When we eat SOS-free (no added Salt, Oil and Sugar) with whole food plant based meals, we need to add iodine into our diet. Without adding iodized-salt to our meals, where do we get it?

It's easy to find in sea vegetables. Sea vegetable isn't very common in diets in the West but it's actually a staple of the traditional Oriental diet. Historically, people in Japan eat a small amount of sea vegetable two or three times a day. And a number of medical professionals believe that this added, nutrient-dense food is a big part of the reason their population is so much healthier than those eating a standard Western diet.

The most common types of sea vegetable here in the West are Nori, Wakame, Kombu and Dulse. Anyone who has eaten in a Japanese restaurant has eaten Nori. That's the dark green wrapping around the sushi. And the little green flecks in the miso soup are wakame.

What Bill and I do to get the benefits of sea vegetable is add a small piece of wakame to our morning smoothie. With this, we have all the iodine we need for the day as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals. We also cook our beans and grains with Kombu, cutting it up and adding it back in after it is cooked.

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Sea vegetable is also known to minimize menopause symptoms. In fact, the women in Japan had no menopausal symptoms until they began eating a Western diet several decades ago. This gives us women another good reason to add sea vegetables to our diet.

Adding a small amount of sea vegetable each day is a way to boost the amazing benefits of eating whole food, plant based meals. We love how we feel and the energy and clarity we have eating this way.

The recipe this week is a Fruity Coleslaw with an almond, balsamic dressing. Really great.

To Your Amazing Health,

Connie and Bill

Fruity Coleslaw (Serves 2-4)

• 2-3 cups red and green cabbage, cut very fine or grated
• 1 cup grated carrots (3 carrots)
• 2-3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 apple, cored & diced
• 1 cup pineapple, fresh, frozen or canned
• 1 cup grapes (if large cut in half)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• Optional: 2 cups cooked chickpeas (this makes it a more filling, complete meal all by itself)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with the Creamy Dressing below.

Creamy Dressing

• 1/3 cup almonds
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup white Balsamic vinegar or regular Balsamic
• ¾ cup purified water
• 4 dates or ¼ cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Add to salad and stir well. Serve.