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The festive season has just gone by. For the New Year, we made a few resolutions and this time, we intend to keep them. (really?)

Good healthy eating habits are fun! Preparing good nutritious food should be enjoyable and most of all rewarding.

Cancer Research

We’ve known broccoli. It’s a functional food that has the compound sulforaphane, a phytochemical that inhibits the inflammation of cancer. Cancer research has shown that the inactive compound in the broccoli is transformed at the lower gut by bacteria into the active phytochemical. Once it is activated the phytochemical is easily absorbed into the body. This active sulforaphane is a potent inhibitor of cancer inflammation.

Now, let’s boost the production of the activated sulforophane in the lower colon. That way we can maximize the benefits of eating broccoli. How? One is to feed the friendly useful bacteria with prebiotics such as fiber to encourage their proliferation. There would be more active sulforaphane produced when there are more friendly bacteria at the lower gut to work on the broccoli. Another is to utilize a probiotic approach. This is to simply to combine broccoli with a rich creamy yogurt sauce that contains the bacteria.

Here’s a simple easy to prepare recipe to do just that. It’s good for four persons.

Creamy Broccoli

Ingredients:
• 2 heads broccoli, stems cut and florets halved, makes 2 cups
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup of dried raisin
• spices
-2 teaspoons cumin seeds
-2 teaspoons fennel seeds
-2 teaspoons ground cardamom
A pinch of sea salt and pepper

Preparation

• Steam the broccoli for about 5 minutes. When done, drain in a colander.
• In a mortar, pour all the spices and smash them up with a pestle. A grinder would work, too.
• Mix the spices, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, raisin and the yogurt.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange the broccoli florets and stems in a plate.
• Top it with the sauce and dig in!

Bottom line

If we’re fighting cancer we should do so every day. Let’s not forget to consume 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Include our habit of a 30 minute regular exercise. We’ll be healthier, beating cancer and having fun!