An ideal health, beauty and slimming ally

If you haven’t yet tried Bok Choy or Pak Choy, you don’t know what you’re missing!

The Chinese have been cultivating this exotic relative to the cabbage for over 5000 years. We are more familiar to it as an oriental cuisine staple, but it also happens to be packed with health, beauty and fat loss vitamins, minerals and vital phyto-nutrients.

It is gaining popularity in our western kitchens for its succulent texture, delicate flavours and culinary versatility. This modest sweet and slightly peppery brassica can be eaten raw in salads or sandwiches, steamed, stir fried, added to soups or stews or even fermented as kimchi. It marries well with mushrooms, onions, chillies, ginger and garlic or serve alongside chicken…

So why is it so good for us?

• Immune system booster, as a brilliant source of vitamin C. Just one serving will provide 50% of our RDA (recommended daily average) need.
• Good for your eyes! It is super rich in vitamin A in the form of beta carotene which has been shown to protect against night blindness and reduce the risk of cataract. In fact, it is even recommended by the Macular Degeneration Association. A single cup of bok choy will supply no less than 100% RDA!
• Skeleton builder! Like a lot of dark leafy greens it contains lots of calcium but also, equally support the building of strong bones: magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K (in the same way as other cruciferous). Just one cup of raw bok choy provides 7% of calcium and 26% of vitamin K. Remember that, although Vitamin K is famous for its role in blood clotting, it is also critical for bone mineralization.
• Bok choy is a cruciferous. As such it contains known cancer-fighting compounds (mainly sulphur based ones). The best known and researched is called glucosynolates. Though no daily average has been established yet just one cup contains over 40 mg of this potent compound. A study has already shown a link between a higher consumption of dark leafy greens and a better chance of survival of breast cancer as well as a reduction in recurrence of the cancer.
• Its high content of quality dietary fiber assists healthy digestion, supports our toxin excretion as well as participates in lowering our cholesterol level.

Now if the highly nutritious-health promoting-cancer protective properties of the dark leafy green bok choy aren’t enough to convince you of its virtues, this will:

It is very VERY low in calories! One full cup of raw bok choy only contains 13 calories! That puts it into the zero calorie category of foods which when eaten would add no weight to the body.

Whichever way you try it, make sure you try it, because above all, its delicious!

To your health!

Valérie Orsoni

Your LeBootCamp Healthy Living & Weight Loss Coach