BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITHOUT THE BOTTOM BURPS
My Mum used to call brussel sprouts green chocolates in order to encourage us to eat them, but funnily enough, it never worked. I don’t think I really started liking them until I was in my late teens (along with other ‘grown up food’ like olives and pickles). I love them now though, and strangely, so does my toddler! She obviously has a more sophisticated palate than I did at her age (or perhaps she is just about to go off them in a big way and only eat beige food for a few years- who knows eh? ).
I thought I’d dedicate a blog post to brussel sprouts, as Christmas is around the corner and for some reason, here in the U.K. sprouts are very much associated with Christmas dinner. I presume this is because rather surprisingly for a leafy green, they can be grown in cold weather as they are tough, hardy little gangster veggies! They can pretty much be grown all year round in climates like ours, and my daughter and I eat them all year round as a result (you’ll note that my green-vegetable-averse husband isn’t getting a shout out here!). However, brussel sprouts are quite famous for for one specific bodily function- yes, you’ve guessed it. Farts!
From an Ayurvedic perspective, farts in this instance are a strong signal that brussel sprouts aggravate the Vata in us (that which is airy and spacey). Their slightly bitter quality, their heating quality and the fact that they are considered dry and mobile in Ayurveda means that not only can they put Vata out of balance, but they can also have an adverse effect on Pitta too (that which is hot and fiery). From this then, we can deduce that brussel sprouts are Kapha pacifying (they balance out that which is perhaps heavy, solid or too grounded in us).
High in calcium (so a great choice for those among us who are plant-based), vitamins C and K, and also high in folate, brussel sprouts are definitely worth eating in my opinion, especially when you work out how their adverse effects (bloating as well as bottom burping) can be mitigated. Asafoetida is definitely your friend in terms of reducing the probablity of gas after consumption, as well as providing an onion-y flavour. Nutritional yeast provides a certain heaviness, ‘groundedness’ and moistness when mixed with a nut, seed or avocado oil and drizzled over the top. It also provides that umami flavour that so many of us crave when it’s cold outside and we don’t eat much cheese! Mixing brussel sprouts with these, or indeed with sesame seeds or roasted chestnuts (as is tradition!) and a little rock salt takes the edge off for people with high Vata and Pitta, ensuring that they can enjoy the benefits without worrying about things like their partner going to sleep in another room at night!