I didn't mean to start a new habit.

(Actually the concept of “habits” has gotten scarier to me as I’ve gotten older. They’re harder to commit to in the tangle of other “capital R” Responsibilities.)

I was just cold.

It was one of those dreary February mornings after a sleepless night where everything was grey and annoying me. On top of that, I’d already had two cups coffee, which just made me tired…faster (and vibrating with a stomachache). But, since the kind of sleepy where you take really long blinks was not conducive to getting anything done, I was going to make another cup anyway, until I saw the pouch of Brodo on the counter from the night before. I heated it up. Drank it. Got on with my day.

That was over a month ago, and I've had it almost every morning since.

I truly was not expecting it to do anything. I am a trend skeptic by nature and a creature of chaos by circumstance. I don't do wellness routines. I barely do regular routines. And yet…

The Pepper community has been all over cozy morning recipes lately. Search "morning" in the app for everything from overnight oats to high-protein smoothie bowls and savory breakfast situations that will actually keep you full.

🔥 Most Popular: Lazy Congee (try it with Brodo's Organic Chicken broth!)

🏆 Hidden Gem: Chocolate Banana Oat Bars

✨ Crowd Pleaser: Oatmeal Banana Mini Protein Waffles

It took me 30 years to learn, but I’m finally surrendering to the fact that I simply can’t handle the second cup of coffee. That’s where it becomes Anxiety Juice.

Bone broth does something different, but still feels warm and like a treat.

It has no caffeine, obviously, but it does have glycine. Glycine is an amino acid that research suggests promotes calm, steady energy and actually supports sleep quality rather than disrupting it. So, instead of spiking your cortisol for the second time before 9am, it regulates your nervous system while you're getting 10 grams of protein and a hit of natural electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) which help your body absorb the water you're drinking and reduce daytime fatigue.

Translation: you feel alert without feeling wired. It's a subtle distinction until you notice it, and then you can't un-notice it.

Collagen peptides are what the gelatin in bone broth breaks down into once you digest it.

They support your gut lining, your joints, and your skin. Your body can't make enough collagen on its own after your mid-twenties (rude), so getting it from food is really useful.

The electrolytes are the unsexy but maybe most important part. Most of us are mildly dehydrated in the morning after 7-8 hours without water. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium help your body actually absorb and use the water you drink. Plain water in the morning is fine. Water plus electrolytes is better. Bone broth has both.

The gut piece took a little longer for me to believe, but two weeks in, I realized I just felt…better in that department. I will not dive into that further. The gelatin breaking down into glutamine helps strengthen your gut lining, and gives your digestive system some consistent support instead of being the last thing you think about at 7am.

I have an admission. It’s a weird thing to admit in a letter that’s literally about Brodo, but when I ran out of my first variety pack, I didddd try to switch to just regular shmegular off the shelf (cheap) broth. Spoiler alert: it is not the same.

Generic broth is mostly water, flavor concentrate, and salt. It tastes fine in soup (I guess…), but it just doesn’t have the same richness, depth, and nutritional value as Brodo.

Brodo uses a 1:1 ratio of organic bones and vegetables to water. Every cup has 10 grams of protein and actual collagen from real bones simmered for hours. Marco Canora, the James Beard-winning chef who started Brodo out of his NYC restaurant in 2014, built the whole thing around the idea that broth should be good enough to drink on its own. Based on personal boots on the ground research…it is.

It was hard work, but someone had to do it.

My current rotation is the Signature Hearth in the morning (classic, savory, tastes like someone who loves you made it), the Deeply Rooted when I feel like I'm coming down with something (so much ginger), and the Tom Yum when I want to feel fancy before 8am.