The ABC List Of The Healthiest Vegetables: W for WATERCRESS
Healthiest Foods on Earth: Vegetable Series Beginning with the Letter W
The ABC List Of The Healthiest Vegetables: W for WATERCRESS. Plus 8 Ways To Enjoy Watercress And Its Health Benefits. Today’s post of the ABC’s Of Healthiest Vegetables, also known as the Healthiest Foods On Earth: Vegetable Series Beginning With The Letter W is all about a WATERCRESS. Watercress are packed with nutrients, contain compounds that helps fight breast and colon cancer, may lower your risk of chronic diseases thanks to the minerals and vitamin K, helps lower blood pressure, improves eye health, and helps maintain a strong immune system. Wow – pretty powerful stuff for such a little plant.
In this 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth Series, I’ll be featuring vegetables that are packed with nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants – all of which are great for your health. Based off the book by Jonny Bowden, these featured vegetables are a recipe for healthy living that hopefully everyone will take to heart like I have. You’ll be amazed at how eating the right foods is just like having a pharmacy in your fridge and pantry.
If you missed any of the previous vegetables, read up on them here at the ABC LIST OF THE HEALTHIEST FOODS. Enjoy
WATERCRESS
What are the health benefits of watercress?
In comparison to 2% milk, watercress gives you 4x the calcium and 6x the magnesium. Watercress contains as much vitamin C as oranges and more iron than spinach. I cup of watercress is only 4 calories, plus 1500 IU’s of immune system building Vitamin A (including 950 mcg as beta-carotene), 85mcg of bone building Vitamin K, and 14 mg of Vitamin C. The 1900 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin improves eye health – which has the ability to prevent or reduce macular degeneration.
Watercress contains an abundance of anticancer phytochemicals called isothiocyanates, which literally fights cancer by neutralizing carcinogens and speed up the removal from the body. Studies have shown that isothiocyanates help prevent lung and esophageal cancer and helps fight breast and colon cancer. The high concentration of phenylethyl isohiocynate and sulforaphane, has anticancer potentials and the combination of these two can zap cancer cells thru apoptosis, stop potential carcinogens from becoming active, and stimulating cell defenses against assaults from carcinogens. In other words … starving the cancerous tumors from growing and slowing the cancerous cells from spreading.
Watercress can be used in many different ways, but the best would be to toss it in a salad. Serve it on its own with a light dressing, or toss it with other greens and veggies. The entire watercress plant is edible – leaves, stalks and even the flowers, but it is best to discard the roots as they taste pretty bad. Everything else can be eaten raw or added to your favorite dish to add that classic peppery flavor.
You’ll often find two different kinds of watercress in the store. Bunches with thick stems wrapped with a rubber band, and thin-stemmed bunches still attached to their roots, often sold in a plastic bag to lock in humidity and preserve freshness.
Looking for some ways to enjoy Watercress? Here are 8 ways to enjoy this powerful aquatic plant:
1. Sauteed – it can be used in any stir-fry recipe
2. Mixed into a pesto with some oil and parsley, along with nuts and cheese
3. Included in a dip the same way you would add any fresh herb
4. Make a sauce by adding it to some mayonnaise
5. Put it in a grilled cheese sandwich – yummo
6. Toss into a salad either on its own or include it with other greens and veggies
7. Puree it in some soup with some potatoes
8. Use it as a garnish in your dishes
Well there you have it – the dish on another great healthiest food on the earth … the WATERCRESS
Ciao and cheers to good health 🙂