Welcome to the March edition of the Nutri-Balance newsletter

Cooking for health......Did you know that your health is affected, not just by the type of foods you eat, but also by how you cook them? An interesting study looked at how different cooking methods affected the antioxidant content of one of our favourite superfoods – broccoli.  Microwaving was shown to be the worst, but by just how much was rather startling…  Microwaved broccoli lost 97% of its flavonoids, 74% of its sinapics and 87% of its caffeoyl – three major antioxidant compounds.  Steaming came out top and lost only 11%, 0% and 8% respectively of the same antioxidants.Steaming is an ideal way to cook because most of the beneficial compounds in vegetables are water soluble - cooking them in minimal water prevents these beneficial compounds from being leached into the water.  Once you have finished steaming your vegetables you can further maximise on your nutrient intake by using the left-over water to add to soups or sauces. So, for super-nutritious food it’s out with the microwave and in with the steamer! 

Recipe………Cabbage is our featured food this month. A true superfood, an added bonus is that it’s really easy to buy locally grown varieties. Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, have a much lower risk of prostate, colon and lung cancer, even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables. How many servings of cruciferous vegetables do you need to lower your risk of cancer? Just 3 to 5 servings per week. Other vegetables in this family are: broccoli, cauliflower, kale and brussel sprouts.  

Ingredients

¼ cabbage, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

½ inch of ginger, grated

Sprinkling of chillies

Sesame oil (it’s fine to use olive oil if you don’t have sesame)

Sesame seeds 

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (preferably one with a lid)

2. Add the garlic, onion, chillies and ginger and fry gently until softened

3. Add the cabbage, fry for 1 minute then add a large splash of water and put the lid on the pan to allow the cabbage to cook in the steam for 5 minutes

4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with grilled chicken or fish 

All the best for March, 

Kathryn Sentance           Dietary Therapist

Tel:     07624 464271      Email:  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

URL:   www.nutri-balance.net