Tag: food

Sulforaphane

Isn’t it beautiful? Look at those Fibonacci swirls! 🤩

Sulforaphane is a phytonutrient compound found in cruciferous vegetables. Regular consumption is connected with an overall lower risk of cancer, and many studies show that it fights active cancer, too.

Here’s a quick list of cruciferous veggies:

  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Collard greens
  • Bok choy
  • Kale
  • Radish
  • Romanesco broccoli, pictured above
  • Watercress
  • Wasabi

The food that has the most sulforaphane is actually the broccoli SPROUT, which are  delicious in a salad. The sprouts can have 10 to 100 times the amount of sulforaphane than the mature vegetable.

I’ve definitely upped my intake this year, and I’m regularly eating sprouts & microgreens now.

Here are some interesting videos if you want to learn more. Dr. Eric Berg below points out that it has been studied a lot, more than 35 times.

In the video below, Dr. Moss shares that this research is very controversial, because most  chemotherapy drugs do not kill cancer stem cells, but this common, inexpensive vegetable DOES.

Learn more about these veggies: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/cruciferous-vegetables.htm

Fiber & Post-Biotics

Ok, we all know fiber is supposed to be good for us, but what is it really, and what does it do that’s so beneficial?

What It Is

First off, fiber is a material from plants that WE can’t fully digest, but our microbiome buddies CAN. They love it. It feeds them and makes them feel good, which in turn makes US feel good.

Fiber is actually a form of carbohydrate, but it doesn’t convert to glucose in our bloodstream like other carbs.

Our microbiome buddies actually ferment the fiber to break it down. Then they send out beneficial by-products (called post-biotic short chain fatty acids) into our bloodstream, which do great stuff such as:

● Reduce inflammation

● Regulate metabolism

● Regulate mitochondria

● Improve insulin & glucose levels

● Regulate hunger & appetite

● Protect and repair the lining of the gut, which allows the gut to better protect itself from toxins.

Where to Get It

Ok, I want it! I’m convinced! How do I get it?

I’ve learned a lot from Dr. Casey Means, through watching her interviews on YouTube, reading her book Good Energy, and taking her online class called “Eating For Good Energy and Healthy Metabolism.”

She recommends doubling the paltry USDA guideline of 25 to 30 grams per day. To be healthy, shoot for 50 to 60 grams of fiber daily.

Here are the sources she recommends:

  • Chia seeds
  • Basil seeds
  • Flax seeds
  • Beans, lupini in particular
  • Nuts, tiger nuts and pistachios in particular
  • Artichokes
  • Avocados
  • Raspberries

Here are a few others:

  • Organic oats (please don’t eat the non-organic oats as they are drenched in glyphosate)
  • Broccoli
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Kale and other leafy dark greens

To Sum it Up

So, when you eat fermented foods (probiotics) you are actually bringing in new, good bacteria. New microbiome buddies.

When you eat fiber, you are feeding your microbiome buddies, and they ferment that fiber inside you to create post-biotics.

Interesting Fact

Dr. Means also points out that our microbiome creates our neurotransmitters. Did you know that schizophrenia and depression can be diagnosed by analyzing a person’s microbiome? Huh!