WatercressA Bouquet of Protection
Watercress ~ Natures Health Foods
It's Healing Power
Can Help; Reduce the risk of lung cancer.
Prevent heart disease Decrease the risk of cataracts.
Prevent wrinkles. A Bouquet Of Protection
This delicate green, with dime-size leaves and a pungent, peppery flavor, is more than just a celebration salad.
This particular plant is believed to be native to the Mediterranean region, in particular Turkey and eastern Greece.
In ancient times, it was especially revered for its purported ability to improve growth in children.
Greek and Persian generals were also known to feed this to their armies for its dense nutrient content.
It's also a cruciferous vegetable (meaning that its flowers have four petals, resembling a cross).
The crucifers, including broccoli and cauliflower, are well-known for their cancer-fighting potential.
Watercress is also a dark green, leafy vegetable, meaning that it's packed with betacarotene, a nutrient that helps ward off heart disease and diseases associated with aging, such as cataracts. Snuffing Out Cancer
Population studies show that people who eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables, like watercress, have lower rates of cancer.
Researchers will tell you that this crucifer is particularly potent against lung cancer caused by smoking or breathing second-hand smoke.
Scientists have found that when they included phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a natural compound found in watercress, in the daily diets of laboratory animals and exposed them to cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke, the animals were 50 percent less likely to develop lung cancer tumors than animals given their regular diet, sans PEITC.
Encouraged by the results, the scientists recruited 11 smokers to see if watercress would have similar effects in people as it did in the lab.
It did!
"We got results with humans that were consistent with what we saw in laboratory animals," says Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., professor of cancer prevention at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center in Minneapolis.
The catch, of course, is that you have to eat a lot for it to be effective.
And it won't necessarily protect you from other cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke.
The volunteers in the study ate 2 ounces at each meal, three meals a day.
That's a pretty hefty sandwich or a large salad, more than you would normally eat at one sitting.
And you would have to do it several times a day.
Of course, no one is telling you that eating anything is going to totally wash away smoke's toxic effects.
No food on the planet can.
But adding watercress to your daily diet may be a step in the right direction while you work on clearing the smoke from your life.
In The Kitchen
With its tiny, delicate leaves and thick stems, it looks quite a bit different from other salad greens.
But with a little care, you can use this lively member of the mustard family the same way you would any leafy green.
To keep these delicate greens fresh, refrigerate it in a plastic bag.
Or you can refrigerate it stemsdown in a glass of water and cover it with a plastic bag.
It'll keep for up to five days.
When using watercress, unless you're adding it to soup stock, use only the leaves and the thinner stems. Otherwise, the pungent, peppery flavor could be overpowering.
Incidentally, this is one green you don't want to skimp on.
As it'll shrink substantially during cooking and what may look like a big pile on the counter may almost disappear on the plate.
Plan on cooking one bunch per person.
Other Benefits
Along with keeping cancer cells at bay, it also helps fight another major public health enemy...heart disease.
Like other dark green, leafy vegetables, it's packed with betacarotene, an antioxidant nutrient that has been linked to lower rates of heart disease.
As a bonus, a 1-cup serving of watercress also provides 24 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C, another valuable disease-fighting antioxidant vitamin.
The antioxidants, which include beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, help sweep up cell-damaging oxygen molecules from your body.
Keeping lots of betacarotene in your bloodstream seems to be the ticket to lowering your risk of heart attack, certain cancers, and lots of ailments associated with aging, such as cataracts and wrinkles.
Getting the Most
Eat it raw.
Watercress is best eaten in its natural state, fresh and crisp.
When cooked (like most vegetables), it loses its ability to release PEITC.
Fortunately, most people don't cook it.
Your dose of that active ingredient is less in a cooked vegetable than a raw one.
Use it often.
Chances are that you'll never eat the 6 ounces a day that you need to extract the maximum healing benefit.
But you can put a hefty amount in your diet simply by using it more often.
For example, it makes a tasty replacement for lettuce in sandwiches, wraps, soups, stews and
salads.
Almond Trout Nestled on a Bed of Watercress
And we know that we should be eating fish for the Omega 3 benefits at least twice a week, right?
And, because you've read how watercress can help ward off second hand smoke effects, this is an excellent recipe and it just might get you craving your fish more often!
I know it did for us! Ingredients;
4 boneless trout fillets (5-6 oz each).
1/2 c. sliced raw almonds.
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar.
2 bunches watercress, lg stems discarded (about 4 c). 1/4 c. (almond) oil.
Preparation;
1. Season fish with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
2. Warm oil over medium heat in 10" non-stick skillet.
Add nuts and cook, stirring until lightly tanned, about 2 minutes.
Transfer nuts with all but 1 tablespoon oil into small heat resistant bowl.
Stir in vinegar and set aside.
3. Return skillet to stovetop.
Place trout fillets in skillet, skin side up.
Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes.
Using a long, thin spatula, carefully turn each fillet.
Be gentle, you don't want the fillet falling apart.
Cook another 3 minutes, until fillets are opaque in center.
4. Divide watercress among 4 plates.
Top each with fillet and one quarter of warm almond dressing.
Serve with sliced golden beets or side dish of choice.
Makes 4 Servings
Per Serving (without side dish): 406 cal, 33 g pro, 3 g carb, 29 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 82 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 233 mg sodium
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Excellent dish and darn tootin good for ya to boot!
Time to dig in. 
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