This recipe was created when I was busily preparing food for one of my recent workshops. My staff were all working so hard preparing the ingredients for the following day that they forgot to eat! So I went into action and whipped up this spinach soup and within 8 minutes we were enjoying it, making this the fastest spinach soup ever!
Ingredients:
| 8 cups (2 L) | spinach, loosely packed |
| 1/4 cup (60 mL) | lemon juice |
| 1 cups (250 mL) | roasted squash or cooked yam (optional) |
| 1 tbsp (15 mL) | coconut butter (raw is best) |
| 2-3 | green onions (use greens) |
| 1 | GoBio bouillon cube (or vegetable stock is fine) |
|
2 1/2 cups (750 mL) |
boiling water |
| 1/4 cup (60 mL) | hemp hearts (shelled seeds) |
| to taste | unrefined sea salt (if using low sodium bouillon) |
Directions:
1. Put all ingredients (except hemp) in a blender and blend on high till silky smooth.
2. Top with hemp seeds and enjoy.
Makes 3 cups (750 mL).
Food Tip: Hemp Hearts are the shelled hemp seeds. I prefer using Manitoba Harvest because their quality is amazing! For more information, visit their website at www.manitobaharvest.com.
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Did you enjoy this recipe? Find more in my new book, Meals That Heal Inflammation!
Meals that Heal Inflammation was developed to help people who suffer from arthritis, asthma, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), skin conditions and other inflammation related disorders by showing them how to prepare delicious allergen-free meals that can assist the body's healing process.
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If I were to ask you to list 3 foods with the most powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant properties, what would you answer? I imagine you may list some of your favourite raw fruits (perhaps berries), vegetables, and spices—and you would be right.
However, a recently published article revealed a surprising new discovery. Certain varieties of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), a common North American grass that is native to Africa, contain an impressive antioxidant punch. Sorghum bran is rich in polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids that rival even blueberries and pomegranate juice in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
The researchers tested 4 varieties of this seed grain—sumac, black, white, and mycogen sorghum. Sumac sorghum bran contained the highest amount of phenols and displayed the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the black variety was a close second.
Sumac sorghum also contained antioxidant tannins, whereas black sorghum contained flavonoids known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have been shown to have powerful anti-cancer effects in humans and other animals.
Alcoholic extracts of both varieties neutralized free radical iron atoms, stimulated the release of 2 anti-inflammatory cytokines known as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 1-beta (IL-1-beta) from human blood cells in vitro, and decreased the acute inflammatory response in wounded mice ears in vivo.
TNF-alpha and IL-1-beta help regulate the inflammatory processes that contribute to common degenerative diseases such as arthritis, colitis, and heart disease. Foods that can help regulate the production and release of these cytokines are an ideal addition to any anti-inflammatory diet.
The researchers compared sorghum’s impressive antioxidant profile and anti-inflammatory activity to those of rice*, oat, and wheat brans. These 3 common grains had nothing on sorghum—they contained very few phenol antioxidants and exhibited no anti-inflammatory properties.
Sorghum is gluten-free and is well tolerated by most people because it is easily digestible. Depending on the variety, its taste can range from malty sweet to mild and subtle. You can enjoy it as a breakfast cereal alone or as part of a blend. Use sorghum flour as a wheat alternative, or use whole sorghum grain to make tabouleh, curries, stews, and soups.
If you really want to cover all your bases, add whole sorghum grains to fresh vegetable and fruit salads, so you’ll lavish your cells with a diverse array of antioxidants!
*NB/ The researchers did not specify which variety of rice was tested. It was most likely a common long- or short-grain brown rice.
Reference:
Burdette, A., P. L. Garner, E. P. Mayer, J. L. Hargrove, D. K. Hartle, and P. Greenspan. 2010. Anti-inflammatory activity of select sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) brans. Journal of Medicinal Food. 13(4): 879—887.
Click here to read the abstract of the original article.
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Did you enjoy this food fact? Find more in my new book, Meals That Heal Inflammation!
Meals that Heal Inflammation was developed to help people who suffer from arthritis, asthma, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), skin conditions and other inflammation related disorders by showing them how to prepare delicious allergen-free meals that can assist the body's healing process.
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Julie Daniluk hosts The Healthy Gourmet (Kaleidoscope Entertainment/Corus Entertainment), a reality cooking show that highlights the ongoing battle of taste versus nutrition with unique groups such as bikers, dragon boat racers and ballroom dancers. As a nutritional expert, Julie has appeared in over 300 TV and radio segments including City TV’s Perfect Fit, The Gill Deacon Show on the CBC, CTV’s Balance and Three Takes on Slice Network. She is most recognized by television viewers from her “busted” segments in The Right Fit (W Network), acting as a nutrition encyclopedia by examining what foods people need to purchase and grading healthy choices on restaurant menus.
After graduating from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Julie became Co-Operative owner of one of Canada’s largest health food stores, The Big Carrot Natural Food Market.
As the W Network’s official online nutritionist and one of the nutritionists for The Big Carrot, she continues to answer diet and nutrition questions from viewers across Canada. She offers entertaining and informative answers regarding why we crave certain foods while suggesting alternatives for optimal health.
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