Recipes to Nourish the Liver
Dietary Fiber and Bitter Herbs Help Lower Cholesterol.
Although it's come to sound ominous – the word cholesterol is derived from the Greek: chole, meaning bile; and stereos, for solid. (The suffix ol is a chemical suffix for alcohol).
Cholesterol is not always bad: HDL (known as good cholesterol) actually transports some of the fatty acids to the liver and away from the arteries, slowing the formation of thick and hard deposits known as plaque.
Energetically, the liver benefits from expressions of, and emotions associated with Joy; and is weakened by anger, especially if pent-up. (See Live in Harmony with Nature for a Healthy Heart for ways to transmute negative emotion.)
Feeding your liver with ample dietary fiber is essential, and bitter herbs such as dandelion, turmeric, and goldenseal also help by promoting the regular flow of bile. Heart healthy meals should always 'light up the eye,' as well as please the palate; comforting food doesn't have to be 'heavy, but should appeal to all the senses.
Heart Healthy Daikon Broth to Tone the Liver:
4 inch piece of kombu, thinly sliced and soaked until tender
4 1/2 inch daikon rounds
low salt soy sauce
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, plus a few sprigs cilantro.
1. Bring water and kombu to a boil; cover. Add mushrooms, return to a boil covered. (Meanwhile, score the daikon rounds in a criss-cross pattern.)
2. Add daikon – cover and simmer over low heat for about ten minutes until daikon is tender, but not mushy.
3. Season to taste with soy sauce and simmer for ten minutes more.
4. Garnish with scallions and/or cilantro.
Roasted Oats with Basil
8 oz. Oat groats
2 bunches arugula
2 bunches fresh basil
10 tbs. Olive oil
4 cloves garlic
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
sea salt
1 onion
1 daikon
2 carrots
1 red pepper
1 tart apple
2 cups water
Juice 1 organic lemon
Dash of paprika
1.Soak the oats in water overnight. Next, pour off the water and cover the container. Rinse with fresh water every eight hours until after 3-4 days, the grain sprouts.
2. Set aside 4 sprigs arugula and basil for garnish.
3. Finely chop the remaining greens and puree with 9 Tbs. olive oil, garlic cloves, salt and pepper.
4. Peel and dice the daikon, pepper; shred the carrot, and thinly slice the apple.
5. Pan roast the sprouted oats for 6-8 minutes
6. Add the cut vegetables plus apple slices.
7. Add the water, lemon juice and paprika and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
8. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil,salt and pepper.
9. Serve with the herb sauce seasoning, add lemon juice drops to taste, and garnish with reserved herb sprigs.
Insuring enough dietary fiber can also be as easy as consuming a daily teaspoon (or two) of psyllium seeds soaked in a cup of warm water; including more beans and whole grains, especially oats, amaranth, quinoa and millet.
Red Yeast Rice Capsules can Replace Statins
Supplementing the diet with red yeast rice, which contains naturally occurring statins lowers cholestrerol by blocking specific enzymes involved in cholesterol production. Taking 600 mg twice a day is equivalent to taking 5mg of a statin drug, but without possible side effects like joint, muscle pain, or liver stress.
