August 19, 2019

Atlantean dulse is making waves...

Sure this superfood may not be as bright or as cool-looking as turmeric powder or blue berry powder, but I'm telling ya, it’s jam packed full of all that good stuff, which will surely benefit you when taking it daily.

So, what is Atlantic dulse?

It’s a nutrient dense red algas - it's scientific name is Palmaria palmata - much like seaweed but contains more fibre and protein. It first came into my radar when I was staying at a health retreat - it was sprinkled on every salad and they referred to as a “superfood.”

So, what makes this humble seaweed so healthful? Well, its jam-packed full of minerals like calcium - great for bone health - and iodine which supports thyroid function. Did you know that they add seaweed as an ingredient in your store-bought soy milk? That's because soy beans are a natural goitrogenic, ands slow;s your thyroid's uptake of iodine. Now, you need iodine to make the important thyroid hormones T3 and T4 (literally the amino acid tyrosine with either 3 or 4 iodine molecules attached). As soy slows down the thyroid's uptake of iodine, this means the thyroid's function can be compromised and in turn slow it down. This explains why people who consume too many goitrogenic products will report feeling tired and sometimes experience weight gain.

The seaweed goes in the soy products to increase the iodine and help prevent this. Iodine is a mineral which is key to both thyroid function but also to keep our metabolic rate ticking along.

The benefits of dulsing-up

If you're vegan or vegetarian, dulse is the bee's knees as it contains a good amount of B12. You will also get a dose of vitamin C and carotenoid antioxidants (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin) - these super heros generate clear eyesight and anti-aging properties. I have even used it in my facial masks for this reason... here's my recipe.

Anti-aging dulse face mask recipe:

I mash-up half an avocado + 1 ripe banana + 1 teaspoon of cacao powder and 1 a teaspoon of dulse powder. Pop it on for 10 minutes and rinse off.

Natural and revitalising = winning :)

How to dulse up...

Now you’re probably thinking, sweet, I’m sold on dulse but how do I use it? Do I need to cook it? First up, it’s a bit like nori in that it doesn’t need cooking time. You can buy it in loads of different forms. My favourite way is in sprinkled form (powder) and I just shake it on my salads, soup and miso.

That said I also pop it into my soups and casseroles, and use it to season veggies.

Er, word of warning: if you go too heavy on the dulse flakes you’ll know about it. It has a stronger taste than other seaweeds, so start light and work your way up. Too much of it can really overpower a meal. It also has a salty flavour so you may want to pull-back on the seasoning when you’re adding dulse flakes to your creations.