seaweed soup?

It is believed in Korean tradition that the soup helps cleanse the body after birth (they say it cleans the blood).

Family made me eat lots of it. Did it work? I have no medical proof but at my 6 week check-up Doc was amazed at how active I was, my blood work, and how quickly my uterus recovered.

On a personal note, DH actually complained of the area being much tighter and stronger then before. He said it was like GIO for the first time, not enjoyable but not much fun. I was told to eat one bowl of soup a day for a week. I actually eat 2-3 bowls a day starting the day I gave birth and stopped on day 4 (DH finally started heating up the frozen dinners I pre-made ROTFL )

As for the recipe and other benefits I'll have to ask and get back with you.

I did research on seaweed soup for a book I am working on. This is the recipe I came up with. (Since I am doing a vegetarian cookbook - I replaced the fish but it is delicious with fish too.)

Sea Vegetable Soup
This nourish soup is excellent postpartum to replenish your mineral supply. In China and Korea, this type of soup was traditionally served the first week after childbirth. Although it was usually made with fish, I have substituted tempeh. The beneficial enzymes and bacteria will help to prevent yeast-related problems like thrush. This soup is excellent during cold and flu season or anytime you need a vitamin and mineral boost.

8 ounces tempeh, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
2 carrots, sliced thin
1/4 cup crushed wakame, hiziki, arame or Sea Veg Mix
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup chopped kale, spinach, or other leafy green
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon miso
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley

Place tempeh, garlic, carrots, sea vegetables, and stock or water in a soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Stir in greens and ginger. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, or until greens are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in miso. Add a little sea salt or soy sauce if desired. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley over soup.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

When I was vegan I used a base of shiitake mushrooms along with the seaweed instead of using a fish or other meat base. Here is my recipe:

Korean Seaweed Soup (Miyuk Guk)

Serving Size : 3

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 cloves garlic -- crushed
2 green onions -- sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon sesame oil

6 cups water
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated -- sliced thin
(use soak water for broth, or just throw the dried mushrooms
into the soup and cut them after they rehydrate)

1/2 cup wakame seaweed, dried bits
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

toasted sesame seeds
green onions -- sliced into rounds

If you cannot find precut dried wakame bits, use regular wakame (ito-wakame). Rehydrate (it will expand to about 10x its dried size), cut out the tough central vein, and cut into bite size pieces.

Sauté the garlic and green onions in the sesame oil until fragrant. Add the water, and shiitake mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then let it sit covered for 10 minutes to make a mushroom broth. Add wakame, bring to boil again, and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, and soy sauce. Depending on how you like it, you may need to add more of these ingredients to taste.

Ladle out into bowls and garnish with coarsely crushed toasted sesame seeds and green onions thinly sliced in rounds. Serve with rice.