Mushrooms
If you didn’t know, the SUN is the best source of Vitamin D! Mushrooms are also very high in Vitamin D too! You need Vitamin D to help synthesize your hormones. Vitamin D is also responsible for increasing your mood. It is needed to maintain strong bones and regulate your calcium levels. Vitamin D is important to the body in many other ways too. Muscles need it to move, for example, nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and every body part, and the immune system needs vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. (NIH, 2016)
Mushrooms have gained a lot of popularity lately. They are being made into powders to add to shakes, beauty regimens, coffee extracts, etc. The medicinal uses of mushrooms have been around for a very long time. Each type of mushroom has its own benefits and powerful properties! Below are the top four reasons why YOU SHOULD incorporate more mushrooms into your nutritional regimen.
Mushrooms are extremely versatile and easy to add to many different meals! I love adding them to an omelet in the morning or sautéing them as a side dish to add to dinner. An easy way I will prep breakfast is to make a quiche or frittata (think of a crust-less quiche). It’s basically like breakfast pizza 🙂 My favorite dish and kitchen must have is this quiche dish from Crate & Barrel. Here is another quiche recipe if you enjoy the idea of breakfast pizza!
Top 4 Health Benefits of Mushrooms
- They are high in Vitamin D. Mushrooms grown outside, that absorb more UV light, have higher concentrations of Vitamin D. Absorbing and consuming enough Vitamin D is very important for optimal health.
- Their properties help our immune system. Mushrooms naturally are antifungal and antibacterial due to their natural environment. (Lindequist, Niedermeyer, & Jülich, 2005) These natural properties of mushrooms boost our immune systems to protect from toxins, viruses, and bacteria and inhibit their growth.
- Mushrooms are high in B vitamins (think energy production, regulation, and growth) and high in trace minerals (specifically copper and selenium). They are also high in potassium and phosphorus too!
- Mushrooms help decrease inflammation. They are high in antioxidants which help counteract stress and oxidation. Stress, oxidation, free radicals, etc. all increase inflammation within you. Increased inflammation -> disease.
Ingredients
- 10 Organic Eggs
- 2 handfuls Organic Baby Spinach
- 1 1/2 cups Organic Mushrooms
- 1/2 pound Sweet Italian Sausage
- 1/2 teaspoon Organic Onion Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Organic Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tablespoon Grassfed Butter
- Freshly Cracked Pepper
- Celtic Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter the quiche dish and set aside
- Cook the sweet Italian sausage and set aside
- Slice the mushrooms and place in the same pan as you just cooked the sausage
- Add the spinach and sautee until soft
- Whip all the eggs together
- Add the onion and garlic powder
- Next add all the stovetop ingredients and mix together
- Pour the mixture into your quiche dish
- Crack fresh pepper and sprinkle salt as you desire on top
- Place in over for 24-28 minutes until done
References
Lindequist, U., Niedermeyer, T. H., & Jülich, W. (2005, September). The Pharmacological Potential of Mushrooms. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1193547/
Mushrooms, white, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2017, from http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2482/2
NIH. (2016, April). Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin D. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
