Healing Foods - Watercress is way more than a garnish!

I was a little tentative about this one. Only because I've never purchased watercress. . . . never in my life. I've only had it as a garnish on foods that I've eaten out. So, always a first time for everything. I absolutely adore avocados and I found a watercress and avocado salad with a delicious dressing. Perfect. Here's the recipe and the salad is a great side with grilled salmon.

Here's why you want to make it a regular addition to your grocery cart.

Calorie for calorie it provides 4 times the calcium of 2 percent milk
Ounce for ounce, it offers as much vitamin C as an orange and more iron than spinach
It's packed with vitamin A, vitamin K, multiple antioxidant carotenoids and protective phytochemicals.

The nutrients in watercress protect against cancer and macular degeneration, help build the immune system, and supports bone health! The iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to your body's tissues for energy. The phytochemicals in watercress battle cancer in three ways: killing cancer cells, blocking carcinogens, and protecting healthy cells from carcinogens.

It's recommended to eat daily if you can. Try tossing it in with your salad, use for pesto in place of basil, use on a sandwich instead of lettuce. I love making a protein shake with blueberries, strawberries and bananas and then throwing in something like spinach or watercress. You can't taste it and watercress will add a wonderfully detoxifying ingredient!

Enjoy your weekend everyone and I'll be back on Monday with everything you ever wanted to know about Spinach that Popeye never told you.