Seaweed is a nutritional treasure

    Brett is a passionate cook interested in preventative health through nutrition and practices such a healthy lifestyle surrounded by 30 acres of farmland where he grows organic vegetables and edible flowers.
    Before taking the class, I was aware of seaweed's high vitamin and mineral content, but I had limited knowledge on how to prepare meals with seaweed. Brett demonstrated various ways to cook seaweed and talked about its key healing and nutritional benefits.
    Although too numerous to list, I'll share a few medicinal advantages. With high iodine content, seaweed promotes healthy thyroid function. After the earthquake, Japanese authorities distributed units of stable iodine to protect against the radioactive iodine exposure. Japanese scientists have shown a correlation between kelp consumption and lower rates of breast, colon and lung cancer. Bladderwrack tea has been shown to lower chronic high blood pressure, prevent blood clots from forming and to treat obesity, conditions that are implicated in heart disease. Seaweeds are abundant sources of nondairy calcium and have a good balance of magnesium for proper absorption in strengthening bones and teeth and preventing osteoporosis. Various seaweeds provide relief from arthritis because of anti-inflammatory properties and qualities that relieve pain and combat stress.
    With the onset of allergy season, seaweeds provide relief by enhancing your immune response, improving mucus production and quality to relieve congestion and aid the flushing of irritants from the body. Diabetes, constipation, toxin exposure and many other problems can benefit from adding seaweeds to the diet.
    Brett provided instructions and all the students helped in the preparation. While sipping on bladderwrack tea, we prepared a tasty miso soup with five different types of seaweed (kombu, wakame, hijiki, arame and nori). The soup also contained cubes of winter squash that added a sweet flavor.
    Bladderwrack tea is simple to prepare. Simmer fresh bladderwrack and water for 15 minutes in a covered pot, then strain and enjoy. For dried bladderwrack, fill a fourth of a jar with the seaweed and add boiling water to the top of the container, cap the jar and let steep overnight. Strain the mixture, warm it up and season to taste.
    We learned to make sushi nori rolls. The ingredients included nori sheets, cooked brown rice (slightly cooled), wasabi (hot stuff) and boiled carrot strips. You also need a sushi mat that is used for rolling. The benefit of at-tending a cooking class is watching someone demonstrate and then practicing with their guidance.
    To prepare the rolls, place two halves of nori on a sushi mat and overlap them by a half inch. Spread a thin layer of cooked rice, leaving a half inch on the top and bottom of the nori. Using a chopstick, press into the rice across the center to make an indent and add the carrot strips. Other fillings such as avocado, sprouts or steamed asparagus can be used, too. Don't forget the wasabi or umeboshi paste for added flavor. Roll up firmly until you reach the top edge of the nori sheet, then wet the edge and complete rolling. Let the roll stand for a few minutes or refrigerate. Cut the rolls just before serving to prevent them from drying out.     
    We had lots of fun, and everything we ate was surprisingly delicious. Taking a cooking class or just getting together with family or friends and experimenting with new foods and recipes, are highly recommended.

    Diane Stacy is a nutrition educator and coach. She can be reached at (401) 949-2917 or dchoices@verizon.net.  Her Web site is www.choicesandprevention.com.