Kelp -- A Health Gift from the Sea

Nutritious Gift

I ran across an article recently about kelp, a sea vegetable, being very helpful in weight loss.  Lots of things, it seems, are helpful in weight loss, always a popular topic, and I will share some of what this article said....in a minute.

First, though, let’s talk about sea vegetables and algae in general.  “Yeeewwww!” you might  say.  I suppose I did, too,  several years ago when I was first delving into raw food eating.  But wait!  There is richness to be had in these somewhat salty greens from the ocean.  Read on.


Rich in Minerals

Seaweeds grow in the mineral –rich brine of the ocean and transform its fifty-six known minerals, including calcium, iodine, iron, potassium, and magnesium, into nutrients that we can assimilate.  In fact, seaweeds contain ten to twenty times more minerals than land-grown plants do.  Their abundant mineral content makes sea vegetables an important element of the raw foods diet.

Seaweeds offer many benefits to human health.  They increase metabolism, purify the blood, help break down fat, improve joint flexibility, and help heal mucous membranes.  They are naturally alkalinizing, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.  They also strengthen kidneys and beautify the skin and hair. Additionally, and very importantly, they contain alginic acid, a compound that binds in the body with heavy metals, environmental toxins, and other chemicals, and then carries them from the body and out.

Kelp Granules  for salads, smoothies, etc.

Seaweeds are available commercially in dried form, often in small sheets.  You can crush and sprinkle them over salads, eat them plain as snacks, add them to soups as flavorings, or use them as wrappers to hold other raw delights.  If you use a bit of oil in the preparation of sea vegetables, it will enhance your body’s absorption of their minerals and vitamins A and D.

With that glowing introduction, let us turn to Kelp, and the special advantages it offers in weight loss endeavors.

Kelp is an excellent supplier of calcium.  You can expect stronger bones, nails and teeth along with weight loss.

Kelp is also known to improve your circulatory system and provide blood purification.

Kelp all dressed up

Kelp is enriched with Omega-3, Omega-6, linoleic acid, gamma linolenic acid, fucoidans,  22 amino acids, chlorophyll, and sterols.Kelp helps in the boosting of the immune system, fighting cancer, keeping cholesterol levels down, slowing ageing and improving metabolism.  It’s a good thing to keep in your diet at any time, dieting or not.

If you are not used to regularly  consuming sea vegetables, start off with 600 mg for each meal, and gradually   increase the dose to 1200 mg per meal.  Crush the kelp to fine powder.  It is salty in taste, and can be sprinkled on salad  or soup—anything that is not sweet.

It is available in capsule form, which is not nearly as much enjoyed as the real food.

Try this simple recipe to get you started on a healthy sea vegetable adventure.  Your body will be grateful for your effort!
 

Kelp Cucumber Salad 

Soak kelp in water for 15 minutes and slice it down to thin pieces.  In a bowl of whisked maple syrup or agave nectar, tamari, and vinegar, add kelp and thinly sliced peeled cucumber.

Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more good news about Kelp and other Sea Vegetables.

 

 

 

Cherries in Wisconsin

Cherries are Wisconsin

When we were in Door County, Wisconsin a few weeks ago, I was ready to see bags of cheese curds in every store and at every roadside stand, and  I was not surprised that restaurants served them almost universally.  It’s what they have in Wisconsin.  But, I had forgotten in the 5 years since we’ve been there that there are just as many avenues for procuring and enjoying ruby sweet cherries as there are cheese curds.  And for this raw foodist, the cherries trump the cheese bits any day.

Seriously, the cherries were everywhere. In restaurants we visited many of our friends enjoyed a slice or three of cherry pie, there were dried cherries in salads, and cherry juice options either all by itself or mixed with other fruit juices.  When we reluctantly drove out of town after a week of very pleasant biking and relaxing, we stopped at an outdoor market and loaded up on cherry jams, jellies, preserves, and salsas, all locally grown, prepared, and packaged.

Plump, sweet, and ruby red

I, of course, just enjoyed them whole and raw.  So delicious and spectacularly colored.  I knew they were probably a wonderful thing to be eating, so guess what?  Here comes the good news.

Cherries have been shown to combat cancer, improve sleep, balance pressure and ease gout.  Compounds found within cherries also relieve pain as well as aspirin.  They have anti-infammatory properties, and can help to ward off disease. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, and anti-oxidants, and should be enjoyed often.

There’s more good news.  Cherries are a circulatory stimulant that dispel stagnation in the bloodstream and impart a rosy glow to the complexion.  They are detoxifiers, helping the body eliminate uric acid and cleanse the kidneys. They have been used traditionally to remedy anemia, arthritis, asthma, constipation, cramps, fatigue, gallstones and kidney stones, gout, and many other ills.  What’s not to like? 

Avoid contamination - buy organic

The bad news is that cherries are one of the most contaminated fruits, so it’s best to buy organic ones whenever possible.  Although they get cooked and put into jars, mentioned above, they can be enjoyed plain or in fruit salads, puddings, smoothies, and  juices.  They can also be dried for year-round consumption.

Their growing season is almost over for another year, but cherries are still in the stores.  Here’s a recipe you may want to try before they are gone until next year.  I will certainly be ready for them then!  Enjoy!

 

Cherry Soup – A Seasonal Delight

(Yield: 4 servings) 

¼ cup dates, soaked for 20 minutes

2 cups cherries, pitted

2 ½ cups water

2 Tbs lemon juice or lime juice 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and liquefy.

From Rawsome, by Brigitte Mars