Potassium broth recipe

What is potassium broth?

The thin earthy brew (which is sometimes called “leftover broth” or “scrap broth”) is made by slowly simmering vegetable scraps to release their essential vitamins and minerals. This infuses the liquid with a wealth of nutrients, such as thyroid-revving selenium, detoxifying vitamin K, and hunger-dampening amino acids. 

But the real slimming superstar of the broth is potassium. Concentrated mostly in the skins and other discarded portions of many vegetables, this mineral is an electrolyte and natural diuretic — properties that prompt waterlogged cells throughout the body to release trapped fluids. Studies show this effect leads to struggle-free weight loss: Harvard researchers found that sipping a daily mug of potassium-rich broth can help women shed four pounds in three weeks without diet or exercise. 

A great tasting addition to your cleansing programme. It will flush your system of toxins, acid and mucous, while giving you concentrated amounts of minerals.

Recipe

Makes 4  pints (80 fl ozs)

Need a  large pan – equivalent to a large pressure cooker

Ingredients

Use only organic vegetables.

—5 Potato peelings- use potatoes for chips or mash

—5 Carrot peelings – use carrots for juice or freeze

—5 Beetroot – whole chopped  & greens

— 2 Onions – whole chopped – no need to be fine

—5 Garlic cloves – roughly chopped (I love garlic so doubled this amount)

—5 sticks of Celery – whole chopped

Ÿ1 medium hot chilli pepper – chopped (or to taste)

A handful each of your favourite fresh herbs – e.g. thyme, parsley, sage

Method

• Just cover with water and simmer for 1 hour
• Discard solids – beetroot maybe save some for soup/salad
• Strain and keep broth only (keep in fridge)
• You should have around 2.3 litres of broth. If you are short, top up with boiling water.
• Store for four days in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer in an airtight container.

Potassium Broth Benefits

Proponents of potassium broth note that it also has an alkalinizing pH, which helps neutralize the acidic by-products of digestion and metabolism that can lead to muscle-wasting. This alkalinizing effect is said to protect the body’s stores of calorie-torching lean muscle tissue. In one Tufts University study, researchers found that adults over 55 who consumed the most potassium had 16 percent more lean muscle mass than those who got less potassium in their diet. Potassium broth fans say this boost is powerful enough to keep their metabolism humming and ward off middle-aged fat.

Sipping potassium broth is also said to help eliminate brain fog, improve memory, and ward off mood swings. That’s because potassium plays an essential role in the communication between nerve cells in the brain. Additional research published in The Journal of Pain suggests that the mineral’s electrolyte properties help dial down the activity of pain nerves throughout the body, reducing muscle and joint pain by 33 percent or more within just four weeks. And maintaining adequate potassium nutrition levels has also been linked to faster wound healing, diminished stress levels, lower blood pressure, and a reduction in age-related bone loss.

Potassium broth can be warm and comforting any time of the day or night, providing much needed vitamins and minerals while flushing the system and aiding the body’s natural detoxification process.

Herbalists and naturopathic doctors have been recommending potassium broth for decades. The vitamins, minerals and emotional sense of well being it offers can make it worth the extra effort to make. Benefits include:

• ŸAdds essential vitamins and minerals
• ŸAlkalizing to the body
• ŸAids in the body’s natural detoxification process
• ŸHydrates the body
• ŸBoosts the immune system
• ŸCan help regulate blood pressure
• ŸHelps flush the kidneys and rid the body of retained water

Is potassium broth safe?

Though proponents say healthy women who regularly sip potassium broth are not at risk for any negative side effects, nutrition experts do caution against relying on the broth as a meal replacement because it lacks many of the essential nutrients that are necessary for a well-rounded diet and optimal health. Experts also advise talking to a health-care provider before making potassium broth part of a daily diet— this is especially key for anyone who is ona daily aspirin regimen (which can raise potassium levels), has had kidney concerns (because the organ filters potassium) or who is taking medications that are known to raise potassium levels (includingdiuretics, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or blood-thinning agents).