Have a Sip of This Delicious and Healthy Chicken Soup Today

More Information

By Dr. Mercola

If you’re down with a cold or a fever, you’re likely to reach for a
warm bowl of chicken soup. After all, chicken soup has been utilized as a
potent home remedy for colds since the 12th century, making it a potentially
effective (and delicious) practice to continue today.[i]

However, making homemade soup takes time so, instead, people reach for packaged and
processed soup that’s lackluster in flavor, contains artificial ingredients and
additives and is packed in containers that may leach chemicals into the food.

Instead of putting yourself in harm’s way, make some of this Soothing
Chicken Ginger Soup With Chayote and Moringa Leaves. This recipe takes chicken
soup to the next level because it uses real, healthy and flavorful ingredients such
as organic free-range chicken, ginger and colorful vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 whole organic free-range chicken, cut into serving size recipes

1 medium onion,
diced

1 thumb-sized ginger,
crushed and diced

5 cloves of garlic,
finely minced

3 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 medium chayote,
diced

1 cup fresh Moringa
leaves, removed from stem

1 tablespoon of Dr. Mercola’s coconut oil

Dr. Mercola’s Himalayan salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 cups of filtered water

Procedure:

1.
In a pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion until
softened. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir until aromatic.

2.
Place the chicken in the pot and stir-fry until
it has rendered its own fat, but do not allow the chicken to brown.

3.
Pour in the water and fish sauce and bring to a
boil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.

4.
Add the chayote and continue to simmer until it
softens. Adjust taste using salt as needed.

5.
Add the Moringa leaves and continue to simmer
for about a minute and then remove from the heat.

Have a Sip of This
Soothing Chicken Ginger Soup With Chayote and Moringa Leaves

Learning how to make chicken soup can pay off, as it’s a versatile
recipe that you can customize to fit your needs. What makes this chicken soup special
is the addition of Moringa leaves and chayote. Although these vegetables may be
unfamiliar to some, the health benefits you can get from them deserve recognition.

Massive Benefits From Moringa
Leaves

The tiny, deep-green leaves of the Moringa oleifeira tree, native to
South Asia, have been used as part of traditional medicine for centuries. By
adding Moringa leaves to dishes, you can allow your body to soak up benefits
like:

·
Impressive
nutritional and
antioxidant content: Moringa contains high amounts of potassium, iron, calcium, vitamin A, protein and essential amino
acids. The leaves are rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene, quercetin,
chlorogenic acid and vitamin C. They are high in fiber as well, essentially working
like a mop for your intestines by helping clean up excess grunge from an
unhealthy diet.[ii]

·
Potential
in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels:
Moringa leaves have
cholesterol-lowering properties. An animal study discovered that the effects
were comparable to simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug.[iii]

·
Capability
in lowering blood sugar levels:
Plant compounds in the leaves contribute to
Moringa’s potential anti-diabetic effects.[iv]
Results from two separate studies conducted on diabetes patients and women
revealed that the subjects were able to reduce their fasting blood sugar
levels.[v],[vi]

·
Protection
against arsenic toxicity:
Moringa seeds and leaves can provide a defense
against possible effects of arsenic toxicity that may be caused by eating
commonly contaminated staple foods like rice.[vii]

Moringa leaves are also antibacterial, mainly because of their
isothiocyanate content. These compounds may assist in eliminating H. pylori
bacteria, which is often linked to gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancer, from
the body. Isothiocyanates, along with flavonoids and phenolic acids, also contribute
to the anti-inflammatory capabilities of Moringa leaves, pods and seeds.

If you’re keen on adding Moringa leaves to your meals, buy your leaves
from trusted websites online or at a farmers market near you. I don’t recommend
planting your own Moringa tree in your backyard. Aside from the fact that it
grows like a weed, harvesting the small leaves from the tree can be a time-consuming
and tedious process.

Add These Vegetables for Vibrance and
Flavor

While you have the freedom to add any and as many vegetables as you
want to your chicken soup, give these a try today:

·
Chayote: The
pear-shaped chayote imparts a mild and sweet flavor to any dish. Because it
doesn’t have cholesterol and unhealthy fats, it’s a good option for people who
wish to lose weight and control bad cholesterol levels.[viii]

Chayote contains dietary fiber,
antioxidants, iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, copper and vitamins
B1, B2, B6 and C. If you’re pregnant, consider eating more chayote, as its high
folate content assists with preventing neural tube defects among babies and
helps with cell division and DNA synthesis.

When buying this vegetable, pick
medium-sized and apple-green chayote that’s fresh and firm to the touch. Do not
buy large or over-mature chayote because the skin will be tough and will have a
stringy and unappetizing pulp. The same goes for chayote with surface cuts,
pits, cracks or bruises, although you can still buy produce with mild bruises
and/or scratches.

·
Ginger: If
you love using ginger, this is a good decision, because it has antibacterial,
antiviral, antioxidant and antiparasitic properties.[ix]
Ginger may also help with memory improvement, as a study revealed that healthy,
middle-aged women who took ginger extracts over a two-month period had enhanced
attention and cognitive processing capabilities, without side effects.[x]
Furthermore, ginger can help address conditions like:

o
Inflammation:
Researchers discovered that regular ginger intake helped participants
reduce muscle soreness, boost agility and movement and lessen swelling, such as
knee pain.[xi]

o
Nausea
and other digestion-related concerns:
Ginger can help with improving
digestion, relieving colic and alleviating nausea, such as morning sickness and
motion sickness.

The Basics of Making Healthy Chicken Soup

When making chicken soup, it’s important to use organic and
pasture-raised chicken, instead of chicken that comes from CAFOs (conventional
animal feeding operations)
.

Organic pasture-raised chickens are allowed to roam freely outdoors on
pasture and consume their natural diet of seeds, green plants, insects and
worms, increasing the nutrients in the chicken. Meanwhile, CAFO chickens are usually
given artificial feeds laced with harmful growth additives, hormones and
antibiotics, paving the way for poor-quality poultry. CAFO chickens are often
cramped in small and dirty living spaces, increasing the risk for bacterial
contamination.

Although it might take more effort to look for a farmer who produces
organic free-range chicken, this can be worth it and will allow you to have
peace of mind knowing that you’re not harming yourself or your family with what
you serve.

Instead of throwing away leftover chicken bones, set these aside to
make nutritious bone
broth
. This method is inexpensive and can provide you with priceless
nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine and arginine.
You wouldn’t want to miss out on bone broth’s positive impacts, which include:

Assisting with healing and
sealing the gut and promoting healthy digestion:
Bone broth contains a
gelatin called a hydrophilic colloid.

It plays a role in attracting and holding liquids, including
digestive juices that aid in supporting proper digestion.

Decreasing joint pain and
inflammation:
This is due to nutrients like chondroitin, sulphates,
glucosamine and other compounds that are extracted when cartilage is boiled
down.

Preventing infections caused
by cold and flu viruses:
A study discovered that chicken soup possesses
medicinal capabilities that can help combat infections.[xii]

Fighting inflammation: Amino
acids in bone broth, namely glycine, proline and arginine, have
anti-inflammatory effects.

Promoting strong and healthy
bones:
Bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium and other
nutrients that have major roles in healthy bone formation.

Boosting healthy hair and nail
growth:
This benefit also comes from the gelatin in bone broth.


Source:: Mercola Health Articles