Broccoli; A True Superfood

Thanks for all of your wishes for a Happy National Registered Dietitian Day yesterday! You guys are so sweet and kind, what would I do without you?! I also enjoyed reading your comments about the quotes I posted from "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus". Some of you disagreed with what the author said, and I find that I disagree with this book sometimes too. But overall the book has really helped me understand men much better, and has helped Nick understand ME!

Today I decided to dedicate my post to one of my favorite vegetables; BROCCOLI!



Broccoli is an amazing vegetable. It's a member of the "cruciferous" family of vegetables, which also includes brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, kale, and bok choy. Here are some of the reasons why I make sure to eat at least 1/2 cup of broccoli (or the others listed above), everyday:

• Vitamin C for collagen repair (especially good for the small capillaries that help with circulation, and for gum health). Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant, and works with other compounds in broccoli to increase it's ability to act as an antioxidant.
  

• Fiber for heart health and a healthy GI tract.

• Folate for heart health and for DNA synthesis (especially important for young women who may become pregnant, or who are currently pregnant.)

• Phytonutrients that act to bolster antioxidant defenses, and some of which actually act as antioxidants.
  

• Phytoestrogens, which are "plant estrogens". They act similar to human estrogen, but instead of binding to estrogen receptors on cancer cells, and helping to replicate the cancer, it binds to the receptor and prevents the binding of human estrogen, thus preventing the growth of hormone sensitive cancers (prostate and breast cancer are two examples).
  

• Beta-catoene, lutein, xeaxanthin (all carotenoids), which can help prevent numerous types of cancer (especially colon and bladder) and which help protect the eyes, and the skin from UV rays.

• It takes GOOD!
  

Quick, Cheap, and Healthy Recipe #15
Broccoli Soup

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
1.5 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 T egg whites
1 t olive oil
1 ounce shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Possible Modifications

• Use more broccoli!
• Use more or less egg whites
• Use any kind of milk you have available
• Use any kind of cheese, and any amount (although keep in mind, cheese is high in saturated fat)
• Use any seasonings you wish

Instructions
Steam your broccoli!

After steaming your broccoli, throw together each of the above ingredients, minus the cheese, into a Magic Bullet or other food processor. Blend until you reach desired consistency. Put the contents into a medium sized saucepan and cook on medium heat until you reach your desired temperature. Pour into a bowl, and sprinkle the cheese on top!

Nutrition Facts

My Rate: 8 out of 10
(It could have used a bit more seasoning, and maybe a tad bit more cheese!)

Nick's Rate: He hates soup, but he LOVES broccoli! Either way, he didn't try this.


Yes I know, this doesn't look very appetizing, but it does taste better than it looks!

Coming Up

If you didn't notice, there was no Biggest Loser review this week. I thought about watching the it on Tuesday, but then I realized, I really don't enjoy it and I have better things to do with my time. I may or may not pick it back up next week, but that really depends on how much work I have to do. I apologize to those of who who enjoy reading it, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do! Tomorrow I will be posting about label claims (ex: Natural, Organic).

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!