THE CANCER-FIGHTING PROPERTIES OF THE BRASSICA FAMILY ARE SECOND TO NONE

1 garlic clove 1  handful fresh parsley leaves 1 tbsp fresh, chopped chives 2  tbsp good hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil 1 lemon, juice and zest 2  tbsp grated fresh parmesan cheese (optional) DIRECTIONS Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the kale and cook for a maximum of 30 seconds. Rinse immediately in cold water and squeeze dry (putting  it on a paper towel helps). JOEL SARTORE Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor to create a chunky pesto, adding additional water or lemon juice to create a smoother texture. Season with salt and pepper. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION  (per serving) Calories 178 kcal Protein 8.2 g Carbohydrates 16.6 g Fats 14.8 g SUPER NUTS  AND SEEDS Nuts and seeds should be a staple  in your food cupboard. They offer essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre in a handy, portable package. Grind them down and you can make a wide variety of delicious butters. Before you start devouring more nuts and seeds though, it’s worth pointing out that they contain a substance called phytic acid. In large amounts, this can bind to minerals in the food you eat and reduce the amount you absorb, which isn’t ideal. There is a simple solution though. Keep nuts and seeds for snacks between meals or soak them in a warm bath of acid water (put two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in water) for  24 hours. This will render the STOCK PHOTO majority of the phytic acid inactive  and make the nuts and seeds not only perfect for cooking and making butters but also extremely easy to digest. Here are three good options: ALMONDS are brimming with calcium, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and riboflavin. Despite almost 50% of an almond’s weight being fat, intakes of 7 g per day actually appear to promote fat loss when part of a reduced calorie diet.8 The vitamin E content of almonds is amongst the highest of all foods: a single 30 g serving provides 50% of your daily requirement. Vitamin E has been shown to be an intrinsic component of Leydig cell health through reducing lipid peroxidation.9 As these cells are the centre of testosterone production in the testes, it’s worth keeping them healthy. MACADAMIA NUTS, while pretty high on the calorie scale (200 kcal per 30 g).