No “Stock” In Store Stocks – Make Your Own Broth

If you buy chicken or vegetable stock labeled “No MSG” or even products labeled organic believing you’re making the best choice for your family’s health, you might be surprised to find what lurks inside.

Most products that are labeled this way actually do contain MSG, or monosodium glutamate.

While you may not see it spelled out on the ingredient list, this toxic substance is hidden under more friendly-appearing terms such as “yeast extract,” “natural flavors,” or even “organic spices.”

How are food manufacturers allowed to get away with this?

There is a loophole in labeling laws that states that if the free glutamate or glutamic acid is less than 78 percent of a particular additive, it does not have to be labeled as MSG. Of course, it’s cheaper for them to use a chemical additive rather than expensive oils or natural spices to make a food more flavorful, but it does nothing for our good health.

MSG has been known as a harmful neurotoxin for many years now. It should be avoided for a number of reasons including:

• It wreaks havoc within your endocrine system, causing a significant hormonal imbalance.
• MSG is injected into lab animals to induce obesity so that pharmaceutical companies can test their drugs on them – it is known to cause excessive weight gain.
• MSG can also greatly increase the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, adrenal gland malfunction, stroke, seizures and a wide range of other health issues.

Just about all chicken and vegetable broths found on store shelves contain MSG. These harmful flavors and enhancers can hurt your brain, disrupt your hormones and metabolism and cause other health dangers. Consider making your own healthy broth at home – it’s easy, doesn’t take much time and is MSG-free.

Vegetable Broth

If you have a slow cooker or crockpot, one of the easiest ways to make vegetable broth is to save your vegetable peelings in a freezer bag; just about any veggies will work, such as carrots, broccoli, celery, onions and garlic.

When you’re ready to make the broth, just put enough inside the slow cooker to fill it about one-quarter full and add filtered water to fill. Add about one teaspoon of sea salt, turn it on low and leave it on overnight or all day. Cool, strain and freeze the stock for later use in one or two cup containers, so that all you’ll need to do is thaw it when you’re ready to use it in a recipe.

Chicken Broth

The best way to make chicken broth is to buy a whole, organic chicken when it goes on sale, and roast it in the oven at 325 degrees for about 2 ½ hours. Let it cool for about 15 minutes and then pull the majority of the meat off the bones. Place the bones and juices inside your slow cooker or crockpot and add just enough filtered water to cover the bones.

Add a little sea salt and herbs like parsley, thyme and 1-2 bay leaves, as well as some chopped carrots, onions and celery. Let it simmer all night, or all day. Yummy!

-The Alternative Daily