in the Morning

You're drinking bone broth but you are not reaping the full rewards for your efforts. Why? You're drinking it at the wrong time! Learn the exact benefits of drinking bone broth in the morning for your digestion, energy levels, mood and immune system.

By following the exact tips in this article, you'll improve your digestion and gut health, have stable energy throughout the day without the dreaded crash and reduce your appetite.

Should I drink bone broth in the morning?

You must drink bone broth first thing in the morning because it's packed with amino acids like glutamine, proline and glycine that support digestion and nourish your gut lining to prepare it for incoming food.

It also increases your serotonin levels (thanks to glycine) helping your energy levels and your mood throughout your day. The gelatin protein content can keep you feeling full for longer, reducing snack cravings.

Give it a shot and you'll be changed forever.

Benefits of Drinking Bone Broth for Breakfast

The health benefits of drinking bone broth for breakfast are that is prepares your gut for digestion, hydrates you, provides stable energy, gives you a protein boost and keep you full without cravings.

Let's go through each of these in a bit more detail below.

1. Preps Your Gut and Digestion

If you're grappling with digestive issues, drinking bone broth in the morning can help. Here's how it can supercharge your digestion:

1. It's packed with rare amino acids like glycine and proline, which support your digestive tract function by forming new connective tissue in your gut lining (1,2,3).
2. Gelatin: Gelatin stimulates digestive enzymes and gastric juices in your stomach and gut to be released (4). These help you digest and absorb food properly. No bloating, no nausea and no diarrhea.
3. Glutamine: There's naturally occurring glutamine in bone broth. Glutamine in a commonly used to treat people with Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease and gastritis because the villi in your gut need glutamine to prevent bacteria from entering the small intestine.

Think of it like this – you're giving your body a beneficial "morning stretch" with a warm cup of bone broth, prepping everything for the incoming meals.

I used to have tons of food allergies (dairy, eggs, etc), until I started drinking a mug of chicken bone broth with breakfast. After a few years of this I am no longer sensitive to dairy or eggs.

Learn more about bone broth for gut health including how to maximize your digestion.

2. Hydrates You For a Productive Day

Start your day with bone broth and get a hydrating boost of natural electrolytes. These perfectly balanced minerals rehydrate you from the night's sleep and prepare you for the day ahead.

Now, everyone talks about the hydrating benefits of bone broth, without getting into specifics. Lucky for you, I own and operate a bone broth company and have done extensive testing on how to maximize the electrolyte content of bone broth.

To start, you want a chicken bone broth for hydration. Why? Chicken bones and skin have more potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and chloride compared to beef. As such, you will notice chicken broth to have more of these than beef.

The main thing we are talking about is potassium. But the funny thing is that some chicken bone broth products still do not have potassium in them. I was confused at first, until it dawned on me that these brands are cutting corners and not using real chicken bones, joints and skin to make it.

In order to get the hydration benefits, you need a chicken bone broth with at least 250 mg potassium per cup (or equivalent powder to make 1 cup). If you see anything less, it means the brand is not making it using traditional low and slow cooks.

Learn more about the electrolytes in bone broth and see for yourself.

3. Provides Stable Energy

We all wake up tired and reach for a cup of coffee... only to find that we crash around 2pm. At least I did... until I figured out how caffeine and cortisol are related.

You see, you want to wait 90 minutes after waking before you ingest caffeine in order for your bodies natural cortisol and adenosine levels to rise and lower without caffeine.

The solution for me is to drink bone broth with breakfast because it also increased my mood thanks to glycine.

Glycine is an amino acid that acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the body (like GABA). It is an important precursor to serotonin, which helps balance your mood and give you those 'lovey dovey' feelings.

The thing I noticed in combining these two things is that it completely removes the mid-afternoon crash. With a newborn at home, this is a godsend for me (and my wife)!

4. Protein Boost

The quickest way to get 15 grams of protein in the morning is with bone broth. Protein in the morning is shown to prevent body fat gain and reduce daily calorie intake throughout the day (5).

You also might notice increased physical and mental energy, thanks to the locked-in amino acids. It is also a seamless way to get you closer to your daily protein goals. And finally, protein in the morning can help to reduce inflammation throughout your day.

I either drink a mug or add a big scoop of Bluebird Provisions chicken bone broth powder to my morning bowl of porridge.

5. Keeps You Feeling Full and Satiated

The benefit most people use bone broth for is how it keeps you feeling full and satiated throughout the day. This helps to keep food cravings at bay if you are hoping to shed few pounds.

So, how does this work? Well, bone broth is full of gelatin, that pudding like thing that is in jell-o. But in reality, gelatin is a protein with the same amino acid profile and health benefits as collagen (learn the difference between the two).

