Broccoli

BraziliaNZ

Hi there. I need more of this in my diet and i was wondering if anyone has ever drank it in a shake? Should I just lash it in the blender with some water? Will it be vile? Does anyone do anything similar? Maybe i would get used to it after a while.

El_Dangeroso

Oh god don't do it! That sounds vile!

If you want to get more broccoli in your diet, make some soup.

Or get other leafy green veg like baby spinach in salads.

Protein shake.. noooo..

BraziliaNZ

yes it does sound vile, but cancer runs in my family and i have a not so irrational fear of it, broccoli is supposed to be a superfood against the big C!!!
I'm going to try it later. I mean i hate Bloody Marys but i've drank them before with my nose closed through a straw, I will do the same with the broc!

El_Dangeroso

Well fair play, let me know if it works!

If you want to reduce your risk of cancer, I'd make sure your blood levels of vitamin D are normal as the latest science suggests it might be a major player in the development of several cancers.

They've just started a massive intervention trial on vitamin d supplementation and cancer, we won't see the results for 5 years but here is a video that explains the theory of how vitamin d prevents cancer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GM0CnO6-ds

BraziliaNZ

yeah i heard all about that, believe me i'm all over the anti-cancer news when i see it. Apparently it's rather high in Ireland and UK as we don't get as much sun (vit d) as our euro counterparts.

Rowley Birkin QC

Broccoli is absolutely delicious when stir-fried. Some sesame/vegetable oil and chopped garlic and your broccoli florets and stalks. Nom nom nom!!

run_Forrest_run

is it just me or does anyone else find raw broccoli quite tasty?? It's nicer raw than slightly steamed IMO.

BraziliaNZ

I do like broccoli, it's just I don't really make the kind of meals that often where you can add that much of it. I'd rather be able to lash a whole head of it down me 3 times a week in one go. Oh god it's going to be disgusting!

EileenG

Why not make soup out of it? Boil in some chicken stock until just done, then blend till smooth.

BraziliaNZ

EileenG wrote: »

Why not make soup out of it? Boil in some chicken stock until just done, then blend till smooth.

thanks, good idea, can you freeze soup?

EileenG

Yes. You can even freeze it in single portion sizes so you can defrost just the amount you need.

Khannie

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

They've just started a massive intervention trial on vitamin d supplementation and cancer, we won't see the results for 5 years but here is a video that explains the theory of how vitamin d prevents cancer

I'm sold.

What is 40-60 ng / ml? Does my standard multivit probably cover that?

El_Dangeroso

You need to get a blood test to see exactly how much you need to supplement. You can get your doctor to do it or order a blood test from the web.

All the info is here:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml

I'm young, fair-skinned and I don't get much in the way of sun (who does in this country!) so I take 10,000IU a day in winter and 6,000IU in summer. But it's impossible to prescribe a one size fits all dosage as there are so many different factors. I'd say 5,000IU is a minimum at this latitude.

Most multivitamins contain 400IU of D2, the less effective version. You want to get the gelcaps of D3, which is bio-identical to the type made by your skin from sunshine.

corkcomp

OP, brocolli soup is delicious, even to those who dont particularly like brocolli! just boil in little oil with some onion, add boullion cube and then liquidise .. it forms a very creamy soup ...

_Whimsical_

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Hi there. I need more of this in my diet and i was wondering if anyone has ever drank it in a shake?

I tried that once and it was quite, quite vile.It was a beetroot, orange,apple,spinnach and broccolli smoothie. I wouldn't recommend it.It nearly put me off health kicks for life.

I read somewhere that you need to give it a good wash and dip it into boiling water for a few seconds before you eat it raw as it can harbour alot of bacteria.I'm not sure if that's true or not though.

shift

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Hi there. I need more of this in my diet and i was wondering if anyone has ever drank it in a shake? Should I just lash it in the blender with some water? Will it be vile? Does anyone do anything similar? Maybe i would get used to it after a while.

I juice (not blend) brocolli lots - but never on it's own. Juices are so easy to consume you can put any oul crap in it add some lemon,carrots,apples and it tastes sweet

if you are looking to make a soup this looks interesting..

*season*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtYfJONfI90

*season*

turbot

An easier way to eat it is to have it raw with some hummus.

Keep in mind, the healthiest kind of brocolli is organic, fresh, raw and uncooked.

El_Dangeroso

Actually you can absorb more nutrients from broccoli if it's cooked lightly as the heat breaks down the cell walls making it easier to digest.

