Grass Fed Beef Stock – The Perfect Solution For a Chemotherapy Diet

By Cathy McNeil

Grass fed beef stock can be a Godsend for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Two of the main problems faced by chemo patients are painful mouth sores which inhibit chewing and swallowing, as well as low hematocrit scores (blood iron levels), possibly resulting in malnourishment and anemia.

One woman I know of said that while undergoing chemo, all she could eat was applesauce. A recovering cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy needs far more nutritional support than just applesauce. He or she needs sufficient quantities of protein and iron.

Grass fed beef is a perfect source of protein and iron, as almost all producers raise it without the use of added growth hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides; all things that a recovering cancer patient wants to be sure to avoid.

However, as good for a recovering cancer patient as grass fed beef is, it is of no value if the patient cannot chew or swallow it. The mouth sores that often come as a side effect of chemo can make it almost impossible to chew, much less swallow, steak, roast beef, or hamburger. That is where grass fed beef stock is the perfect solution!

Full of health supporting nutrients such as protein, iron, Omega 3, CLA, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, B vitamins, and minerals, grass fed beef stock requires no chewing and is easy to swallow, thus making it so much easier to ingest. Not only that, grass fed beef stock is delicious and satisfying, even for chemo patients who have experienced changes in their taste buds and have found most food to be less desirable.

The other great thing about grass fed beef stock is that it is so easy and affordable to make. Soup bones are the most inexpensive cut of beef, and you can brew up a large pot of stock almost effortlessly. See the recipe below:

Quick and easy grass fed beef stock

• Roast 3 pounds of grass fed beef soup bones in 350 degree F oven for an hour
• Start large stockpot of water boiling
• Add roasted soup bones, with meat, fat, and drippings, to boiling water
• Add a whole, peeled onion to boiling water
• Add six whole celery stocks to boiling water
• Boil at hard boil for about 15 minutes
• Turn to simmer, and let simmer for an hour or two
• Strain or remove bones, meat, onion, and celery
• Add a pinch of ground celery seed, thyme, and chervil to taste
• Strip the meat off of the bones and add it to the individual soup bowls for those who are not undergoing chemo

A caution about salt
It is best not to add salt to the broth, as it can aggravate and irritate the mouth sores of chemo patients. The rest of the family can add clean and pure sea salt to their own individual bowl rather than to the stockpot. Once the sores start to heal, the chemo patient can begin to add salt as tolerated. Yes, the stock is a bit bland without salt, but the additional herbs, especially the celery seed, can make the broth quite flavorful without it.

As the patient begins to recover
As the mouth sores begin to heal, you can introduce more solid food to the stock. Start by blending the meat, along with sautéed carrots, celery, and other vegetables and adding it all to the stock. After a while you will not need to blend it up, and the patient can begin to enjoy delicious, full and hearty soups made from a base of grass fed beef stock.

Health benefits for the whole family
Not only is grass fed beef stock great for chemo patients, but is chock full of other wonderful properties that are beneficial to the whole family. Studies have shown that bone broth can help improve joint functioning and relieve digestive problems. It makes intuitive sense that the nutrients leached from bones and joints into a beef stock would be good for our own bones and joints.

Grass fed beef stock is a delicious, hearty, healthy, and nutritious solution to the dietary needs of the recovering cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, as well as the whole family.

If you or a loved one has cancer, and are undergoing chemotherapy, our hearts go out to you! We appreciate the trials and tribulations that you are going through, and for that reason are offering a special on grass fed beef soup bones so you can get the nutritional support you need.