The main difference is that gelatin forms a gel in your digestive tract, which slows the digestion of food and keeps you feeling full and satisfied for longer. This gel also helps to soothe your GI tract for gut health.

So I would recommend trying it in the morning with or before a meal and see how it works for you. If you are curious, you can read my guide to bone broth and weight loss.

How to get Started Drinking Bone Broth in the Morning

There's nothing to ground shattering about getting started... you just do it. That being said, there are a few tweaks and small changes you can make to set yourself up for success.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you are aiming for 12-15 total grams of protein in the morning. This is the amount needed to get the benefits I described above. Depending on your bone broth of choice, you'll need 8-16 ounces of warm bone broth.

The large range is because some products do not have as much protein as others. For example: Bluebird Provisions Chicken has 12 grams per 8 oz serving, so you just need 1 standard cup.

Other brands have only 5 grams per cup, meaning you need up to 3 cups to get enough.

Flavor Options

Some people like it straight while to hers need to spice it up. The first thing I recommend is a pinch of high quality salt. This really helps bring out the umami flavors of the broth. From here, you might like the taste of some happy fat sources, citrus flavors to brighten it up or extra spices.

Checkout the table below for some of my favorite ideas.

If you need more inspiration, check my in depth guide to making bone broth taste better.

Breakfast Recipe Ideas

There's a lot of simple ways that you can incorporate bone broth into your breakfast. I personally just add 2 tbsp of chicken bone broth powder into my morning bowl of porridge.

It adds a touch of savory to your oatmeal, but not enough to change it substantially. I also add in some maple syrup, cacao nibs and cinnamon -- and I love it!

My mom prefers adding 1 cup of bone broth her morning smoothie. She's done this for 3 years straight and swears by it. If you have some fruit with it you won't taste it at all. Just substitute milk or other liquid for broth and you are all set.

Get both of these delicious recipes from the Ultimate Guide to Sipping Bone Broth e-book.

Now you want to take not of how you look, feel and perform after a few days, one week and one month. Do you notice you are feeling better? Stick with it! If you notice some digestive issues or diarrhea, maybe try it every other day or try a bit less until things clear up.

Remember, consistency is key to really reap the health benefits, so make it part of your daily routine. Enjoy your tasty, health-boosting brew!

Is it better to drink bone broth on an empty stomach?

If you suffer from digestive issues or are trying to lose weight then it is best to drink bone broth on an empty stomach. This does two important things:

1. Prepares your stomach to digest and absorb incoming food by releasing gastric juices and digestive enzymes.
2. Curbs your cravings to keep you feeling full and satiated (if that is what you are looking for).

How long should you wait to eat after drinking bone broth?

The ideal waiting time to eat after drinking your morning bone broth is about 20-30 minutes. This little pause allows the amino acids in the broth to kick start your digestion and satisfy cravings before your meal.

So, kickstart your day with an 8-12 ounce cup of warm bone broth. Remember, all good things take a little time, your breakfast is no exception. Try to savor the waiting period, perhaps by planning your day or reading a good book. After about half an hour, you can dive right into your favorite breakfast meals.

What can I do with my bone broth if I don't want to drink it straight?

If the idea of drinking bone broth straight doesn't seem appealing, I have some delicious ideas for you.

• Make any soup using bone broth instead of normal stock or broth. Think chicken noodle, French onion or other healthy soups.
• Cook with it: Use bone broth in place of water when cooking rice, grains or orzo.
• Try sautéing your veggies with some bone broth.
• Use it in place of water or milk when making mashed potatoes.
• Freeze bone broth in ice-cube trays and throw a few into stews, casseroles, and stir-fries.

Remember, any recipe that needs broth or stock can use bone broth instead. Adapt this as per your taste and diet needs.

How often should you drink bone broth for detox and weight loss?

If you are after weight loss or detox benefits, aim to drink one cup of bone broth per day or seven servings per week. Perhaps this is surprising that I did not recommend more to you. That is because I want to set you up for longterm results and success.

This is not a diet but one small tweak to your lifestyle that you can do forever. As it heals your gut and cuts food cravings, you will gradually lose weight and detox unwanted toxins. Learn more about a bone broth detox and see if it is right for you.

Keep a log of how you look, feel and perform after 3 days, one week and one month. You can easily adjust your intake up or down from there.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re not drinking bone broth in the morning, you’re missing out on some great benefits! Not only will it improve your digestion, but you’ll also have more energy and a better mood.

Plus, it’s great for your immune system. So next time you’re looking for a healthy way to start your day, try Bluebird Provisions bone broth. You can find them online or on Amazon.

Do you have any questions about this? Leave a comment and I'll get back to you asap.

Disclaimer: this information is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA or CFIA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or healthcare issue. Please consult your primary care physician for advise on any of this.

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5454963/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20036181/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12589194
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25855934/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26239831/