Trace minerals are one of those things that we don’t think about but just a small deficiency can cause big impacts on the body.  Whenever I’m feeling a little tired-for-no-reason, I amp up on the foods that have trace minerals.  Traditionally we got all our minerals from eating foods grown in mineral-rich soil, but these days it’s easier to find them in the ocean.   Eating Wakame seaweed is a good choice, being a good source of magnesium, iron, calcium, and iodine, and found in most health food stores.

Wakame Seaweed and Cucumber Salad

  • 2 cucumbers (peeled if not organic)cucumberwakamesalad
  • 1/2 cup carrot
  • 3 tablespoon wakame seaweed, soaked and sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt per cup of vegetables
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce (high-quality or tamari)
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger juice


Slice the cucumbers thinly on the diagonal and place them in a bowl. Cut the carrots into matchsticks, add them to the cucumbers, and then add the sea salt, using 1/2 teaspoon per every cup of vegetables. Gently massage the vegetables until the moisture begins to come out. Place a plate on top of the vegetables and place something heavy on top to weight it down. Press the vegetables in this way for approximately one hour. Pour off the excess liquid. Add the brown rice vinegar, shoyu, and ginger juice. Mix and serve.