After the births of my second and third children, I was fortunate enough to have a number of friends with extensive knowledge of traditional food preparation bring my family meals until I was back on my feet. In addition to all the fantastic, nutrient dense meals, Potassium Broth was one of the most helpful tonics these caring friends made sure I had in the refrigerator to help me recover very quickly.
Potassium Broth is best sipped warm like tea. It is an incredible rejuvenator and when a tablespoon of liquid whey is stirred into each cup, it assists digestion and absorption of the copious amounts of potassium and other minerals present in the broth.
Potassium Broth is not only an excellent present to bring to a dear friend after she’s had a baby, it is also a wonderful tonic for someone who has recently had surgery or suffered an extended illness.
I’m often asked what is the best thing to bring to a relative in the hospital, and without a doubt, homemade soups and Potassium Broth in a thermos top the list! It is easy to load up a small cooler with 3 or or more thermoses for the days’ meals. Liquids stay warm in a thermos for many hours and I have not found a nurse that objects to a cooler by a patient’s bedside.
One more excellent use for Potassium Broth: it is fantastic for eliminating those leg cramps that women get at night when pregnant. Folks sometimes suffer from these as they get older as well, so a jug of this tonic in the refrigerator for sipping at night before bed is a great home remedy for this problem.
Potassium Broth
Ingredients
4 organic, well scrubbed potatoes
3 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
4 organic celery stalks, chopped
1 bunch organic parsley
4 quarts filtered water
liquid whey
Instructions
Peel potatoes. Place the potato peelings, carrots and celery in a large pot with the filtered water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Cool and strain broth into glass containers in the refrigerator, reheating small amounts as needed. Add 1 TBL whey to each cup for a big boost to mineral assimilation.
Potassium Broth freezes beautifully, so freeze what you will not use in about one week.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
Source: Nourishing Traditions Cookbook
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like it would be an excellent thing to have after weight lifting. I’m going to give it a try. Thanks.
MAS\’s last post: Defending Doctor Oz
YES! Would be great as a mineral replenisher after a strenuous workout.
You could also add these vegetables to a partially completed gelatin stock, for protein and even more minerals.
I could have used this recipe last week! Our dear friends from Maple Valley Farms (an off-grid farm in Coral, MI) were extremely ill with the H1N1 flu, with the mom, Angie, having to be hospitalized for 4 days. She had passed out in the parking lot of the Dr. office, and was taken by ambulance to the hospital…incoherent, unable to even sign her own name….
Her potassium levels were VERY low, as well as her electrolytes being off. She is a NT chapter leader, so she and her family have been eating very healthy for quite a while. All 6 of her children, ages 17 down to 2 were infected. This has really thrown them for a loop. I will definitely copy this recipe for further reference….
Cindy (FarmgirlCyn)\’s last post: Lifewithout cable
I’m nightshade sensitive. What might replace the potato? This would also be great for people on diuretics that deplete potassium…
I already add carrots to my chicken stock (for the last hour or two) and celery when I have it. In theory, if I saved up my potato peels like I do my carrot ends for broth, that would turn my chicken stock into a potassium broth as well, right?
BTW, when I saw the post title in my feed reader, I read it as Possum Broth, which didn’t surprise me a whole lot given the interesting things that I see in the Real Food community.
WordVixen\’s last post: Pop Century
Ha, ha! Possum broth! How funny is that?
Wait, JUST the potato peelings, but not the rest of the potatoes?
Yes, just the peelings as putting the whole potato in the water would bring hemagglutinins into the water that disrupt red blood cell function. This is why it isn’t good to ever eat a potato raw.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Ode to Bacon Grease
Doesn’t parsley reduce lactation??
And would you recommend this over a bone broth?
Hi Anjanette, no this is not recommended over a bone broth. It is a tonic rather than an epicurean food creation like a soup. This is a remedy to assist recovery.
I never experienced any issue with lactation drinking this broth after birth. You are not actually eating the parsley anyway, it is simply contributing minerals to the broth per the recipe.
My best friend is expecting in 3 months. I’m going to share this with her. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! I have never heard of this before. I can’t wait to be pregnant again and try this. How lucky are you to have friends who bring you this broth instead of pizza from Costco (that was literally something a friend brought me during my post partum meal deliveries!)
