“It may choke Artie, but it ain’t gonna choke me!”
-quote from The Little Rascals
The artichoke. It's sort of threatening at first sight with its tough, sharp leaves. What the heck does one with an artichoke. You steam it. They are impossible to eat any other way. Once they are soft, you begin the laborious but very sensual task of peeling away all those leaves and scrapping the "meat" off every single leaf with your teeth. Eventually, you reach the center of this amazing vegetable: the heart. Tender and sweet. That reward is so worth all the work. Artichokes are sort of like people. Tough and protected on the outside, but once you peel everything away; soft and sweet. Artichokes are also like relationships. They're never easy, but for those willing to do the work; so rewarding.
So what are artichokes actually good for?
Since ancient times, the artichoke has been used for liver and gallbladder conditions, 'cleaning' the blood, as well as the bladder. The Egyptians highly prized it as a health and diet food. The artichoke was known as the 'food for the rich' because of the health problems contributed to a 'rich' life style - excessive in rich foods, fats and wine that led to liver illnesses (such as cirrhosis), gout and a general run down condition.
The artichoke is very high in fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and other trace elements important for a balanced system. It is known to positively help poor liver function as well as lower the blood sugar, improve the appetite and digestion, is a diuretic and may help some migraine conditions (most especially those caused by toxins in the blood). As it helps the body rid itself of excess water and moves toxins, it also has the added side effect of an improved skin luminosity.
In a poor diet of excessive drinking (most especially strong alcoholic drinks), high red meat and fat consumption, the artichoke can boost the liver's ability to regenerate its cells. The liver's main function is the metabolic transformation of nutrients from the food we eat. It also detoxifies certain poisons. An over-stressed liver obviously cannot function properly, which among other things results in poor assimilation of nutrients and increased toxins in the blood. This will eventually adversely affect the entire body causing numerous ailments.
After a weekend of indulging, when you return home from vacation, or any time you feel a bit bloated or sluggish from rich foods or too much alcohol; eat an artichoke.
Leave it to the Italians to transform an artichoke into something magnificent. My over-stuffed artichokes with lots seasoned bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and olive oil are legendary. I steam them to perfection until the leaves practically fall off with very little effort. My stuffed artichokes are the most requested treat at every family gathering. They are delicious, but when prepared in this fashion, they are also very fattening. I reserve these only for special occasions.
If you're looking for the perfect food for weight loss, steam up a few artichokes. They only have about 25 calories. Artichokes are extremely filling and two of three of them will suffice for a complete meal with no fat, tons of fiber and an abundance of vitamins. They are very time-consuming the eat, which makes them the perfect food to snack on when you're watching TV or in the mood to nibble. Just watch the dressings and the sauces that you serve with them. An artichoke is delicious perfectly plain or with a bit of apple cider vinegar and some lemon or balsamic vinegar. You can also drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil and some fresh chopped garlic over the artichokes as they steam. This will add a touch of flavor without a lot extra fat and calories.
Enjoy!
Some of the info regarding the health benefits of artichokes is from Veganism.
