How to consume bones?

[nurture]

I've read that its good to buy a horse-hoof file but I've also heard that people grind up their bones. I'm trying to eat the bones for all the minerals and nutrients that our bodies require for healthy bones and other body functions

[RawZi]

    So far, I only eat the bones I can chew up myself.

[raw]

    So far, I only eat the bones I can chew up myself.

:)dear rawzi/ can you tell me what type of bone (is it cooked or raw?) you can chew on? when i was on indian food, i used to love cooked bones to chew on.

[RawZi]

    Fish bones, chicken bones, raw.  Cooked they are dangerous.  They splinter.  The chicken bone marrow is bloody colored and tastes good.  The fish doesn't have marrow really. 

    I ate cooked marrow as a child too, from veal neck, beef short rib and chicken.  Marrow was one of the few animal foods that didn't close my throat.  I didn't eat raw animal foods though.  I was taught animal food has to be heated thoroughly, or you'll get an infection. 

[TylerDurden]

RVAFers generally find they get all the right minerals from raw foods so that they don't need raw bones at all.

[raw]

in my country, there is some kind fish (wild caught) always found in the river which is extremely small. you can eat those fish easily with the bone raw. they're the divine source of all calcium, vit D and omega. only poor eat them. they cook with green mango and that's delicious. 

[TylerDurden]

in my country, there is some kind fish (wild caught) always found in the river which is extremely small. you can eat those fish easily with the bone raw. they're the divine source of all calcium, vit D and omega. only poor eat them. they cook with green mango and that's delicious. 

It's funny how it's often the food of the poor that turns out to be healthy. For example raw oysters in the UK were seen for centuries as "poor mans' food".

[Michael]

It's funny how it's often the food of the poor that turns out to be healthy. For example raw oysters in the UK were seen for centuries as "poor mans' food".

Shame that's not still the case eh Tyler?!     It seems that the recession has had a rather annoying side effect with all of the so-called cheap, poor man's food suddenly becoming sought after and rising astronomically in price!!  Grrr.  Get your hands off my liver!!   

I've read that its good to buy a horse-hoof file but I've also heard that people grind up their bones. I'm trying to eat the bones for all the minerals and nutrients that our bodies require for healthy bones and other body functions

I'm interested in doing this too, nurture.  If you search the forum you'll find some posts on this subject.  I think it was van who was explaining to me how to do it but I've yet to try it.  He basically uses a farriers file to grind the bone into a powder which he consumes, I think, a teaspoon or so of each day.  Maybe van will chip in with a full explanation again otherwise.
I think it sounds like a good idea to use bone as a source of bone-building nutrients as it should contain all of the minerals Calcium, Magnesium, Boron etc in the correct ratio as well as containing all of the components of bone matrix rather than minerals in isolation.  I believe there's evidence of HG's consuming bones in a similar manner to RawZi by chewing them whole.  But, their teeth were far superior to our weak modern-food ravaged teeth.

[RawZi]

 I believe there's evidence of HG's consuming bones in a similar manner to RawZi by chewing them whole.  But, their teeth were far superior to our weak modern-food ravaged teeth.

    Oh, btw, I see you got what I said, but some people may assume I meant by how I wrote it to eat the bones separate from the fish or chicken and you understood right that I ate it along with my fish or chicken meal (from the same pieces of meat of course).  My teeth aren't the strongest, but they are stronger from eating this RAF.  I wish I was born with big strong teeth, but we make do with what we have and find the positives.  The fish bones I mostly swallow.  The chicken I swallow all cartilage etc, some of the bone and all the marrow.

    I ate cooked marrow as a child too, from veal neck, beef short rib and chicken.  Marrow was one of the few animal foods that didn't close my throat.   

    As a child I ate bone broths.

[Michael]

   Oh, btw, I see you got what I said, but some people may assume I meant by how I wrote it to eat the bones separate from the fish or chicken and you understood right that I ate it along with my fish or chicken meal (from the same pieces of meat of course).  My teeth aren't the strongest, but they are stronger from eating this RAF.  I wish I was born with big strong teeth, but we make do with what we have and find the positives.  The fish bones I mostly swallow.  The chicken I swallow all cartilage etc, some of the bone and all the marrow.

Good to explain it fully for others who may've misunderstood. 

That's admirable eating RawZi!  I'm not actually consuming chicken or fish at the moment but will try this myself on the next occasion.  I'm sure you're getting some wonderful nutrients from the manner you're consuming all of that bone, marrow, cartilage etc.  Good to hear that your teeth have improved on RAF sufficiently to enable you to do this.

[van]

If anyone really wants me to list the steps again,  I'd be happy to, just let me know. 

[raw]

If anyone really wants me to list the steps again,  I'd be happy to, just let me know. 

please, van, write down the steps. also i want to ask that, when you produce them little more extra, can you sell them to me? it's for myself and my toddler. please, let me know. thanks

[nurture]

Okay, question. Would the ferrier's file work on marrow bones? Or are rib bones easier to file (i am assuming because of less density)

I am definitely doing this. Remineralizing ftw!!!

