Watercress Week

Wonderful Watercress

Today is April 1st and I am starting a lovely month long cleanse…more like a Modified Food Plan (I’m a lightweight, not suitable for a month-long cleanse, and nowhere near prepared for it).  I am going to give my blood, liver, immunity and energy a boost by eating therapeutic foods and completely eliminating refined sugar.  So, I’m kicking off the first week of Spring with Watercress Week, followed by my Dandelion Days, then my Radish Rejuvenation, ending with Everyday Juices.

Watercress is a leafy green vegetable that I bet a lot of people haven’t tried, or maybe haven’t heard of.  This wonderful treasure should remain hidden no longer!  I love watercress.  It’s slightly bitter, with a bite, has small leaves, it’s dark green, crispy, and has lots of Vitamin E, B-Vitamins, calcium, and stocked with all kinds of trace minerals.

It’s rich in chlorophyll of course, since its dark green, which is awesome because chlorophyll gives energy and wakes up the cells!  Springtime is all about waking up, gaining energy and motivation, and feeling refreshed!  Not only will watercress help me do that, but it’s also good at cleaning the lymph system (keeping this clean is what boosts immunity—it’s the clean up crew after getting sick).

Watercress is a great liver cleanser and blood purifier.  Having a more purified blood supply will greatly help skin eruptions from the inside out.  Many times with the western medical system here, people treat a rash, eczema, or psoriasis from the outside in, by applying ointments and such.  If the rash is going from the inside out, shouldn’t the method of treatment also go the same way?

Grabbing the great benefits from watercress with the overall intention of cleansing and detoxing your body is optimally effective only when you eliminate the junk (meat and dairy are “congestive” foods, to be avoided while cleansing properly, so being vegan already helps a ton.  Also steer away from caffeine while cleansing; it’s a nerve stimulant, and watercress helps nourish the nerves).  Keep that in mind…because eating a pure lunch and then a fried dinner followed by sugary dessert only defeats the purpose.  That would be like taking two steps forward and one step back.  How am I supposed to expect results by doing that?  So I’m gonna play hard or go home!  LOL.  I hate fried food anyways, plus, I’m not that big on sugar—but I do love chocolate!  One month without it won’t kill me

Cleaning my blood in the past has been beneficial to my previous sun sensitivity rash, which developed from drug residues after spine surgery years ago.  I know it’s time for me repeat this process and build and maintain my blood, so this week I’m all about the watercress, baby!  Bring on the recipes!  Four of them are mine, and the other two are appetizing ones found in the book Vegan Planet, which I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this one-stop-shop, magnificent, all-in-one cookbook.  The thing is the size of Montana and has enough recipes to keep your mouth watering for a lifetime.  By the end of the month, I will look back at my successful quest feeling refreshed, motivated, and exhilarated!  I will be sharing my entire Watercress Week with you, and possibly the rest of the month’s program, maybe in bits and pieces, or depending on what kind of time I have.

P.S. If you have kidney concerns do not eat this herb in large doses like I’m doing this week—watercress is a diuretic (helps you pee).  Also, don’t eat this if you have digestive ulcers…it’s got major fiber content and acts as a laxative.  If you decide you want to join in on Watercress Week, leave your comments, feedback and experiences!  And above all, have FUN!  See you tomorrow with Recipe #1: Tambra’s Watercress Wrap~