Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the healing marbles from the earth. It is among my favorite vegetables, not for its taste but because it makes me feel so good when I drink its juice. It is highly alkaline. I have used the deep green leaves lightly steamed and mixed with kelp as a poultice to relieve liver cystic pain. I have also used this same poultice on the nap of my neck to relieve intense migraine headaches. Raw cabbage leaf when it reacts with saliva releases healing properties. Cabbage juice with almonds stimulates great pain relievers, the natural endorphins of the brain, and causes a release of a substance that is pain relieving. Cabbage seems to relieve kidney and liver pain by activating these natural endorphins. It is the vegetable highest in the element called boron. Boron is super for maintaining bone strength. It is high in vitamin C. An added benefit for a few of us who drink daily cabbage juice with almonds is that our gray hair seems to revert back to its natural color. Much of the gray is eliminated. Cabbage contains a cancer-fighting phytochemical called indole-3-carbinol. One cup of cooked cabbage delivers 100 mg of this ingredient.

Cabbage is a great protector of DNA; cabbage increases the metabolism of estrogen by products throughout  the liver. The sulfurins, the smelly part of cabbage is what researchers have found useful as an antioxidant. After juicing cabbage, I must immediately take the pulp to the compost heap or if I am traveling, I will wrap it in a double plastic bag and toss it.

Cabbage makes a lovely addition to a garden, blooming like a giant green rose coming up from inside the earth. Even more gorgeous to behold is a purple cabbage unfolding amongst the flowers. Cabbage contains high amounts of vitamin C, mostly concentrated in the core of the plant. This Vitamin C is not destroyed in storage, by moderate cooking or in the making of sauerkraut. Garlic, carrots, the cabbage family and some other vegetables contain sulphuranes which expel worms and intestinal parasites. Cabbage maintains the integrity of DNA, very important for PKD'rs due to the second hit theory—that there are things in the environment which alter DNA and cause cells to mutate beginning the process of cyst formation. Cabbage will keep the endocrine system stimulated. It makes carbonates more useful to mix with minerals and vitamins in the body processes. The most important buffer pair in the extracellular fluid is the bicarbonate -carbonic acid pair. There are two other extracellular buffers that contribute to buffering—these are inorganic phosphates and plasma proteins. Cabbage juice aids this process

Pesticides end product, is the residual remaining in the soil from repeated pesticides and DDT spraying. Though DDT was stopped in the United States in the 1950’s what remains in the soil and rivers are the residual molecules that have become chemically changed from the original pesticide molecule. These changed molecules are then taken up by animals, which graze on the grasses or drink from the rivers. This is then stored in the fatty tissue of the animal. For this reason perhaps a well marbled steak might be particularly high in estrogen like molecules. Eating organically may help diminish estrogen disruptor exposure. I juice, juice, juice. This provides the body which much needed micronutrients not found in a vitamin tablet. Cabbage juice with 5-7 almonds is the one food product I have found that increases the liver’s metabolism of estrogen.

A large glass of carrot juice has 5 grams of protein so does an egg. Salad Mallow has 10 grams of protein in a 100 gram portion. Once dialysis begins the protein requirement to stay in a neutral nitrogen balance may change. Some say it increases others have tried decreasing it to 0.3 grams /kilogram of body and supplementing with essential amino acids from Gambro or Calwood, outlined in the book by the late Mackenzie Walser MD, Coping with Kidney Disease. Excess protein is converted to sugar and sugar is stored as fat.

If you are a vegan —Cabbage contains all the essential amino acids. I juice cabbage regularly with 5 almonds. In addition to adding anti-oxidants, the almonds also adds additional essential fatty acids which facilitates the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins. Amino acids are components which make up a protein. The body is unable to manufacture essential amino acid; they must be ingested daily.
To give you an idea of how much protein to eat, my requirement is 31 grams. I found (that by making dietary changes to exclude dairy, exclude soy, and exclude many animal products) I still had to be careful not to exceed my daily protein requirement. Vegetables have sufficient protein, especially while juicing abundant amounts of raw vegetables. CAUTION if you must restrict potassium, or phosphorus, check with your renal dietitian which foods are appropriate for you. Careful with cabbage juice and any cruciform vegetables such as broccoli, rutabagas, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower if you have thyroid difficulties.

CABBAGE JUICE RECIPES
Cabbage juice, used to be difficult for me to get down. I have another recipe that might make it easier. Juice an apple (gala or golden delicious) first, pour half of the apple juice into a shot glass. Without cleaning the juicer or the container to catch the juice, juice a quarter of a cabbage with 5-7 almonds, in with the cabbage. Drink the cabbage juice and follow it with the apple juice chaser.
I found if cabbage is mixed with any juice other than apple, this increases the sulfurins in the cabbage juice and makes it much more difficult to drink. Sometimes cabbage is a bit pungent. To cut this I juice an apple first, then the cabbage.

Cabbage Juice Recipe
Ingredients
1/4 cabbage savoy (sweetest), green, red (high in iron)
5-7 almonds
Instructions
Slice in wedges that will easily fit through the opening of the juicer. Juice a portion of cabbage then about 5 almonds then more cabbage.
Yield: 2 ounces of cabbage juice

ALTERNATIVE Cabbage Juice Recipe
I use a juicer machine.
Cut and core an apple removing the seeds. Apple seeds contain strychnine. Put the apple slices through the juicer. Reserve this apple juice as a chaser for the cabbage juice. Without cleaning the juicer, slice a quarter of a cabbage so the pieces can easily fit through the juicer. This can be green or red cabbage. I find Savoy cabbage to be the most pleasant tasting. I put this through the juicer and then I put about 10 almonds through the juicer as well. I drink the cabbage almond juice first and follow it with the apple juice chaser. Take the remains to your compost heap immediately. The sulforaphanes from cabbage give off an odiferous pungent odor.

Cabbage Juice & OTHER CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES
Raw cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are key for DNA repair. They contain large amounts of folate - which plays an important role in cell division and DNA repair. In 2006, researchers also found that the indole-3s in cruciferous vegetables increase our body's production of BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins - which are proteins that repair damaged DNA. These proteins are also widely acknowledged to be tumor suppressing. Cruciferous vegetables contain a substance called sulforaphane which has been shown to increase our production of phase-2 detoxification enzymes. These enzymes help the body render harmless and eliminate many chemicals and toxins - so really, they help your body remove what is so often causing the problem. Caution if you take thyroid medication, as cruciferous vegetables can interfere with this.