This is such a great post. A must add to my postpartum hand outs. Now if I could just teach ‘em all to make whey…I’ll have to link your video somehow. Thanks!!
Shannon\’s last post: Newborn Needs
Ah, this is another one of the many recipes I’ve never gotten around to trying from Nourishing Traditions (there are so just many). I’ll have to give it a try.
One other thing that also helped me recover after childbirth was eating liver. Unfortunately, we don’t eat liver very often in our house as my husband finds it unpalatable, but after having both of my kids I really needed some! My mom made us fried chicken livers, mmm. It was especially good for me as I have been a bit anemic after both of my births.
Sarah Smith\’s last post: Home Birth Facilitates Bonding and Breastfeeding
I’m on a GAPS diet now and can’t have starch, and also like KC I’m nightshade sensitive. Therefore, the potato peelings are of concern to me. Should I leave them out if I make the broth? Or are they pretty much the whole point of the broth?
I notice no salt added–is there a reason it is omitted? I like the sound of this broth–
Julie
This is great Sarah! Thank you, I’m going to share it with my FB page of pregnant mamas
Crystal – Prenatal Coach\’s last post: Fertility Food Friday- Digestion Enhancing Bone Broth
Thanks for this recipe. I’d never heard of potassium broth before. I’m going to have to try it.
Lovelyn\’s last post: Getting More Exercise
I second the legal question of potato for the GAPS diet
I will pass this on to my niece whose husband had a nasty small and large intestine tear in the hospital last month (almost died!). He is home after 24 days. She made smoothies for him to replace the “Ensure” (yuck!) drink recommended when he was able to eat once again. Wonder if this could help him too?!
This broth should be fine on GAPS as you are not consuming the starch portion of the potato. Yes, this broth would be wonderful for someone recovering from a hospital ordeal.
Do you have to use whey? If you do use whey, can you add it to the broth and then freeze… If you’re making it ahead of time??
Hi Shannon, the whey is optional but does give mineral absorption a nice boost. You can add the whey and then freeze no problem.
Is there anything you could add instead of the whey for that mineral boost??
Hi there Sarah!
Great blog and a fantastic post! I love the fact that you have discovered something that works well like the potassium broth and then share it with the rest of the world.
It does sound very good and much better than what my wife normally gives me for rejuvenation. It is called psyllium husk powder that you mix with water that boosts your energy through the high fiber intake.Not easy to swallow
So yours sounds pretty delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe and I will be sure to try it one night! Take care and talk soon
Michael
Michael Hines\’s last post: Learn How To Burn Off 10 Of Your Unwanted Weight In Body Fat In The Next 30 Days
Thanks for sharing! Is there anything else you know of that is good during and after giving birth?
I drank about a quart of kombucha after giving birth to my kids. Very rehydrating!!!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist\’s last post: Mobility WOD- Different Route- Same Destination
This looks like a great recipe! You might want to be careful about using parsley for new mothers. Parsley is an herb used for helping to dry up milk supply!! I’ve never had milk supply issues so I’m sure I could tolerate it just fine, but if there is a mom whose milk isn’t coming in then it might be best to leave out the parsley! Thanks Sarah!
I just discovered your blog after reading about it in my recent copy of Wise Traditions. I love your blog!!!
I am going to make your potassium broth but I have one question. Because of the parsley, does the broth contain a lot of oxalates? I don’t want to do anything to cause kidney stones.
Thank you so much for your help!
Love,
Mary
Hi Mary, yes there are some oxalates in the broth. But on occasion this is fine. The broth is for recovery and rejuvenation such as after childbirth to replenish electrolytes and not meant to be an everyday thing.
Parsley is one of the herbs suggested for eliminating kidney stones and is used in many kidney healing formulas.
Andrea Blackshear\’s last post: Mirror, Mirror on the wall…
This is great! I wish I had this recipe after my last birth. One thing I might add; if the mother is nursing she should be careful about consuming steady amounts of parsley as it can reduce the milk supply by A LOT!
Given the potatoes and thus the starch, would this be unsuitable for someone on GAPS who has just suffered a bout of food poisoning? Is there something equally effective and GAPS-friendly that one could use in place of the potatoes? Thanks!
Never mind, just saw that my question has already been answered in earlier comments. Apologies!
Mali Korsten (The Korsten Chronicle)\’s last post: 25 Symptoms That Will Soon Be A Thing Of The Past
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