Dan's Papers - September 14, 2007

As a true East Ender, you appreciate the ocean. A playful swim during a hot beach day. Salty sea air wafting into your windows on a cool, late summer evening. The seasonal bounty of fresh fish for dinner on your porch. That lovely kelp mask on your face and nori floating in your soup to comfort you after a stressful day. What, you aren't familiar with seaweed? Oh, then maybe I should tell you about some of the most nutritious plants on the planet, equally good for you inside and out!

For thousands of years, sea vegetables have been used for their medicinal, nutritional, and beautifying qualities. Beginning in Asia, they were staple food additives in Japanese cooking and a favored method of the Chinese to treat a series of health problems. When thyroid problems were revealed in the United States through a goiter surge in the 1700s, kelp seaweed was noted for its extremely high iodine content (deficiency was the cause of the problem). Eventually, iodine was added to salt, so sea veggies took a hidden seat, used industrially as a food thickener and emulsifier as well as in beauty aids, paint, paper, and similar products. It was not until health food stores emerged in the latter half of the twentieth century that seaweeds and algae becamea presence again, this time in an array of supplements.

Often, when a person craves salty foods, what she is really craving is more nutritious food. The person may be experiencing a mineral deficiency from consuming too much of highly processed, chemical food that pervades supermarkets. This nutritional lack cannot be effectively fixed by common salt, as that too has been stripped of its nutrients. Sea vegetables offer a tremendous range of minerals, broader than any other food. Ocean minerals are the same as those found in human blood, so to consume a vegetable that has integrated all of them into its tissue is very wise. In addition to iodine, sea vegetables contain vitamins and amino acids, including high amounts of vitamin K, folate, magnesium, iron, lignans, and calcium. Because of this, seaweeds are considered useful not only in treating thyroid problems, but also in reducing cancer risk, birth defects and high blood pressure. They detoxify, counteract obesity and radiation, strengthen bones, improve digestion, and help make skin, teeth, hair, and nails shine.

When cooking with sea vegetables, it is extremely important to research where your seaweed originated, because polluted water means polluted seaweed! Speak to your health food store associates or order directly from a reputable producer. Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, www.seaveg.com, is noted for their sustainable harvesting practices, offering more than thirty products, and listing many free recipes on their website. Some seaweed requires rinsing, so read packages carefully. If you are salt sensitive, rinsing is extra important, so be thorough. Gradually add sea vegetables to your diet, as the taste and effects on your body can take some adjustment time. Try cutting up seaweed into small pieces to sprinkle in wraps, soups and salads. Add kombu when cooking dried beans, yielding a more nutritious and easily digested final product. . Use kelp flakes instead of salt.

For its fabulous beautifying qualities, one need only go to their nearest cosmetic supplier or day spa. There are many treatments that harness the power of seaweed to create a luster in hair, nails and skin. At home, its as easy as taking a sheet of seaweed, cutting holes for your facial features, moistening, and relaxing! All of those great components will be absorbed into your skin. Create a more malleable mask by combining 1-2 tablespoon of kelp powder, 1/2 tablespoon of raw honey, 1/2 tablespoon aloe vera gel, and essential oil if desired. Leave this mask on for fifteen minutes. If your skin tends to be dry, do not allow it to set; spray sporadically with water. Rinse the mask off with warm water and you skin will glow!

Any ocean lover owes it to herself to try one of its best products. Embrace the seaweed!