Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Why Should I Eat Seaweed?

You have probably never considered eating seaweed let alone eating it daily. Seaweed however can be a very healthy and nutritious food but where can you find it.

Grocery stores are not exactly stocking their shelves with seaweed so it is no wonder that many people don't have it in their kitchen cupboards, and come to think of it, there aren't that many recipes that call for this ingredient either.

You probably haven't even heard of it unless you eat sushi which is often served with seaweed.

Statistics show people in Japan are healthier than people living in the United States and thisis because seaweed is one of their staple foods. Seaweed has the high-fiber of vegetables, more protein than meat, and more calcium than milk. So you see, eating seaweed is not a bad idea at all.

Replacing the fat of fast food burgers with the fiber of seaweed would go a long way to improving the way we eat. It could be done using seaweed extract without the burgers tasting much different. Wouldn't you try it if it tasted the same?

Supplementing your regular diet with seaweed such as spirulina is a great way to ensure that you are getting the right quantity and variety of trace minerals and vitamins you need.

There are many other types of seaweed but spirulina is by far the best and most nutritious. You can find them in health food stores as well as stores that sell Asian food. Look for Agar, Dulse, Hijiki, Irish Moss, Kelp, Kombu, Laver, Nori, Sloke, and Wakame. Toss them together in a bowl and you have a low calorie sea-vegetable salad. Seaweed can also be used in seasonings, soups, teas, and assorted food recipes.

If you have no inclination to eat vegetables let alone sea vegetables, you can still benefit by taking them in supplement form such as tablets, capsules, or liquid extract. That way you can also get the smaller algae forms of seaweed like chlorella or spirulina which are by far the best. Your body will get plenty of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and iodine.

Seaweed is a wholesome food that adds variety to your diet and is good for your health so why not try to incorporate it into your daily diet.

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