Immune Boosting and Healing Miso

After a long and wonderful vacation with much indulgence and some late nights, I felt the need to give my immune system a boost, especially with the recent outbreak of Dengue here in Trinidad and Tobago.

Some fresh juicing, much needed sleep, exercise and miso soup did the trick.  I recommend its use for healing. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, sea salt, and koji (a mold starter). As the Asian do, use miso or any other soy product very sparingly to reap its benefits.  The miso mixture is a macrobiotic food that is naturally fermented for 3 months to 3 years, which produces an enzyme rich food. The binding agent zybicolin in miso is effective in detoxifying and eliminating elements that are taken into the body through industrial pollution, radioactivity and artificial chemicals in the soil and food system.

Fermentation releases nutrients and transforms soybeans into nutritious foods…

I always recommend fermented soy products, and oppose to non-fermented.  As always, too much of anything, even if healthy, is not good.  Fermented soy foods include miso, tempeh and natto.

People filling up their shopping carts with raw or cooked soybeans, soy milk, and other non-fermented soy products do not realize that the isoflavones they contain will not be available to their bodies.  Most of the isoflavones in soy products are bound to carbohydrate molecules called glucosides.  In this form genistein is actually called genistin.  It is fermentation that transforms genistin into genistein.  Many products in the U.S. and Canada do not distinguish between genistin and genistein on their labels.

Even with fermented soy foods, a little goes a long way.  The nutrients found in miso, tempeh, and natto can be beneficial in the moderate amounts found in the typical Asian diet, but have the potential to do harm in higher amounts.  In China, and Japan, about an ounce of fermented soy food is eaten on a daily basis. So take it easy vegetarians!

When fermented soy foods are used in small amounts, they help build the inner ecosystem, providing a wealth of friendly microflora to the intestinal tract that can help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients, and boost immunity.

Miso has been a staple in Chinese and Japanese diets dating back approximately 2,500 years. Today, most of the Japanese population begins their day with a warm bowl of miso soup believed to stimulate the digestion and energize the body. When purchasing miso avoid the pasteurized version and spend your money on the live enzyme rich product, which is also loaded with beneficial microorganisms. Buy miso made with organic and non-GMO soybeans.

Many scientifically based studies have demonstrated that consuming miso comes with an array of health benefits!

1. Restores beneficial probiotics (bacteria) in the intestinal flora.

2. Stimulates the secretion of digestive juices (enzymes and hydrochloric acid) in the stomach.

3. Aids in the digestion and absorption of other nutrients.

4. Fights free radical damage due to its rich antioxidant content.

5. Protects against radiation due to dipilocolonic acid, an alkaloid that chelates heavy metals and discharges them from the body.

6. Good plant based source of B vitamins (especially B12).

7. Improves the quality of blood and lymph fluid.

8. Reduces the risk of developing breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers.

9. Boosts immunity and helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

10. Contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

As it is not a common American/Canadian/T&T food staple I often find that people are reluctant to buy a pouch of miso paste that will sit in the back of their refrigerator for most of eternity. What to do with the soybean paste with Japanese credentials?

What to do with miso?

1. Add to light soups instead of salt and/or broth.

2. Blend with vinegar, olive oil and herbs for salad dressing.

3.  Use in marinades to help tenderize animal protein and breakdown vegetable fiber.

4.  Use, thinned with cooking water as a sauce for water sauteed root vegetables or winter squash.

5.  Use in a vegetable-bean casserole to supply plenty of high quality protein.

6.  Use in a spread along with peanut butter and apple juice to thin.

7. Use to make a pate with chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and dulse flakes.

8. Add to dipping sauce for spring rolls, nori rolls or raw vegetables.

Be careful not to get carried away and use miso in everything though! Your body will respond to the excess salty taste with cravings for sweets, liquids and fruit. It is suggested that the amount of miso used should not exceed 2 teaspoons per person per day.

Immune Boosting Miso Soup

This immunity boosting, healing and amazingly nutritious soup will kick start your immune system in third gear and help you fight off any bug!  With a soothing and mild flavor, miso soup is light and "brothy". Ready in only in 10 minutes! You can also have it before or after strenuous exercise to replace the electrolytes lost from sweat.

Ingredients

4 cups purified water

1/3 cup miso paste

1-2 cloves raw garlic, coarsely chopped

3 green onions (scallions), chopped

1 tbsp shredded nori or wakame seaweed

1 tsp virgin coconut oil

Dash of tamari sauce (wheat and MSG free)

Fresh sprouts and hempseeds to top (organic, non-GMO)

Tip:  To add more consistency to your soup, you can add some cubeb root veggies, dark leafy greens, nuts or seeds, beans or legumes, brown rice noodles as well as cubbed tempeh or sprouted tofu.

Directions

Bring water to a slow simmer and add seaweed. Allow to simmer at least 5-6 minutes. The longer you simmer the seaweed, the less of a salty fishy flavor it will have. Reduce heat to very low and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until miso is well dissolved. It is best not to boil the miso, as this will destroy some of its healthy properties as well as change the flavor of the soup. Serve your soup and top with fresh sprouts and hempseeds. Makes 4 servings. ENJOY!