Chicken Soup for the TTC Soul?

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Taking an alternative approach to solving your fertility problems? Then here's some information you'll want to savor. As Aimee E. Raupp, licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and author of Chill Out & Get Healthy, writes in a recent AcupunctureToday.com blog, the benefits of homemade chicken broth don't just stop at the common cold. According to the tenets of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), chicken broth is also a favorite treatment for infertility.

In TCM, which emphasizes the healing power of different energy points and meridians in the body, kidney energy is strongly associated with fertility. It's common practice in TCM to treat infertility by boosting kidney energy. This is done, in part, by boosting jing, the essence (and root) of kidney energy.

Where does chicken broth come in? "The inside of bone contains bone marrow and according to TCM theory, bone marrow is produced from kidney jing. So, basically drinking a cup of bone broth daily is like drinking a cup of jing," explains Raupp.

How much? Try to drink a cup of homemade bone broth every day, says Raupp, who also recommends turning the broth into a hearty, nourishing soup by adding in some chopped veggies.

It sounds simple, but Raupp says she has seen impressive results in some fertility clients who stick to the cup-a-day regime. "Clinically, I have seen a dramatic increase in the fertility of my patients who are compliant and drink a cup of bone broth daily. Depending on the case, I may also give them some raw Chinese herbs to add to their broth," she writes.

Here are Raupp's four secrets for the perfect broth:

• Use the highest quality bones you can find. Bones from grass fed animals is best.
• Add vinegar to the water to draw the minerals out of the bones into the broth.
• Roast and brown the bones in the oven before adding them to the stock.
• Be in the moment when you're making it—and see the process as a therapy in and of itself.

Who knew trying to get pregnant could be so... tasty?