Superfoods and the whole idea of them have been around for a while now. We've all heard of the amazing benefits of blueberries, broccoli and spinach. There are many 'superfood' lists out there which have different foods listed, so we thought we'd combine them all for you!
- Apples
- Acai berries
- Agave nectar
- Almonds
- Avocado
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Brazil nuts
- Bananas
- Barley
- Chia Seeds
- Coconuts
- Cranberries
- Dark Chocolate
- Fish Oils
- Ginger
- Kale
- Oats
- Oranges
- Olive Oil
- Pumpkin
- Pommegranate
- Quinoa
- Salmon
- Soy
- Spinach
- Seaweed
- Tea (green or black)
- Tomatoes
- Turkey
- Walnuts
- Wheatgrass
- Yogurt
- Yuzu Japanese grapefruit
Seaweed, although a staple in places like Japan and Korea for centuries, is a relatively new ingredient over here. It has been named as another 'superfood' with amazing health benefits. Even still you won't find many supermarkets selling seaweed or many restaurants with seaweed in their dishes. It's still seen as a bit of a hippy-heath-shop product.
It is a nutrient packed, cancer-preventing sea vegetable and is said to be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. People who eat a seaweed rich diet are said to have lower risk of obesity, diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease.
It is one of the most nutritionally dense plants on the planet and also the most abundant source of minerals in the plant kingdom as they have access to all the nutrients in the ocean. Its benefits are far reaching:
- Blood Purifying: The chemical composition of seaweeds is so close to human blood plasma, that they are excellent at regulating and purifying our blood.
- High in Calcium: They can contain up to 10 times more calcium than milk and 8 times as much as beef.
- Alkalizing:They help to alkalize our blood, neutralizing the over-acidic effects of our modern diet.
- Have Powerful Chelating Properties: They offer protection from a wide array of environmental toxins, including heavy metals, pollutants and radiation by-products, by converting them to harmless salts that the body can eliminate easily.
- Contain Anti-oxidants: Seaweeds contain lignans (naturally occurring chemical compounds) which have anti cancer properties.
- Detoxifying: They are rich in chlorophyll (the pigment that makes some seaweeds green) which is a powerful, natural detoxifier that helps to draw out waste products.
- Boost Weight loss: Seaweeds play a role in boosting weight loss and deterring cellulite build-up. Their naturally high concentration of iodine, helps to stimulate the thyroid gland, which is responsible for maintaining a healthy metabolism. At the same time, its' minerals act like electrolytes to break the chemical bonds that seal the fat cells, allowing trapped wastes to escape.
But how do you eat seaweed? Not many of us would have a clue how to cook it or what to cook it with! We've found a recipe for Seaweed Lasagne that might be a good start.
Seaweed Lasagna Recipe
Serves 8
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• ½ pound of fresh spinach
• ½ pound of mushrooms
• 2 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic minced
• 42 ounces tomato sauce
• sea salt, to taste
• ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tables spoons basil
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 package of Seaweed Lasagna
• 3 cups Cottage cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 11/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 cups of ground meat
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, heat grape seed oil and sauté ground meat, add fresh chanterelle mushrooms for 2 min , add bell peppers and garlic. Stir in tomato sauce and fine herbs. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking oil and set aside. Put the seaweed fronds in boiling water for 3 min. (color change) drain and put aside
In Medium bowl; mix the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and ¾ cup of Mozzarella cheese together, add raw spinach, season it with pepper, if desired.
Ladle about 1 cup of tomato, meat, mushroom, garlic and bell peppers sauce in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with one layer of Seaweed Lasagna noodles. Spread one third of the cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Evenly spread another cup of sauce over that. Repeat the process until all the noodles are used, ending with the last of the sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is browned.
