Super Seaweed Nutrition
The Ocean's Superfood

Seaweed is a "sea vegetable" that contains immense concentrations of essential minerals and trace minerals.

Because the food we eat is often deficient in minerals that are not present in the soil, sea plants are a great addition to a healthy diet.

They can be dried and stored for prolonged periods of time and used in many recipes with miso, tempeh or other fermented foods.

Seaweeds were known by the Incas, in the high Andes, "to guard the heart" and the Sherpas, in the Himalayas, to give the "strength of gods."

Benefits of Seaweed - Unique Structure

They are a multi-cellular marine plant that maintains rigid cell walls. They do not have roots that take up nutrients from the water. Instead, their entire structure acts like a feeding vessel, pulling in high concentrations of food through their leafy blades.

Because of this structure, the entire plant is able to take in large amounts of nutrients from the ocean waters they live in. Clean ocean water is a storehouse of minerals the body needs and is often lacking.

Top 4 Seaweed Varieties:

1) Kelp

Kelp is one of the most prolific sea plants in the ocean and a powerhouse of minerals, including calcium and magnesium.

It is a brown sea weed with a high protein content. The powder from kelp is easy to add to food and is highly recommended for anyone deficient in minerals or iodine. more...

2) Nori

Nori belongs to the group of red algae's (though it is more green than red), that are very popular along the California coast.

Nori is probably one of the most common sea weeds known worldwide for its use in sushi making. Because it grows in abundance close to where I live and roam, I usually have a big fresh gallon jar full in my pantry. more...

3) Dulse

Dulse is also a red variety (which is actually brown-red in color) and delicious dried in large pieces or small flakes. It happens to be one of my personal favorites as far as taste goes. I love dulse on salad's made from

wild greens or sprinkled on some lightly steamed green leafy vegetables. You don't even need salt! more...

4) Irish Moss

Irish moss is another red sea vegetable that is actually a whitish to light brown color. Irish moss has specifically been used for its abundant source of carrageenan.

It is great for the lungs and rebuilds the immune system after serious exhaustion. We use it in our superfood shake recipe, almond milk and raw desserts to thicken and provide excellent health benefits. more...

Seaweeds as Food Source

Seaweeds are and have been used as food by many cultures around the world, if not all of them.

They do not need to be cultivated, but naturally and prolifically reproduce year after year, providing great sources of superior nutrition.

Growing up on the ocean, I always found it fascinating how much sea weed would wash up on the beach. Tons and tons of sea weed! Little did I know that I could harvest my own fresh from the tide pools. Now, harvesting seaweed is a favorite yearly ritual.

Benefits of Seaweed:

Source of Iodine

Sea plants not only extract minerals, but also an array of phytonutrients from the sunlight energy and salt water they live in. One of these is Iodine. In fact, it is the highest known source of any food.

Polysaccharides

Another known benefit of seaweed is a high source of the long chain sugars called polysaccharides. Found also in medicinal mushrooms, they are one of the healthiest food elements we can ingest.

Sea vegetables contain polysaccharide glyconutrients in the form of carrageenan and algin.

These nutrients help to:

• rejuvenate skin cells
• build immune system
• provide long lasting energy
• help to remove heavy metals and detoxify the body
• increase cellular activity and mental function

Abundance of Minerals

Macronutrients:
~sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus~

Micronutrients:
~iodine, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, molybdenum, fluoride, manganese, boron, nickel and cobalt~

Where Do Seaweeds Grow?

Most sea weeds inhabit rocky shorelines where they can hold onto the rocks with their strong, root-like hold fasts that anchor them down. The Western and Eastern coast of the U.S. and Japan are popular sea weed harvesting regions.

I have been studying the life of sea plants for years and enjoy harvesting every year with a ritual trip to the California coastline during the early summer months.

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