Glorious Greens
Green Vegetables are the most common missing food in modern diets. Learning to incorporate dark leafy greens into your diet is essential to establishing a healthy body and immune system. Greens help build your immune system and strengthen the blood and respiratory system. When you nourish yourself with greens, you naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick. Leafy green vegetables are also high alkaline foods, great for keeping our bodies at the proper pH level. Alkaline minerals in our bodies neutralize acidic conditions caused by the environment and poor quality foods that we may eat. Green vegetables help replenish our alkaline mineral stores ad filter out pollutants.
Benefits of consuming Dark Leafy Greens
Green is associated with Spring, St. Patrick's Day and the month of March. It is a time of renewal, refreshment, and vital energy. In Chinese medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity. Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They're loaded with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Although choosing organic is recommended, eating non-organic greens is still preferable to not eating any greens at all.
Blood Purification- Cancer Prevention
- Improved circulation
- Strengthened Immune System
- Promotion of light, flexible energy
- Improved liver, gall bladder, and kidney function
- Less congestion and mucus, especially in the lungs
- Promotion of healthy intestinal flora
Experiment with Greens
There are a wide variety of greens available year round, so explore options that you can enjoy and eat often. If you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and experiment with new greens that you've never tried before. Common options include bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe and dandelion. Arugula, endive, chicory, lettuces, spinach, mesclun, and wild greens (like Chickweed) are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of calcium. Rotate a variety of fresh greens in your diet and try to consume 6 to 8 cups a DAY. Yep, I said DAY. Start with a cup or 2 and slowly add an additional cup each week. You will be surprised how healing this can be to your body, especially if you have a health issue you would like to heal.
Need help with all these greens? Shoot me a text (209) 768-6383 or email (healthcoachkellogg@gmail.com) and we can come up with answers together.
Cooking or Just Eating Greens
Try a variety of methods for preparing greens. The best is raw or slightly steamed (just enough to turn them bright green). The steaming gently breaks down the cell walls to release all of the valuable nutrients contained in your green. You can also use methods like steaming, boiling, lightly sauteing in a good oil, water sauteing, or lightly pickling (as in a pressed salad). Boiling helps greens plump and relax. Boil for under a minute to avoid losing nutrients in the water. You can also drink the cooking water or save it to use later in a stew or soup. The cooking water can also be used as a fortifying broth or tea if you're using organic greens. Steaming makes greens more fibrous and tight, which helps you feel fuller, longer. This is a great way to curb cravings for those eating greens to try and lose weight. Finally, raw greens is a convenience and nutrient dense way to consume greens. It's refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.
So let's practice eating Greens in March
Are you with me? We all could use a boost in our leafy green consumption. I hope you will try the recipe posted in this newsletter or another recipe where you can try leafy greens in a creative and tasty way. You can share your experience with the rest of us on the Living Lifestyle Facebook page. I would love to hear from you and support your desire to add more green vegetables into your life.