Healing Foods: Popeye Had The Right Idea!

“Eat your spinach!” was definitely one of those life lessons that we learned from watching old Popeye cartoons. He would squeeze a can of spinach, pour it down his throat, flex those bulbous muscles and---completely revitalized---get immediately back to the business of saving the day.

As it turns out, he had the right idea. Spinach is a superfood, and has multiple healing benefits when eaten hot or cold. Spinach is chock full of vitamin K, which aids in blood clotting, helps to absorb calcium and treat osteoporosis, and is known for having preventive and treatment benefits for cancer. 1 cup of boiled spinach contains over 1100% of the daily value of vitamin K. It’s also loaded with vitamin A (over 300% of the daily value), which is a powerful anti-oxidant and guards against bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.

Spinach is a great food to eat during chemo for its health promoting and cancer fighting properties. It is always best, however, to eat organic spinach, since any pesticides and chemicals that are used to treat it can cause the liver to work overtime to detox and cleanse the body.

I keep a bag of organic spinach in the fridge for quick meals. Delicious, healthy spinach dishes can be made in a matter of minutes. I like to sauté spinach in a few tablespoons of chicken or vegetable stock until wilted, and add roasted garlic, salt and pepper at the end. You can also add more stock, let it reduce a bit, and use the spinach as a sauce with orzo or your favorite pasta.

This Asian inspired recipe is both easy and flavorful. Serve with chicken breast or roasted salmon for a nutrient dense, restorative meal.

Spinach with Shiitake Mushrooms

1 bag organic spinach (about 3 cups raw spinach)

1 container shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced thin (about 1 and ½ cups sliced)

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 tablespoon neutral oil (safflower or canola)

2 teaspoons tamari or low sodium soy sauce

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Wash and spin the spinach dry in a salad spinner (or drain in a colander).

In a sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently for one minute. Add mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and stir frequently, sautéing for 5-7 minutes or until wilted. Add tamari, remove from heat, garnish with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.