Go Green
For the Health of It
The color green is associated with spring, the time of renewal, refreshment, and vital energy. In Asian medicine, green is associated with emotional stability, creativity, and physiological and psychological enlightenment. When you nourish yourself with leafy greens, you feel strengthened and nurtured and foods that make you unhealthy become less desirable and are naturally crowded out.
When most people hear “leafy green vegetables,” they probably think of iceberg lettuce. However the ordinary, pale crunchies in restaurant salads don’t boast the power-packed goodness or taste (pass the ranch dressing!) of other darker greens, most of which our Western diets are unfortunately lacking.
All green vegetables play a critical role creating good health, yet they are sadly the food most absent from our modern diets. Many folks, especially children, wrinkle their noses and eschew these wonder foods. But greens don’t have to be a food eaten under duress as if to fulfill an unwelcome dietary requirement to maintain good health. (This behavior is unhealthy in and of itself, but that’s a story for another day.) These strength-building powerhouses are high in nutrients, cook quickly, and taste oh-so-delicious. Savory greens can be cooked in a myriad of ways to satisfy your taste buds and leave you feeling great and craving more.
Most leafy greens are chock full of magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc. They’re also packed with vitamins A, C, and E, all considered antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, the unstable, cancer-promoting oxygen molecules that have been shown to cause obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and immune system suppression. Additionally, the chlorophyll found in greens cleanses and tones the blood.
Leafy greens are also great sources of fiber and important minerals, especially calcium and iron. The media has bombarded us with the recent milk campaign, attempting to make us think that milk and dairy are our only viable sources of calcium. Greens are very high in nondairy calcium, especially kale, dandelion greens, collards, parsley, turnip greens, and watercress.
Numerous nutritional studies show that dark green leafy vegetables may be our most potent weapon against cancer and other degenerative diseases. Lee Wattenberg, “prevention pioneer” and medical professor at the University of Minnesota states, “Diets that are rich in vegetables and fruits are protective against many cancers…a fairly large number of prevention compounds have been found in fruits and vegetables. When you look at the totality, it’s quite impressive.”
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