Nourishing Coconut Beet Soup
I recently made some of my favorite soup to nourish a dear friend of mine who just had a baby. This soup sounds strange but believe me it is delicious and super good for you. In Chinese Medicine there is the idea that things in nature that resemble certain parts of the body are useful in curing issues with those parts of the body. In Western medicine this concept was developed by Paracelsus stating that "nature marks each growth according to it's curative benefit". Later this became to be known as the Doctrine of Signatures. Just looking at a beet tells you exactly what it is useful for, building blood. This concept is further proven by the fact that beets contain many blood building minerals such as iron, folate and manganese. It is known to purify blood to aid in detoxification, increase blood flow which helps lower blood pressure and helps with constipation due to it's high fiber content.
You can see why this would be beneficial for a new mom. Coconut is specifically beneficial for building Yin which comprises the fluids of the body, one of which is blood. The fat in coconut oil is unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties such as relieving pain and irritation from hemorrhoids, reducing inflammation and improving absorption of many vitamins and minerals. In Aryuvedic tradition, it is often suggested to women to improve milk supply, as the milk that a mother produces is directly made from Yin/Blood. In terms of fertility, signs of abundant yin can be seen leading up to ovulation in the amount of fertile mucus that is produced. When yin is depleted, your body shows signs of heating up, as Yin is the cooling and moistening system of the body.
During pregnancy, Qi and blood become fully abundant resulting in thicker hair and nails and that glow that so many talk about. During the birth process, a woman loses a lot of qi and blood. This can show up postpartum with symptoms such as hair loss, anxiety, depression, low milk supply, fatigue, and memory loss. It is important to get on top of replenishing immediately postpartum in order to feel well and nourished.
This recipe is beneficial for everyone, whether it be fertility issues, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, menopause or general wellbeing. It is nutritious and absolutely delicious.
Coconut Beet Soup
Ingredients:
2 to 3 small sized beets or one large beet cooked, chopped and peeled
2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic
1 tbsp chicken or vegetable better than bullion (contains no msg) or even better homemade chicken stock.
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp of virgin, unrefined organic coconut oil
sea salt to desired taste
Directions:
Wash and cook beets in about 4 cups of water. I use a pressure cooker which takes about 12 minutes. Run beets under cold water and remove the skin and chop. If using bullion, reserve 2 cups of water from the cooked beets and set aside. In a medium sized pot, melt the coconut oil and add the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Add the beet water, the bullion and the sea salt. To that, add the chopped beets. Using a handheld blender, puree the beets. To finish off add the coconut milk. Enjoy!
