Get all the benefits of these veggies while having a tasty meal.
This is a one pan meal that provides a powerful anticancer punch…if we treat it right! Because it’s easy, fairly quick, and tasty it has become a staple meal in our house over the past few years.
But what do these vegetables, thyroid and cancer have to do with each other?
Can you guess how many people in the world have thyroid disease? Drumroll please…some estimates say around 200 MILLION people around the globe suffer from thyroid issues. According to the American Thyroid Association, there’s 20 million Americans with thyroid disease and that up to 60% are unaware of their condition. That’s a lot of really tired people walking around with brain fog not knowing why they feel so yucky!
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, etc. are tricky for people with thyroid issues because chemicals in these veggies are goitrogens which can hinder thyroid function. But for people with cancer, these same veggies hold potent anticancer properties! Thus, a tricky juxtaposition for someone like me with both thyroid disease and cancer.
So what do we do to get all the healing cancer benefits without causing more distress to the all important thyroid?
First, cut the cruciferous veggies and let them rest for a while BEFORE cooking them. This allows the enzymes to get to work engaging the anticancer properties.
Then, steam or slightly cook those veggies, avoiding eating them raw. This also helps make the cruciferous veggies more easily digestible, reducing things like gas and discomfort.
Finally, add some ground mustard seed on top of your veggie bowl to help activate the sulforaphane compound that provides the anticancer punch. And enjoy!
Here’s a simple recipe to make this one-pan meal:
INGREDIENTS
You can use any root and cruciferous veggies you already have at home. For this meal made for two adults and pictured above, I used
-half a head of broccoli chopped
-1/4 head cauliflower chopped
-1/2 C coarsely shredded cabbage
-1 sweet potato sliced in quarters
-2 cherry tomatoes sliced into thirds
-a handful of hulled sunflower seeds
-1/4 C chopped white onion
-1 tsp minced garlic
-a few dashes of coconut aminos
-seasoning of salt, pepper, curry, Bragg’s Organic Sprinkle
-dash of ground mustard seed
-and about a 1/2 TBSP avocado oil to coat the pan.
INSTRUCTIONS
-Heat the pan on medium low heat on the stove. Coat the pan with avocado oil. Toss in the onions and cook until they turn translucent. I use a lid to cover the pan during most of the cooking.
-Add minced garlic and very briefly cook. (If we were using mushrooms, this is when I’d add in the mushrooms, too.)
-Add in the sweet potato, use tongs to coat potato with the seasonings, and toss with the onion & garlic mixture. Allow the sliced potato to cook for a few minutes before adding in the next vegetables.
-Add in any harder vegetables next (if you’re using carrots as example).
-Place the chopped broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage in the pan & toss with the other ingredients.
-Shake the coconut aminos to lightly coat parts of the vegetables in the pan.
-Throw the sunflower seeds in towards the end of cooking and toss everything together to evenly coat all items. Top with the ground mustard seed. Add more of any seasoning as necessary.
-Serve in bowls and enjoy the health benefits of tasty veggies.
I hope you find this a simple and enjoyable meal!
Need more Anticancer Meals? Want to ditch the overwhelm of what to do in the kitchen? Check out my Cancer Thriver Meals resource!
-Jenny