[van]

Ok,  you can order rib bones from North star bison.  I keep them frozen as well as the ferrier's file,  I keep both in the freezer between filings.  Use the narrow slanted grooved side of the file.  Remember to order a good handle with the file, they come without one.   With sharp knife take off the outside tissues on the rib till you get down to real bone, now you're ready.  I keep in freezer cause the bone starts to smell and no longer taste good if simply kept in the fridge over several weeks.  Place file pointing down onto a big cutting board.  I recommend bamboo, plastic ones eventually feed you plastic everytime you cut on it.  Stroke the rib against the file, up and down.  I file off about two tablespoons powder each time, about twice a day.   I eat it plain when hungry and wait till I am hungry again till I eat meat and fat.   Get a two to three inch paint scraper, preferably chromed or stainless steel to scrape the powder into a pile and then with scraper and spoon scoop it up into spoon like you would with a dust pan and sweeper.  I chew it a bit and swallow.  Like I said, fresh bone has a yummy taste, indicating to me that my body likes it.  Marrow bones can be used, but harder to get off all connective tissue and tendon, plus you have to get all the marrow out, it clogs the file.  Oh, and also you'll need a wire brush, the kind used to brush off old paint on houses.  Mine is about two inches wide by about five inches long.  After each filing, stroke brush in the direction of grooves to dislodge stuck bone filings.  I do this before I scrape the board with scraper and include this all at one time.   It seems like a little bit of work, but I can do the whole operation in less the four or five minutes.    The rib bones have a cartilidge middle that has other nutrients besides the ones in leg bones.   If you order from North star, tell Marry that you want them like she did for me, vacuum packed in packages of five or six, and as full length as they can offer them.  As mentioned before all carnivores eat bones, and I believe that past paleo peoples ate them too, as did stephason, and any one eating smaller animals like birds, reptiles, rabbits etc.  Plus when 'they' scraped out the marrow, they would have as I do scrape out the softer cancellous bone near the knuckle portion at the top or bottom of the bone.

[nurture]

sweet, van. thats a nice approach. thanks for the write up.

[klowcarb]

Van, can I buy just regular soup bones (beef bones) at the market and use a knife to chip off some bone? I can add some to my ground beef. I don't have a file. Is there a gadget I can buy cheaply for that?

[livingthelife]

Is there an advantage to eating bone rather than eggshell? Eggshell is easier to prepare

[djr_81]

Is there an advantage to eating bone rather than eggshell? Eggshell is easier to prepare

It's closer to our bone structure so should have a better mix of minerals in the right combination we need to build/rebuild our own bones?
Much in the same manner that organs are more healing to their like organ than muscle meat is to that organ.

[invisible]

It's funny how it's often the food of the poor that turns out to be healthy. For example raw oysters in the UK were seen for centuries as "poor mans' food".

The poor eat for nutrition. The rich eat for entertainment.

[Michael]

Thanks for that detailed description of your bone filing procedure van.  I must've missed it before as I've been away from the forum since Dec/Jan!  Using that information I should now be able to successfully follow your instruction rather than my previous failed attempt.

Incidentally, how long have you been consuming these bone filings and have you been able to observe any particular physical improvements (bones, teeth, strength etc) which you could loosely intimate as being a consequence of the bone consumption?

[van]

Oh, the things we do because we think they are healthy.  So,  my recent opinion on bones is that they are too high in calcium.   I listened to a talk by Ron Cusson in Florida.  Not sure he's right, but he is adamant about the high levels of calcium we get in our diet, water included.  He feels that we get calcified, ie,  in the arteries, joints, etc...  He claims to have decalcified his body significantly by ingesting high amounts of magnesium.  So I gave up bones, and have to admit that my circulation is better in my foot, as in I can stand in one place for a longer time before my foot would feel uncomfortable.  In the ankle area there is a lessening of small visible red capallaries.  Another factor which I noticed was having a root canal tooth procedure.  The dentist commented how calcified my canal was,and  in how difficult it was for him to get his instruments down into the canal.  I do understand that the body will do that with teeth, but it appeared excessive.     Cusson claims we get all the calcium we need from most foods and most waters are very rich in calcium.    Bones are mostly calcium and phosphorus.  Very little magnesium at all.  Sorry to have misled anyone, for I look back at how much I 'preached' that we all need bones...  Obviously I haven't the final answer.  And I still feed and watch how much my dogs who are raw carnivores eat and enjoy bones.  
    Haven't been here on the site for a while, but for those still interested a Ferrier's file for Horse hooves works fine.  I keep it in the freezer so it doesn't heat the bone, which I keep in the fridge after I have scraped any remaining meat off with.  Then I file, and with a putty knife I gather the bone powder and 'pour' it into a spoon, and eat on an empty stomach.  Not bad tasting at all.