Recipe For Oatmeal Pancakes

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free.

Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet, and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Start with the very simple recipe below. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new green to try. Soon you’ll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

1 bunch kale, chopped pinch of salt

Directions:

1.     Warm oil in pan on medium heat with minced garlic until aromas of garlic are released, about 2-3 minutes.

2.     Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry for 5 minutes.

3.     Add chopped kale, stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

4.     Add a splash of water and pinch of salt to pan, cover and let steam for 4 minutes.

Although the body is designed to eliminate toxins, it cannot always handle the overload present in today’s environment. Toxin overload can lead to a variety of health problems such as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel disease, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and allergy or flu-like symptoms. It is for these reasons that detoxification therapies are gaining popularity all over the world.

It was formerly believed that a water or juice fast was a preferred detoxification program. However, the modern-day realization that the body’s detoxification systems are heavily nutrient-supported has made it clear that simple juice or water fasting is less complete and no longer the method of choice.

Dr. Jeffrey Bland and Dr. J. Alexander Bralley sought to determine the effectiveness of a nutritional intervention program for detoxification. Researchers chose and randomly divided 37 participants who complained of chronic health problems into either a test diet or placebo (control) diet group.

The test diet group was instructed to take a powdered meal supplement product containing various nutrients at levels suggested to positively influence detoxification. The placebo diet group was instructed to take a separate powdered meal supplement that contained the minimum Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of the same nutrients.

Upon completion of the 3-week study, Dr. Bland and Dr. Bralley stated in the Journal of Applied Nutrition that “[Detoxification] activity was enhanced in the test diet group, whereas in the placebo diet group it was not.” In addition, researchers requested that participants fill out a Metabolic Screening Questionnaire (MSQ)-a questionnaire used to evaluate the severity, duration, and frequency of symptoms associated with individual patient health problems. “The most significant reduction in symptoms [in the test diet group] occurred with ‘tired eyes’ and ‘pain behind the eyes’ headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, morning pain and stiffness, and chronic respiratory complaints.”

Dr. Bland and Dr. Bralley concluded that a nutritionally-supported detoxification program decreases chronic symptoms and health complaints in participants.

J Appl Nutr 1992;44(2):15.

Advanced Nutrition Publications ©2002