Today’s featured food belongs in the cruciferous vegetables group, along with cabbages, broccoli, kale, collard greens and Brussels sprouts. As a group crucifers help to prevent a variety of cancers and they are especially good for lung health, due to their sulfur rich nature. Individually they have their own unique properties.
Cauliflower is extremely high in vitamins C, K and B-complex, and the minerals boron, calcium, tryptophan and molybdenum. It’s also a source of high quality protein that is easily assimilated by the body.
The cancer fighting compounds insole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane in this vegetable help to prevent breast, cervical, ovarian, prostrate, stomach and colon cancers.
Cauliflower has proven effective in treating HPV and cervical dysplasia. Its anti-inflammatory properties help those suffering from chronic inflammation, fibromyalgia, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, hepatitis, cystic fibrosis, IBS and cardiomyopathy. It helps the thyroid and the rest of the endocrine system to stave off the viruses that are the cause of issues such as thyroiditis.
And in aiding the digestive system, cauliflower protects the lining of the stomach, preventing bacterial overgrowth of H. pylori. It detoxifies the liver and spleen and aids in cleansing toxins from the blood, lymphatic system, tissues and organs.
Cauliflower can be enjoyed raw, added to salads, steamed, baked, roasted or included in stir fries. Raw it can be substituted for white rice by pulsing it in a food processor until the cauliflower is the size of grains of rice.
And that is what I have planned for my lovely head of cauliflower. Tonight I will make cauliflower rice for the first time, and use it in a “fried rice” recipe featuring healing veggies and herbs. Watch for the recipe and photos of the results on Tuesday!
