What's That Smell? It's the sulforophane!

As many of you already know, when you cook broccoli the smell can sometimes be overwhelming.  That smell is the sulforophane present in the broccoli, and it is present in all other cruciferous vegetables as well.  You will need to get used to it, because that sulphur smell is a potent anti-cancer fighting machine! Other cruciferous veggies: arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, horseradish, kale, mustard greens, radishes, turnip greens, and watercress.  

Dr. Greger, in his book How Not To Die, tells us that sulforophane is a promising anti-cancer agent that will help protect your brain and eyesight, reduce nasal allergy inflammation, manage type 2 diabetes, and might even help treat autism.  And broccoli is his FAVORITE cruciferous veggie.  In his book, he shows how cruciferous veggies like broccoli can potentially prevent DNA damage and metastatic cancer spread, activate defenses against pathogens and pollutants, help prevent lymphoma, boost your liver detox enzymes and target breast cancer stem cells.  So grab your broccoli, and start consuming it!

BUT, WAIT........HE TELLS US THAT cooking the cruciferous veggies will deactivate the production of sulforophane. BUT, if we take the following steps BEFORE we cook the cruciferous veggies, then sulforophane will be at it's maximum production.  Apparently, it is activated when we cut, chop or chew the raw veggies.  So, before you make your broccoli soup, chop it up, and leave it for 45 minutes while you gather all your other ingredients.  Before blanching your kale, cut it up into pieces, and let sit on the cutting board for a while.  When you get home from the grocery store, chop up your radishes, your heads of broccoli and cauliflower, and shred your cabbage.  Store everything in easy to access containers that will make meal prep OH SO EASY!  

We like to keep shredded red cabbage in the fridge to add to all our meals.  Red Cabbage is about $1.00 per pound and has more antioxidants per dollar than anything else you'll find in the produce section.  Now if you sprout your own broccoli seeds (found online or in a health food store), THAT would be the cheapest and healthiest source of sulforophane ever!      1 pound broccoli seeds= $20.00= 75 cups of broccoli sprouts= 300 cups of sulforophane content= $.05/day sulforophane.   WOW, that is cheap medicine!

So don't worry about that smell when you are cooking or preparing your cruciferous veggies!  It is just a big reminder of their healing power!

The video below shows you an easy way to prepare your veggies for the week.