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Try these for variety and health benefits.

Last month we looked at cacao, goji berries, hemp and blue-green algae—all super foods that most people do not eat regularly. I hope you are incorporating them into your diet. This month, I have four more foods that will rock your nutritional world!

SEA VEGETABLES
Nutritionally, seaweed is rich in important trace minerals including iodine, which is important for healthy thyroid function.

There are many varieties: dulse, kelp, nori, hijiki, arame and wakame, offering these and other great health benefits:

* A wealth of minerals and vitamins, plus ten times more calcium than milk and four times the iron found in beef

* An abundance of vitamin B12 and a good source of fluorine

* Helpful for treating goiter, edema, swollen lymph glands, chronic cough and skin disorders. Traditional Chinese Medicine says seaweed is useful for treating fibroid tumors.

Try this delicious and nutritious soup:

Seaweed Soup
2 cups water
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
1 whole onion chopped and sautéed
½ cup dried wakame seaweed
1 pkg firm tofu, cubed
1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Fresh mung beans

Sauté onions and garlic in oil in pasta pot. Add liquids and all other ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce, let simmer for 30 mins. Serve in bowl with a handful of fresh mung beans.

SHITAKE MUSHROOM
The Shitake mushroom originated in Asia and has been a staple at Chinese and Japanese restaurants for years. A tasty addition to any meal calling for mushrooms, Shitakes offer a wealth of benefits including:

* Immune system support with powerful antioxidants like vitamins A, C, D and E, selenium and uric acid

* Helps reduce blood cholesterol levels

* Benefits ulcers, high and low blood pressure, liver problems and autoimmune diseases

Here is an easy way to get all your Shitake nutrition:

Marvelous Mushrooms
2 cups thinly sliced Shitake mushrooms
1 large yellow onion
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sage
¼ tsp thyme
¼ cup red wine
1 tsp tamari sauce

Add oils to pan, sauté onions, ginger and garlic 2-3 min. on med.-high flame. Add mushrooms, cook 2-3 min., stirring occasionally. Add other liquids and herbs, cover for 5-6 min. on low heat. Check occasionally and cook until tender and brown. Serve over a bed of rice with a glass of your favorite Cabernet.

COCONUTS AND COCONUTS OIL
Coconut water is one of the highest sources of electrolytes found in nature. Young coconut water is also identical to human blood plasma. Human blood is 55 percent plasma. The remaining 45 percent of our blood consists of hemoglobin, which is essentially transformed plant blood (chlorophyll). Coconuts offer additional amazing health benefits:

* Healthy antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial saturated fatty acids to help fight off  viruses, bacteria and fungal overgrowth.

* 90 percent raw saturated fat, a rare and important building block of every cell in the human body. This supports the immune system, thyroid gland, nervous system and skin.

* Supports healthy cholesterol formation in the liver and healthy hormone production.

Try this hot soup on a cool fall day:

Thai Coconut Soup
1 can coconut milk
2 stalks green onion finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass finely minced (TIP: in food processor with tsp of sugar)
2 slices of galangal root
2 kefir lime leaves
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup raw, peeled large shrimp
2 tsp fish sauce
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, chopped finely with seeds
2 shallots, minced
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable broth)

Sauté all vegetables in a soup pot. Add all liquids except coconut milk. Bring to boil, lower heat and cover for 15 min. on med. flame. Add shrimp and coconut milk.  Reduce heat to low, cover for 10 min. Serve in a bowl with cilantro garnish.

BITTER MELON
Bitter melon is a gourd widely grown in Asia and Africa. It is a key food in the Okinawan people’s diet—the Japanese have the best health and greatest longevity on the planet. And it is traditionally regarded as useful for preventing and treating malaria.

Here are some healthy reasons to add bitter melon to your diet:

* The entire plant (seeds, vegetable, vines, leaves and stems) is used for gastrointestinal problems. Other uses include: treatment of fever, viral infections and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, rheumatism and gout.

* Ability to lower blood sugar in diabetics. One of its phytochemicals is thought to play a role in cancer prevention.  

Try these tasty chips:

Bitter Melon Chips
1 long bitter melon sliced thinly (young varieties taste best)
1 tbsp garam masala (spice to heavily coat both sides)
¼ tsp black salt (apply sparingly)
1 tbsp canola oil

Coat bottom of non-stick pan with canola oil. Sautee spiced melon until golden brown.  Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.  Serve on plate as appetizer, snack or as a side with any meal.