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Page 125
| that's essential for normal functioning of the thyroid gland. |
| Considering sea vegetables' astonishing array of nutrients, it's amazing they haven't become more popular in this countrythough the tide is beginning to turn. In Asia, meanwhile, they've been used for thousands of years to prevent and treat cancer and other diseases. Researchers speculate that sea vegetables contain as-yet-unidentified antioxidant compounds, some of which are not found in land plants. Their iodine content may also help prevent or treat fibrocystic breast disease, which is linked to breast cancer. |
| SMART MOVE |
| "Our blood contains all one hundred or so minerals and trace elements found in the ocean," notes nutritional researcher and teacher Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods. |
| "Seaweeds contain these in the most assimilable form because their minerals and elements are integrated into living plant tissue." Pitchford says sea vegetables contain "the greatest amount and broadest range of minerals of any organism" and are a ''superb" nutritional food. |
| Turnips and Turnip Greens |
| Another cruciferous star, the lowly turnip deserves to be put on a nutritional pedestal. Turnips contain the sulfur compound raphanol, which helps kill bacteria that cause bronchitis and other ailments. Both turnips and their big brothers, rutabagas, offer more cancer-blocking glucosinolates than other crucifers. They're a good source of vitamin C and fiber and contain small amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and some B vitamins. Turnips' green leafy tops have long been used to treat arthritis and gout because they eliminate uric acid from the body; they're also among the dark, leafy greens most often eaten by people with low rates of lung and other cancers. |
| Grains |
| The important things to remember here are whole grains and complex carbohydrates. Here's a simple rule of thumb: the more refined (i.e., processed) |
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