Spirit Food – Cabbage
ORIGIN
In the East, cabbage was used since the 4,000 BC and was cultivated in North China. The Greeks called cabbage “krambe” while the Romans called it “brassica”. Legends say that Diogenes ate nothing but cabbage and drank nothing but water.
Cabbage became common in Egypt as well as Rome and was considered a luxury vegetable regarded better than all other vegetables.
In some traditions, it was advised to rinse infants in cabbage-eaters urine to cleanse and protect them from infection.
Ancient Egyptians and Romans ate larger amounts of cabbage before a night of drinking and eating to allow them to consume larger amounts.
According to the Roman statesman “Cato the Elder”, cabbage cured headaches, eye pain, digestive problems, urinary infections, issues of the heart, liver, and lung pain, and joint pain. It was even used to unclog the veins of excess food and cholesterol.
Cabbage leaves were used as a compress to cure sores and even dislocations.
CHAKRA – HEART
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Cabbage is a good food to assist weight loss as it is low in calories while rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
It contains insoluble fibre, which keeps the digestive system healthy by providing fuel to keep friendly bacteria up and promoting regular bowel movements.
Cabbage contains powerful pigments called anthocyanins, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Cabbage contains vitamin K an essential vitamin for blood clotting.
The antioxidants present in cabbage can help reduce inflammation in the joints and other regions of the body. The clicking of the joints, stiffness, tightness, or pain in the joints are all signs of lack of circulation to the joints. Traditional Chinese records that cabbage clears the channels by removing toxins that may block the Qi and blood around the joints, it strengthens and loosens joints.
Your body needs vitamin C for many important functions, and it is a potent antioxidant. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant that helps boost your immune system and protect cells from damaging free radicals. It also supports collagen production, wound healing, and iron absorption.
The folate present in cabbage can promote conception, help with the growth of the foetus and reduce the risk of miscarriage.
Potassium helps keep blood pressure within a healthy range. Increasing your intake of potassium-rich foods like cabbage may help lower high blood pressure levels.
Traditional Chinese Medicine highly recommends eating cabbage as it greatly benefits your health.
SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
Cabbage assists the spiritual seeker to peel back the layers of interconnectedness to reveal understanding and to see the bigger picture. When you consume the spirit of the cabbage it’s life force can guide you on a path that brings connection and meaning to your life more so than before. It helps you to stop wasting time with petty things. It assists you to look beyond the surface to find the answers through life.
In Chinese symbolism, cabbage represents prosperity and wealth. When you pull one leaf from a head of cabbage another is there to peel. It has an abundance of leaves all packed into a small form but when the leaves are separated and opened it takes up a lot more space showing that a little may go a long way.
CONNECT WITH CABBAGE
While it can be eaten raw, as a salad, cabbage can be steamed, pickled, stewed, sautéed or braised.
Sauerkraut and kimchi are the most popular pickled variants.
Add cabbage to coleslaw and experiment with different varieties of cabbage.
Cabbage soup is a wonderfully satisfying addition to any diet.