BraziliaNZ

yeah yesterday i boiled about 400g of broc, half an onion, couple of garlic cloves, in some salt and a chicken oxo cube. I then blended it, and added about 150g turkey breast I had sliced up. This was my dinner. I'd imagine it's fairly lo-cal, and lo-carb?

El_Dangeroso

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

yeah yesterday i boiled about 400g of broc, half an onion, couple of garlic cloves, in some salt and a chicken oxo cube. I then blended it, and added about 150g turkey breast I had sliced up. This was my dinner. I'd imagine it's fairly lo-cal, and lo-carb?

Low carb but very low-cal , were you hungry afterwards? Sounds like a nice recipe for soup actually, I might make this tonight.

EileenG

Just to add, broccoli is one of those vegetables which is absorbed most effectively if lightly cooked and eaten with some form of fat. Or tomato. Broccoli gratin is a classic for a reason. It used to be one of my favorite M&S meals. Lots of broccoli, some tomato sauce, cheese topping, brown lightly.

El_Dangeroso

EileenG wrote: »

Just to add, broccoli is one of those vegetables which is absorbed most effectively if lightly cooked and eaten with some form of fat. Or tomato. Broccoli gratin is a classic for a reason. It used to be one of my favorite M&S meals. Lots of broccoli, some tomato sauce, cheese topping, brown lightly.

Oh yum! How do you cook it? Baked I presume?

BraziliaNZ

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

Low carb but very low-cal , were you hungry afterwards? Sounds like a nice recipe for soup actually, I might make this tonight.

yeah lo-cal is what i want though, i'm trying to ditch fat. I wasn't hungry afterwards, but I'm really stressed over something right now and it's affecting my appetite. Breakups are a good way to lose weight let me tell you...

b12mearse

broccoli is best raw. juice it, its easier to drink than a smoothie

corkcomp

I think we can conclude that brocolli is good ... whether it is better cooked or raw, with or without other foods etc is probably over analysing things IMO ... Im not a fan of raw brocolli normally, but I know a place that does a great salad, made up of small brocolli florrets, a little grated chese, some mayo and lots of garlic ...

El_Dangeroso

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

yeah lo-cal is what i want though, i'm trying to ditch fat. I wasn't hungry afterwards, but I'm really stressed over something right now and it's affecting my appetite. Breakups are a good way to lose weight let me tell you...

Aww, yep, breakups are the most effective weight loss plans ever, now if you could only bottle it you'd be a millionaire

Don't go too low cal, it becomes counterproductive and can effect your thyroid and overall immune system, especially now we're in cold n flu season.

_Whimsical_

Temple_Grandin wrote: »

You need to get a blood test to see exactly how much you need to supplement. You can get your doctor to do it or order a blood test from the web.

All the info is here:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml

I'm young, fair-skinned and I don't get much in the way of sun (who does in this country!) so I take 10,000IU a day in winter and 6,000IU in summer. But it's impossible to prescribe a one size fits all dosage as there are so many different factors. I'd say 5,000IU is a minimum at this latitude.

Most multivitamins contain 400IU of D2, the less effective version. You want to get the gelcaps of D3, which is bio-identical to the type made by your skin from sunshine.

That's very interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
Do you mind if I ask what brand you take or would recommend? I've looked for Vitamin D but the largest dose I'd found was 1,000iu per tablet. Stupidly I presumed this was excessive and didn't buy it!

El_Dangeroso

I buy 5,000IU of the internet, it's $9 for 120 capsules so 3 month supply from iherb.com.

BraziliaNZ

yes but surely vitamin D in tablet form isn't a substitute for real stuff? I read somewhere recently that multivitamins etc offer no health benefits

El_Dangeroso

Most multivitamins contain a tiny amount of the less-effective type of D, so that might explain the lack of results.

But they have done studies that show that supplementation raises the blood levels of D the same that sunshine does.

Of course if you have the option, get the sunshine, then you don't need to worry about how much you need to take, your body will control the amount it needs through getting a tan. Although older people have less of an ability to manufacture it so can have a deep tan and still be deficient.

I'm all for getting vitamins from food where possible. But in the case of D it's so hard to get enough from diet:

Herring, 85 g (3 ounces (oz)) provides 1383 IU
Catfish, 85 g (3 oz) provides 425 IU
Salmon, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz]) provides 360 IU
Mackerel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz]), 345 IU
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 50 g (1.75 oz), 250 IU
Tuna, canned in oil, 85 g (3 oz), 200 IU
Eel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 200 IU

So you could technically eat 300g of herring a day to get enough.. might get a bit monotonous though!