Cancer fighting properties:
As cookbook author, Rebecca Katz, writes, "gram for gram, no ingredients are more powerful for stimulating appetite and satisfying the taste buds than herbs and spices." Herbs and spices are a wonderful option for adding flavor to your food without adding any extra calories. Adding herbs and spices reduces the need for salt, sodium, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and less healthful seasonings. Herbs boost flavor, nutrition and freshness.
There are a variety of health benefits from adding spices to your diet. Three of the most common spices that pack some delicious flavor, are garlic, ginger and chives. When crushed or bruised garlic releases compounds that have antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant capabilities. The most notable sulfur compound in garlic is called allicin, which gives the spice its unique aroma and taste.
Consuming garlic regularly (about clove of garlic every day) may reduce your risk for many diseases, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Allicin also helps prevent free radical damage to the linings of blood vessels. This limits inflammation.
Research has shown that a number of compounds within ginger (gingerols, shogaols, and paradols) can provide powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Ginger has been associated with treatment or prevention of a number of diseases, including stomachaches, nausea, asthma, toothaches, arthritis and high blood pressure. You can get these benefits with as little as 2 grams or 1 Tablespoon of fresh ginger per day.
Chives, like garlic and onions, are a member of the genus, Allium, which are also rich in sulfur compounds. National Cancer Institute Researchers found that men who ate just a small amount (10 gms) of allium vegetables daily had a far lower risk of prostate cancer. In animal studies, French researchers also found that these sulfur compounds help lower risk of colorectal and stomach cancer, and possible other cancers as well. Herbs and spices do not add much weight to the plate, but in terms of therapeutic quality, mounting evidence suggests they pack a powerful punch!
Serves: 8
Per Serving: 120 Calories (45 from fat), 5g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 800mg Sodium, 9g Carbohydrate (2g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugar), 8g Protein
Miso, typically made from fermented soybeans, is a powerful flavoring in soups. Its rich, salty flavor is highlighted best in miso soup, this hearty version of which is made with a generous amount of ginger and garlic.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unrefined sesame oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
6 cups vegetable broth or water
2 baby bok choy, trimmed and roughly chopped
½ pound carrots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red miso
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (8-ounce) package baked tofu, preferably Asian-flavored, thinly sliced
Cooking Directions:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add yellow onion, ginger and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add broth, bok choy, carrots and tofu and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove soup from heat.
- Ladle about 1 cup of the hot broth into a small bowl. Add miso and stir until dissolved, then transfer mixture back to pot and stir well. Stir in vinegar, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with green onions.
Recipe from: Whole Foods Market