Delicious greens recipe

Dr. Ben Kim has some wonderful recipes and I wanted to share this one with you as it is the best way I have found to make dark green vegetables delicious. I appreciate I may be in the minority who struggle with eating enough of these vegetables – something to do with the iron in them I suspect – but if anyone has my own aversion – or wants to get their kids eating more dark green vegetables then this recipe is a winner. Although many people eat them raw, cooking can help make vegetables like broccoli, kale, chard, spinach, and Asian bok choy easier to digest as it softens the fibre they contain and helps your body get the most of the vitamins and minerals It is actually his wife Margaret’s recipe and let me know if you enjoy it:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 heads of broccoli, cut up into pieces
1 large or 2 small sliced courgettes
1 clove of garlic finely chopped or minced
2 cups organic vegetable or chicken stock Sea salt and pepper to taste

It is simple to make, you just heat the olive oil in a large lidded saucepan on medium and when hot add the broccoli and stir fry for a minute. Add the stock and garlic, put the lid on and once at the boil turn heat down low and simmer. Give it an occasional stir and once the broccoli has turned a bright green colour, wait a couple of minutes so that it develops a little bit of tenderness and then add the courgette plus salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until vegetables are tender and make sure there is a little bit of the stock left and serve that with it for maximum juiciness. Personally, I also add a dash of tamari or soy sauce for a bit of extra flavour, but if you do that then miss out the salt!

Lower your risk of gallstones

There is a simple way to do it – just make sure your diet contains plenty of the mineral magnesium. According to a new study, a diet rich in magnesium can reduce the risk of developing this very painful condition.

Researchers studied data of more than 42,000 men from ages 40 to 75 and found that those with the highest magnesium intake decreased their risk of gallstones by as much as 33 percent. Magnesium helps to keep down triglyceride levels and raise the levels of HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol)in the blood. Cholesterol is a major component in the formation of gallstones, in fact some gallstones are made up entirely of cholesterol,so it makes sense that higher magnesium levels will help to stop the gallstones from forming in the first place.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant vitamin in the body, with 40 percent of it being found in our bones. It has plenty of other health benefits too and is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps your heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Research is also now focusing its role in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

What foods provide magnesium? Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli are good sources of magnesium because the centre of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their colour) contains magnesium. Beans and peas, nuts and pumpkin seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources as is halibut and, strangely enough, peppermint. In spite of its benefits, magnesium consumption has declined over the years, partly as a result of our food becoming subject to so many more processes that deplete the magnesium, along with many other vitamins and minerals. As ever, a varied, wholegrain and natural food diet is your best bet.