It’s easy to fall in love
with fennel at first bite. Its crisp, crunchy texture and aromatic taste has
endeared it to my kitchen for a lifetime. Fennel has the distinct ability to
leave you feeling fresh and has even been used for centuries as a digestive
remedy. Many folks will say that it tastes like licorice crossed with celery,
but, in fact, it’s sweeter and juicer than celery. And it doesn’t have an
overwhelming licorice taste, but instead just a hint that mellows completely
when cooked. At only 28 calories a cup and with good amounts of vitamins A, B
and C, fennel may become your new best friend in the produce department.
Five Fab Facts About Fennel
1. Fennel relieves digestive upset and colic in babies. Fennel is known in herbal medicine as a carminative. A carminative
is an herb that coats the esophagus and gastrointestinal lining to soothe
heartburn, relieve indigestion and prevent flatulence. Try mixing some fennel
in with the baby food to prevent
discomfort from colic!
2. Try fennel to
combat symptoms of PMS. Like many other herbs,
fennel has very potent diuretic properties that while not depleting your body of
potassium, is a much needed electrolyte that is instrumental in cardiac health.
The diuretic
properties of fennel can relieve PMS symptoms such as bloating, cramping
and general edema without any side effects.
3. Eating fennel during
pregnancy could guard against heart disease for the baby later in life! Fennel contains dietary isoflavones that are similar to the
phytoestrogens found in the soybean. These isoflavones have been shown in
animal studies to reduce a baby’s
risk of heart disease later in life if consumed by the mother during
pregnancy. Keep eating that fennel after the baby is born! Fennel acts as a galactogauge
by increasing the production of breast milk from the mammary glands.
4. Fennel is a high potency
antioxidant. Fennel is not usually on the top of
the list when antioxidants come to mind, but this incredible herb is packed
with alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E)
that mops up all of those disease-causing free radicals. So stock up on fennel
to boost your immunity for this cold and flu season!
5. Fennel can help combat the
toxic effects of chemotherapy! When our body undergoes conventional cancer treatment, chemotherapy
drugs can become toxic to the liver and kidneys. Fennel
has been shown in studies to reduce the level of toxicity these drugs have
on our organs and protect us from further damage.
The following recipe
is one of 25 stress-busting recipes I created for the new Adrenal Stress
Connection Book by Dr. Karen Jensen, ND and Dr. Marita Schauch, BSc, ND.
Fennel-Ginger Salad
The avocado,
hazelnuts, flax oil, and hemp seeds in this recipe provide all the vitamin E
your adrenals could want in one meal. Your adrenals store the highest
concentration of vitamin E of all your organs, which shows the importance of
this antioxidant for maintaining stress resilience.
This delicious sauce
delivers the medicinal properties of umeboshi plums, which have been used as
digestive and adrenal tonics in Asian traditional medicine for centuries.
Umeboshi plums, also known as Japanese apricots, help your body deal with
stress by restoring levels of adrenal epinephrine and norepinephrine following
a stressful experience. Be careful not to use too much of this paste, as it’s
quite high in sea salt.
Salad Ingredients
4 cups (1000 ml) sliced fennel
1/2 cup (125 ml) green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 ml) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 large tangerine, peeled and sectioned
1 large pear, cubed
1 large apple, cubed
1 large ripe avocado, cubed
Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 mL) pickled ginger, chopped
4 tbsp (60 mL) natural mayonnaise
4 tbsp (60 mL) flax or hemp seed oil
2 tsp (10 mL) umeboshi plum paste or 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt, or to taste
Directions
1. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. In a cup, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad.
3. Toss gently and serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings
Nutritionist Julie Daniluk hosts the Healthy Gourmet, a reality cooking show that looks at the ongoing battle between taste and nutrition. Her soon to be published first book, Meals That Heal Inflammation, advises on allergy-free foods that both taste great and assist the body in the healing process.
For more amazing recipes visit Chatelaine.com's recipe section.