Spotlight on: Cruciferous Vegetables

Did you know...Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Bok Choy, and Kale are Powerful Anti-Cancer Powerhouses? 

Studies show that there is a link between breast cancer risk reduction, and women who eat cruciferous vegetables. The highly respected Dr. Furhman explains in further detail here.

Did you know that Cruciferous Vegetables are also linked to reduced Inflammation? 

Inflammation is thought to be the root of heart disease and many other diseases. You can read more about the anti-inflammatory benefits of cruciferous vegetables here.

Did you know that the Calcium in Cruciferous vegetables is 60% more bio-available than the Calcium in Milk? 

As you can see, these are a very special group of vegetables. Not to mention that they provide a powerful punch of dietary fiber which is linked to a decreased risk of colon cancer. There is a full list of these vegetables here.

Chop, Chew, Blend and Cook

By preparing vegetables you are essentially making them easier to digest. There is some debate about cooking destroying nutrients, but if you stick to light cooking methods like steaming and gently sautéing, you will make them more easily available to the body (make them tastier!) and put less stress on your digestive system. Because, like, just try to eat a Brussels Sprout raw.  That does not sound enjoyable to me. Also, make sure you chew (and I mean really, really, reallyyy chew) these vegetables. The enzymes in your saliva activates the enzymes in the vegetable. You will also absorb more of the nutrients because your stomach and intestinal tract won't have to work as hard to break the fibers down.

Let's get Cookin'! 

These next few recipes are some of my favorite ways to get more cruciferous vegetables into my daily diet.

Warm Brussels Sprout Slaw with Citrus Asian Dressing from NomNomPaleo. 

Try using this Cauliflower Rice from Every Day Maven instead of regular rice for stir fry or with tacos to get an extra nutritional boost!

This hearty Beef and Broccoli stir fry from Paleo Grubs packs a cancer fighting punch with a good dose of Broccoli

Substitute this Oven Roasted Garlic Cabbage from Paleo Leap for garlic bread to sneak in some extra veggies

To sum it all up

To get the disease fighting benefits of these vegetables you have to eat them. So start thinking about ways you can start incorporate them into your diet. Remember to chew so you get the most bang for your buck, and keep checking back every Tuesday to see what's in the Spotlight!

-Amara