WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Preventing Cancer

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS:  Preventing Cancer

�We may never understand illnesses such as cancer.  In fact, we may never cure cancer, which is why prevention is key.  It�s important to approach your health in general from a place of lack of understanding.  Honor the body and its relationship to disease as a complex emergent system that you may never fully comprehend.  Diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases reflect breakdowns in that system.  Cancer, for instance, isn�t something the body �has � or �gets�; it�s something that the body does.                    

                � from The End of Illness by David B. Agus, MD

Eating good food every day is something that is very important to me and to the teaching we do in the many Growing Healthy Kids workshops we conduct. Like Dr. Agus said, prevention is key.  I encourage you to seek out foods that support health and avoid foods that promote disease.  Make most, if not all, of the foods you eat good foods that are nutrient dense.  

Watercress

In last week�s Wellness Wednesdays article, I extolled the virtues of eating watercress.  While you are out shopping for locally grown watercress, ask your farmers to start growing red watercress.  It is a more powerful variety of watercress, especially in its health-promoting properties.  Start creating a market for it where you live. 

As promised, here is a recipe I have created recently in the Growing Healthy Kids Test Kitchen that combines watercress with quinoa (pronounced �keen-wa�), the only grain  that is a complete protein.  I make this dish once a week, changing some of the vegetables depending on what is in season from my local farmers in Indian River County.  Bon appetite! 

Quinoa-Watercress Salad

 RINSE in a sieve for 2 minutes:

• 1 cup white quinoa

PLACE rinsed quinoa in a small pan, add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer.

COOK for 20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

WHILE quinoa cooks, chop and set aside:

• � red onion
• � cup zucchini, grated
• 1 cup watercress (remove large stems and finely slice)

WHISK TOGETHER IN A SMALL BOWL:

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• � teaspoon grated lemon rind
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Braggs Liquid Aminos, to taste.

WHEN QUINOA is cooked, let cool for 15 minutes. 

ADD vegetables and toss with dressing. 

SERVES 4.

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Why I Love Watercress

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS

Why I Love Watercress

�We now know what is true:  a whole foods, plant-based diet can prevent and treat heart disease, saving hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.�  

--from The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. and Thomas M. Campbell II

Several months ago, the organizer of the Fellsmere Farmers Market and Mercado heard what Growing Healthy Kids is doing to create solutions to diabetes and obesity.  She wanted someone to do cooking demonstrations for local residents.  Because our health literacy programs teach people how to eat good food that is tasty and affordable, I was very interested to see if we could be of service to local residents in Fellsmere, located in the northwest corner of Indian River County, Florida.  It is home to a large population of migrant and �settled out� farm workers in the citrus industry.  Many residents are overweight and have diabetes. 

Talking with residents at the Fellsmere Farmers Market and Mercado 

Watercress

Cooking demo using watercress and kohlrabi (in the lower left corner)

So with the invitation to participate at the Saturday market, I looked at vegetables being grown in Fellsmere to create a program using our �local, fresh, and healthy� formula.  It turns out a national company has a farm in Fellsmere and grows arugula and watercress which it ships all over the United States.    I drove up to their farm on a Friday after work and picked up several boxes of freshly harvested greens.  I stayed up late playing in the Growing Healthy Kids Test Kitchen, experimenting with different tasty combinations of greens, grains, and flavors.

The next day I drove north to Fellsmere with my car filled with tables, tents, cooking supplies and, of course, watercress!  The day was great and glorious.  Vendors were selling local honey, fresh eggs, oranges and, of course, our famous Indian River grapefruit.  Lots of people stopped by sample the watercress dishes.  Everyone wanted the recipes!  We served over 150 plates of samples and talked with several hundred more people about simple ways to eat your way to a healthier weight and reverse diabetes. 

Watercress is a �nutrient dense� food.  In fact, it may be the most nutrient dense food known.  Turns out there is something call the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman based on the equation H=N/C (the health value of a food equal to the nutrients it delivers per calorie).  Watercress has a perfect 1,000 rating.  It has 10 calories in a 2 cup serving.  It is loaded with Vitamin C (and vitamins A and K). It contains calcium and beta-carotene.  Add watercress to your saut�ed veggies, a breakfast smoothie or pile it onto your favorite sandwich.  Watercress tastes good and is good for you. 

Our relationship with food should be built on a foundation of knowledge and honesty.  Kids need foods that deliver real results, not foods filled with added sugar, salt, and fats.  Next time you go food shopping, please pass by the PopTarts in the middle of the store and head to the vegetable section.  Take home a bag of watercress today!   In next week's Wellness Wednesdays column look for one of our newly created tasty and delicious watercress recipes.

Thank you,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.