Cruciferous vegetables includes broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard, turnips, bok choy, kohlrabi, horse radish, and a few other vegetables.
Cruciferous vegetables are master detoxifiers. (1)

The cells in our body, especially in the liver, have “detoxification factories” in them called enzymes. These factories relentlessly work to process the things that can damage the body.
Cruciferous vegetables can speed up enzyme processing of toxic compounds. They make the body a more efficient detoxifier.

Also, cruciferous vegetables balance hormones in a favorable way (2) and help prevent various cancers.

A review of research published in the October 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that 70% or more of the studies found a link between cruciferous vegetables and protection against cancer.
Various components in cruciferous vegetables have been linked to lower cancer risks. Some have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells for tumors in the breast, uterine lining (endometrium), lung, colon, liver, and cervix, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Studies that track the diets of people over time have found that diets high in cruciferous vegetables are linked to lower rates of prostate cancer.

Another way cruciferous vegetables may help to protect against cancer is by reducing oxidative stress.

Nutritional Benefits

It is best to eat these vegetables raw or only lightly steamed to retain the phytochemicals that make cruciferous vegetables special in terms of health.
Buy the organic ones for optimal benefits.

1. Murray M. Altered CYP expression and function in response to dietary factors: potential roles in disease pathogenesis. Curr Drug Metab. 2006;7:67-81.
2. Fowke JH, Longcope C, Hebert JR. Brassica vegetable consumption shifts estrogen metabolism in healthy postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2000;9:773-79.

Common growing practices make the crops shown on the left above and listed below the most likely to contain pesticide residues:

Try to buy these organic as much as you can!

1.Celery
2.Peaches
3.Strawberries
4.Apples
5.Blueberries (Domestic)
6.Nectarines
7.Sweet Bell Peppers
8.Spinach
9.Collard Greens/Kale
10.Cherries
11.Potatoes
12.Grapes (Imported)

These are the produce that, when grown conventionally, poses the least risk of exposure to pesticides:

1.Onions
2.Avocados
3.Sweet Corn
4.Pineapples
5.Mangos
6.Sweet Peas
7.Asparagus
8.Kiwi
9.Cabbage
10.Eggplant
11.Cantaloupe (Domestic)
12.Watermelon
13.Grapefruit
14.Sweet Potatoes
15.Honeydew Melon

Avocado is as a “nutrient enhancer” by allowing the human body to absorb lipophilic alpha and beta-carotene and lutein in foods that are prepared with the fruit. Adding avocado to salsa increases body’s ability to absorb health promoting lycopene and beta-carotene a few times higher than the amount of these nutrients absorbed from avocado-free salsa.

Avocado is rich in both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contains potassium. Avocado is better than banana because contains more potassium and much less sugar. The fruit also is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, copper, and dietary fiber. One avocado contains 30 grams of fat (300 calories), but 2/3 of them are health-promoting monounsaturated fats, including oleic acid. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. A diet high in avocados may help decrease the unhealthy levels in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, and increase the level of health promoting HDL cholesterol. Avocado meets the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association, established to eat a diet that is low to moderate in fat.

By eating organic fresh avocados chopped in a salad, spreaded on sandwiches and toast or a few slices on a plate you lower your cholesterol level and increase your immune system!

How to Grow Edible Mushrooms in Your Home

By Anna Lynn Sibal

Mushrooms are simply delectable. They add a rich and earthy flavor to any dish you put them in. They are also very nutritious – they contain high levels of protein and potassium, but have very little fat and are low in calories. Mushrooms are delicious and are good for you.

It is just too bad, though, that fresh mushrooms can be quite pricey and the canned versions are just not as tasty or nutritious as the fresh ones. On the other hand, mushrooms can be easily cultivated at home under controlled conditions. So why not grow your own, as part of the organic living lifestyle?

Choosing Mushrooms to Grow

Of the 14,000 species of mushrooms identified by biologists, only 250 or so species are actually edible. Some of them lend easily to cultivation but others can only be found in the wild. Unless you can control the temperature and humidity in the place where you will be cultivating your mushrooms, your choice of what mushrooms to grow should depend on the climate in which you live. Some mushroom species grow best in cold weather while some like it hot and humid.

In addition, not all mushroom species are cultivated in the same way. Some mushrooms spawn best in damp sawdust, straw or sterilized wheat. Other mushrooms prefer to fruit in logs. So before you buy your mushroom kit, you should understand first the specific needs of the mushroom species you are going to grow at home.

General Guidelines for Growing Mushrooms

As mentioned above, the first step to cultivating mushrooms is buying a mushroom kit. This kit would be a packet containing straw or sawdust full of mushroom spores or mycelium. You can lay the spore packets in a pan filled with damp straw and then put the pan in a place that is damp, in total darkness, and where your mushroom spawn will not be disturbed. The ideal place for this is a basement, but you can use an unused closet or cabinet for this purpose. For the first three weeks, keep the temperature around your mushroom spawns at 70°F.

After three or four weeks, you will have observed the spawns taking root in their medium. When this happens, drop the temperature in the spawning area to 60°F. You will also need to put a layer of potting soil an inch thick over the spawn. Cover it all with a damp cloth. You need to spray the cloth with water whenever the soil begins to feel dry.

In another month or two, the spawns will have developed into small mushrooms. Just wait for them to grow bigger and continue spraying them with a little water. Your mushrooms will be ready for harvesting after two or three more months; you will know when they are ready when their caps have fully separated from their stems.

Mushrooms are remarkably easy to grow. With your own mushroom garden, you can be sure to have tasty and nutritious mushrooms in your dishes whenever you feel like eating them. You can even make money out of growing mushrooms by selling your produce to your neighbors. They will certainly appreciate the fresh mushrooms as much as you do.

Best Natural Antioxidant Spice – Cloves

By Gabor Timis

Researchers have identified cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) as the best natural antioxidant spice, because they contain high levels of phenolic compounds, as well as having other properties.

Out of five antioxidant properties tested, cloves had the highest capacity to give off hydrogen, to reduce lipid oxidation, and was the best iron reducer.

The research team also evaluated the antioxidant effect of the essential oils from other spices: oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage, but cloves ranked as the best natural antioxidant.

Cloves are native to Indonesia, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Clove is the strongest of all the aromatic spices and thus it is used at fairly low levels.

References: Manuel Viuda-Martos, Yolanda Ruiz Navajas, Elena Sanchez Zapata, Juana Fernandez-Lopez, Jose A. Perez-Alvarez. “Antioxidant activity of essential oils of five spice plants widely used in a Mediterranean diet”. Flavour and Fragrance Journal 25, 13-19, February 2010.

Also see: Turmeric Superfood and Cholesterol