This article appeared in the May 2007 issue of the Kansas City Wellness Magazine. Just as in the spring, it can be helpful to do a little cleaning. I've collected my series of posts on detox foods from last spring under the category Recipes / Detox. These foods work well spring and fall, as most of the cleansing foods come back in season during fall. Alas, you will have to wait until next spring to enjoy dandelion greens.
Food Face by Benjamin Faltermeier, age 5, who says the face "has curly hair like me!"
It’s common to feel sluggish after the long winter. Just like we throw open the windows and air out our homes come spring, we too can benefit from some spring cleaning. A simple way to do this is to eat more vegetables. I often suggest “green meals” where the bulk of your meal simply vegetables, or adding a glass of fresh vegetable juice at breakfast. These are things most anyone can do with minimal risk of harm. It will help you get back on track especially if you turned to white sugar, white flour and junk food to beat the winter doldrums. Other forms of cleansing such as mono-diets, fasting and nutritional, herbal or homoeopathic cleanses require a good sense of your body or expert supervision. It’s easy to overload your body’s detoxification systems with these methods resulting in a range of symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, rashes and headaches to outright illness.
Here’s a delicious broccoli-miso soup to build a green meal around. It’s well known that broccoli is a cancer-fighting diva. But do you know why? The sulfurous compounds in broccoli are detoxifiers. They neutralize and clear free-radicals and toxins from the body, including potential carcinogens, slow cancer cell growth and activate cancer cell apoptosis, a program in the cell that causes it to kill itself. Miso consumption may explain why women in Japan have lower rates of breast cancer according to a recent study. Heating miso destroys its beneficial enzymes, so add it just before serving. Complete your green meal with an artichoke and some dandelion greens. Learn the health benefits of and how to prepare these foods at www.thedoctorcooks.com.
Broccoli-Miso Soup
1 TBSP grape seed oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 – 4 cups broccoli florets and non-fibrous stem, chopped
5 cups water
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP white miso
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the broccoli florets, stem pieces and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor. Stir in the lemon juice. Before serving, mix ½ teaspoon miso into each bowl of soup, or more to taste. Serves 6.
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