When season changes roll around, I'm always hit with a sense of dread just knowing that someone in my family is going to bring some kind of sickness home with them, and we're all going to be sniffling for the next month. But what if there was something you could do that would not only fight off a cold, but could prevent one from ever happening in the first place?

In the process of wrestling with my own, personal gut health, one of the most valuable things I've learned is that 70-80% of a person's immune tissues are located in the digestive tract. Thus, the old adage, "you are what you eat," becomes surprisingly accurate. Eat food loaded with sugar, chemicals and preservatives and you're likely to feel sick, sluggish and foggy, along with any other number of other symptoms. But eat foods rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals and you're more likely to experience life the way it was intended - full of energy and vitality, and free of inflammation and chronic disease.

Bone broth is one of the easiest and most beneficial diet staples I've come across in the last year. It's nothing new - in fact, when you were growing up and got sick, the advice from your grandmother to eat chicken noodle soup probably derived from something closer to the bone broth variety than from Campbell's. The benefits that come from the collagen found in bones are vast: stronger immune system, healthier hair skin and nails, improved joint pain, healing of the digestive tract for those suffering from IBS, ulcerative colitis, crohn's and acid reflux, and even reduction or elimination of asthma and allergy symptoms.

Making broth is simple, although it does take time to draw all of the nutrients out of the bone. You can use any bones, but I find the most benefit from using bones that have marrow, like beef knuckles. Most local butchers will save bones from processing. My butcher offers up to two free bones every time I shop. Some may charge, but you're likely to still find that it's cheaper to make your own broth than it is to buy the stuff in the store.

Simply throw your bones into a slow cooker, cover with water, add any extras to suit your taste, set your timer and walk away. I prefer to add carrots, onions, celery, some thyme and a bay leaf to the slow cooker, both for the extra nutrients that the vegetables contribute and for the wonderful flavor they add. If you're using chicken bones, plan to simmer for 24 hours, and for beef bones, allow 48 hours.

Once your broth is done cooking, discard the bones and remove the vegetables. You can either eat what's left of the vegetables, puree them up for a baby or toddler, or discard them. Store your broth in the refrigerator for up to a week, or you can easily freeze it to keep it for a lot longer. Once your broth has cooled, you'll find a natural separation occurs and that the fat will rise and harden on top. If you don't mind the extra fat, you can mix it back in, or you can easily pull it off of the top and discard it.

It's up to you to decide how to use your broth. You can sip it on its own, from a mug, to reap its health benefits, or you can use it as a base in your soups and stews. Bone appétit!