NUTRITION TIPS
This Month’s Nutrition Tip – June 2009
Sea vegetables
Sea vegetables comprise 10% of the diet in Japan and are said to play a key role in keeping the population so healthy. They are also already in your diet, but in less healthy forms, as the hidden ingredient in foods such as ice-cream, cheese, dessert and bakery products. They are traditionally used to flavour and tenderise other foods but also have incredible health properties in their own right.
Sea vegetables contain a high level of minerals, according to Professor Arasaki of the University of Tokyo, all the 56 essential elements for human health are present in sea vegetables. This includes calcium, magnesium, iodine, potassium, iron and zinc, along with other trace elements such as selenium. In addition, the minerals in sea vegetables are in a chelated, colloidal form making them easily available to the body. It has also been discovered that sea vegetables can help the body eliminate toxins. They all, for example, may have cancer-fighting properties. They can help support the immune system, and boost energy levels in the body by supporting the work of the thyroid gland. Here are 4 examples of sea vegetables to try, with ideas of how to eat them. There are guidelines for preparation below but it is generally best to follow the instructions on the packet that you are using.
Arame
Brown and stringy-looking this sea vegetable is high in iron and calcium, and is beneficial for the thyroid and digestion. Dried arame should be soaked at least five minutes before cooking or can be used straight after soaking and rinsing. It doubles in volume when soaked, and is especially good in soups, or combined with tofu and land vegetables. Also try it marinated and used in salads.
Dulse
Red and blue in pigmentation, it has a salty flavour and is rich in iodine and manganese. It also has the highest iron content of any food and so is excellent for those with anemia. Dulse can be eaten right out of the packet, but should be examined first to eliminate any sand or small shells. Dulse can be soaked and eaten raw in salads, or cooked quickly and added to stir-fries or vegetable or grain dishes. It is also good fried and eaten as a snack.
Kelp
The predominantly available variety of kelp is the giant kelp. Kelp may help to support the thyroid gland and therefore also help promote weight loss.
Kelp can be used in soups and stews, stir-fried with vegetables, or cooked with beans or grains. It cooks quickly and dissolves in longer-cooking dishes. It contains a natural glutamic acid, a tenderizer that helps beans cook quickly and makes them more digestible. It also contains alginic acid, a substance used as a thickening and stabilizing agent in food production. Kelp can be pre-soaked or added dry to foods with liquids. Kelp absorbs up to five times its weight in liquid.
Nori
Rich in fibre and low in fat, use Nori in salads, soups and for making sushi. It contains more vitamin C than oranges and is delicious roasted. No need to soak. Nori has cooling properties, and is rich in vitamin A needed to maintain skin and membranes. It may also reduce phlegm, lower cholesterol and is the most easily digested of all the sea greens. Nori is popular the world over for its use in sushi-making. The glossy purplish-black sheets are used to make sushi rolls called “maki.” They can also be used as a substitute for flour tortillas or pitta bread. Alternatively use toasted Nori and crumble onto noodles or rice, or top of oatcakes with hummus.
To the Western palate the taste of sea vegetables may require some perseverance but the potential health-giving properties are well worth the effort! Sea vegetables do not need to used in large amounts so you can start off with very small amounts to until you begin to enjoy the taste.
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