Greens are an essential part of a nourishing diet to create vibrant health.
They are a primary food group that matches human nutritional needs most completely. They are also considered nutrient-dense. So, the more greens you add to your diet, the more revitalized, balanced, and energetic you feel.
So, what are some of the key health benefits?
Reducing the demand on your digestion will boost your physical and emotional energy. When your body doesn't have to process heavy foods and toxins, you feel invigorated. Dark leafy greens are densely packed with nutrients and oxygen, and are super high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc. They are also crammed full of fiber, protein, folic acid, chlorophyll, and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. Members of this royal green family include kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, collard greens, arugula, mustard greens, bock choy, dandelion greens, spinach, and beet greens. In Chinese medicine, the color green is related to the liver, which provides emotional stability and creativity. The liver is our most important organ for detoxifying the body (including our emotions), so greens provide necessary energy for it to do its job well. Greens also aid in purifying the blood and improve your circulation.
Some other benefits of eating dark leafy greens in your diet:
• Strengthens your immune system
• Promotes healthy gut flora
• Boosts your spirit and helps to eliminate depression
• Promotes light and flexible energy
• Loaded with fiber for healthy digestion
• Improves liver, gall bladder, and kidney function
• Clears out congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus
The benefits are endless!
Learning to prepare and eat dark leafy greens is essential to creating vibrant health.
When you nourish yourself with greens, you will naturally “crowd out” the foods that make you sick. Greens also help to build your internal rainforest (your gut microbiome) and strengthen the blood and respiratory system. They are especially good for city people who rarely see fields of green in open countryside.
Whenever possible, choose organic.
Eating non-organic greens, however, is much better than not eating any greens at all. There are so many varieties to choose from so find greens that you love and eat them often. When you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and try different types. The cruciferous vegetables like broccoli have an amazing ability to detoxify the body from harmful estrogens. So, if you’re on a healing journey from any type of hormone-receptive cancer, eating lots of cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts is a fabulous addition to your diet. Each stem of broccoli is like a tree trunk, giving you strong and grounding energy. So, get creative with all of the amazing ways you can incorporate broccoli into your diet!
While nourishing the gut flora, it’s best to rotate foods in your diet and not eat the same choices every single week. So, you can rotate between kale, collard greens, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, and Swiss chard. Green cabbage is great cooked or raw, or in the form of sauerkraut. Arugula, endive, lettuce, and micro-greens are generally eaten raw, but can be consumed in any creative way you enjoy them.
To note:
Spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium from bones and teeth and could lead to osteoporosis. So, cook these vegetables with something rich like beans, seeds, raw nuts, ghee, or coconut oil. This will help to balance the effect of the oxalic acid.
Also, spring and fall season are a great time of year for detoxifying the body. So, with the fall weather approaching, you can add green leafy vegetables to soups and stews in all sorts of creative ways. Below, you will find a variety of ways you can prepare greens in your cooking.
Cooking Greens:
Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sautéing in oil, water sautéing, waterless cooking, or lightly pickling, as in a pressed salad. Boiling makes greens plump and relaxed. Boil for under a minute so that the nutrients in the greens do not get lost in the water. You can also drink the cooking water as a health-giving broth or tea if you’re using organic greens. Steaming makes greens more fibrous which is great for people who are trying to lose weight. Raw salad is also a wonderful preparation for greens. It’s refreshing, cooling, and supplies living enzymes to the body.
When some people hear “leafy green vegetables,” they often think of iceberg lettuce. Spoiler alert on iceberg lettuce. The ordinary and pale lettuce in restaurant salads is not only depleted of nutrients, it does not have the power-packed goodness of dark leafy greens. So, when choosing your vegetables, remember the darker in color the more nutrient-dense!
Get into the habit of adding these dark leafy green vegetables into your daily diet. One great way is to start making green smoothies! You can mix up the dark leafy greens with all sorts of delicious flavors, like green apples, baby kale, fresh mint, celery, raw almonds, fresh ginger, flax and chia seeds, and lemon. Blend these ingredients with pure filtered water and ice for a refreshing taste. Try it out for a month and see how you feel.
If you’re looking for a great addition to your kitchen that is simple, compact, and easy to clean for green smoothies, try the Nutribullet. It’s amazing! It also comes with a fabulous book of delicious smoothie recipes, including all of the health benefits you receive.
So, get creative and start adding dark leafy greens into your diet for vibrant health & well-being!
Disclaimer:
This article is not meant to treat or cure any illness or disease and is meant for educational purposes only. If you are undergoing a cancer diagnosis or any other medical condition, seek medical care from a board-certified doctor or other qualified practitioner in regard to your treatment and any contraindications with your medical care.
