Little Step No. 37
What to do:
Add some watercress to your shopping list
Why this step works:
Some plant foods, like pomegranate or kale, get talked about a lot. Others not so much. Like watercress; yet it's incredible.
This week’s little step is simply to add some watercress to your shopping list. Here’s why:
Watercress contains high levels of very special compounds called isothiocyanates (ITC). Many research studies have now shown that ITC have anti-tumour activity and are protective against cancer.
Watercress is a bitter-tasting vegetable. Not only does this add an extra taste dimension to your food, there are unique health benefits from bitter foods in general. They may help to get your digestive juices flowing (notice how saliva increases in your mouth when you eat watercress; the same may happen with important digestive secretions further down in your gut too). And bitter foods may help to support immune health, blood sugar balance, weight and appetite regulation.
Watercress is a good source of immune-supportive vitamins A & C.
Watercress belongs to the same vegetable family (cruciferous) as broccoli. And will benefit from similar attention to detail in the preparation stage. Wash your watercress thoroughly, then chop and leave to stand for 15 minutes before cooking or eating. When you chop and wait like this, it enables the release of even more of those incredible protective compounds.
How to eat watercress:
My current favourite speedy brekkie is a couple of boiled eggs with a handful of raw, chopped watercress, drizzled with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper. Cooking watercress reduces it's peppery flavour so making soup is a great option for children, or anyone not keen on the raw taste. Here’s a great quick and easy recipe (who can resist the bright green Incredible Hulk-ness of this soup!) Or simply add watercress leaves to any salad for a bit of extra variety.
One very underrated vegetable with incredible powers. All you really need to do is put some on your plate and let it quietly get to work on being a superhero for your health x