The cruciferous veggies, also called brassica or the cole family, consist of:
- Arugula
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Chinese cabbage
- Collards
- Daikon
- Horseradish
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Mustard greens
- Rutabaga
- Turnips
- Wasabi
All of these highly nutritious vegetables are packed with a wide variety of health-enhancing goodies, including vegetable sterols (lower cholesterol and protect the prostate), vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. The star is kale which has the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) rating as well as the highest content of calcium. The ORAC content of only 100 grams of kale is 1770 units, equal to 7 apples, 2 oranges, 2 servings of broccoli, 8 bananas, 1 pomegranate, etc. In fact, only 10 grams of kale is almost as good as an apple. As far as I can tell the optimal ORAC intake is over 10,000 units daily!!
Cruciferous veggies also have anti-cancer properties, especially protecting the colon. All are terrific.
There is one caveat – they also contain isothiocyanates, chemicals that block the thyroid’s ability to take up iodine. So, if you eat them, at least that day take one Iodoral tablet! Not a bad idea most days.
On the other hand, boiling, steaming, microwaving (Heaven forbid!!), freezing all destroy a majority of the glucosinolates, sulforaphanes, and even isothiocyanates, all of which are anti-cancer agents. Six hours after shredding, the loss of these optimal constituents is almost equal to cooking or freezing. Eat raw, eat fresh, eat whole, and eat your cruciferous veggies daily or at least several times each week. Yes, if you don’t eat at least one serving a day, consider COOL GREENS daily!
The bottom line is you cannot afford to skip on your ORACS and other health factors found ONLY in fruits and veggies.
Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is the father of holistic medicine. He recommends autogenic focus (the basis of the Biogenics System) as part of your overall commitment to self-health. Register to download your FREE autogenic focus MP3 now.
