Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [40]
Dulse: You can find this reddish-brown sea veggie in flattened, chewy ribbons or flakes. The flakes need no preparation, and you can sprinkle them directly on food. The ribbons are soft enough that you only need to rinse them before adding them to a recipe, unless otherwise directed.
Hijiki: Easy to prepare, these little, wiry, spaghetti-like strands have a strong flavor. Simply rinse and soak for 5 minutes before adding to a recipe, or eat raw tossed into a salad.
Kelp: Kelp is sold in flakes, powder, or flat ribbons, and you can add it to soups and stews after rinsing it off.
Kombu: Kombu’s secret power is that it helps you digest beans and prevents gas. Add a 2- or 3-inch piece of rinsed, dark kombu to a pot of cooking beans or soup. To add it to a recipe, simply soak in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes and chop.
Wakame: If you’ve ever ordered miso soup, you’ve eaten wakame. This soft, green, silky sea vegetable is mild tasting and easy to cook. Rinse the wakame and then soak in warm water for 5 to 7 minutes. Rinse again, chop, and add to your recipe.
Want to try some easy techniques for cooking sea veggies? Hijiki is a nice addition to salads. Just toss one or two tablespoons with chopped lettuce and your favorite dressing. Prepare dulse, kombu, or wakame according to package directions and add a small handful to soup. You can even buy small shaker containers of sea vegetable flakes to keep on your table. Just shake a little on top of your meal, sandwich, soup, or salad!
Unless you’re going with an expert, don’t try collecting your own sea vegetables in the wild. Certain coastal areas are polluted with toxins, and other sea beds may harbor bacteria that you don’t want to consume with your miso soup.
Finding good fruits
I’ve heard health experts complain that Americans eat the same five or six fruits their entire lives. I’ve seen similar eating habits with my clients, and I do think that everyone could benefit from a wider variety of fruity foods in their diets. Fruits are defined as the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant, which means that any plant you eat that contains seeds is a fruit. Officially, this means that tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers are fruit. That scientific fact doesn’t matter much to me — I just want to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, period.
Eating fresh fruit regularly has been shown to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers. Fruits also fortify the body with the nutrients it needs to fight infection and repair cells.
Fruits are generally easier for people to increase in their diet than vegetables because they’re sweet, they don’t need a lot of preparation, and you can take them to school or work as a quick, healthy snack. So which fruits are most beneficial to your health? Well, it’s difficult to pick a few specific superfruits, but here’s a list of fruit-related tips to keep in mind:
Try to eat two to three pieces of fresh fruit every day. An easy way to do this is to make a smoothie for breakfast. You can include a banana and two other fruits as the base and kick-start your day quickly.
Choose some of these super fruits for your daily menus:
• Berries, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries, are high in vitamin C, folate, and phytochemicals.
• Pomegranate seeds are very high in antioxidants, and the juice is used to help inflammatory conditions.
• Acai berries also are high in antioxidants and are a good source of essential oils. They’re believed to help the body slow the aging process as well.
Buy seasonal fruit from your farmer’s market. Not only is the fruit super fresh and at its optimum taste, but it also has more nutrients.
If you drink fruit juice, try to drink fresh-squeezed, unsweetened juice. Investing in a juicer gives you the option of drinking many servings of fruit in one glass.