Now that it’s getting cooler out, I’m starting to crave soups and stews. A base for many soups and stews is a good bone broth. It’s easy to make from scratch using the bones of a cow, chicken, turkey, and even fish.

There are so many health benefits to bone broth:

It’s nutritious

Bones are rich in vitamins, including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Bone marrow contains iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, selenium, and zinc.

It helps your joints

Bone broth is a source of collagen, which is so essential for our joints. Our cartilage tends to wear down over time through continuous use, which adds stress to our joints. Adding collagen to your diet will help protect the joints from constant wear and tear.

It may help fight osteoarthritis

A 2016 study in the Nutrition Journal found that type 2 collagen (from the connective tissue of chickens) helped improve pain and stiffness in people with osteoarthritis.

It may help reduce inflammation and heal the gut

Not only is bone broth easy to digest, but an amino acid also called glutamine found in the gelatin of bone broth can help maintain the function of the intestinal wall and is known to prevent and heal leaky gut. Gelatine can also bind with water to support the healthy transit of food through the intestines.

It may help you sleep better

The amino acid glycine found in bone broth may help you relax, and multiple studies have also shown that this amino acid helps promote sleep. You may fall asleep faster, maintain a deeper sleep, and wake fewer times during the night!

It may support weight loss

Bone broth is high in protein, which helps the body feel full longer. It’s low in calories but can still satisfy hunger.

The holidays are a time for celebration and festivities, but they can also mean weight gain, stress, and total overwhelm. Thankfully, my 6-Week Happy Healthy Holidays challenge will give you strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle while also enjoying the magic of the holiday season.

Let this be the year you "maintain, not gain" while enjoying some planned indulgences. We begin on November 26th. Click the link below to learn more and enroll in this 6-Week challenge.

No matter what your body shape, excess fat isn't good for your health.

In most people, about 90% of body fat is subcutaneous, the kind that lies in a layer just beneath the skin. If you poke your belly, the fat that feels soft is subcutaneous. The remaining 10% — called visceral fat — lies out of reach, beneath the abdominal wall.

Research has shown that fat cells — particularly visceral fat cells — are biologically active. The fat cell is considered an endocrine organ that secrets hormones and molecules affecting other tissues. Researchers have identified a host of chemicals that link visceral fat to a wide variety of diseases.

As women go through mid-life, the proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase — more than in men — and fat storage begins favoring the upper body over the hips and thighs. Even if you don't gain weight, your waistline can grow as visceral fat pushes out against your abdominal wall.

The good news is that visceral fat responds more efficiently to diet and exercise than fat on the hips and thighs. Here are some approaches that may help:

Move. Visceral fat responds well to both aerobic and strength training. Spot exercising does nothing to visceral fat.

Eat a balanced diet and avoid food that encourages belly fat, such as simple sugars, like sweetened foods, beverages, and alcohol.

Don't smoke. The more you smoke, the more likely you will store fat in your abdomen rather than on your hips and thighs.

Keep your mood in check. Middle-aged women who show more hostility and depressive symptoms tend to have more visceral fat — but not more subcutaneous fat.

Eating simple equals eating better.

Why is it so hard to lose weight over 50?!

Eating simple equals eating better.