Instructional &
Informational Posts
It’s Friday and you've worked hard this week so, how about something easy? It’s the Fast Friday 5 – a quick five things you need to know, served up nice and simple.
Injecting more greens into your smoothies is an excellent way to boost the nutrition of your fave snack or breakfast.
Different greens have different nutrients - each veggie has its own unique biochemical cocktail that in reasonable amounts, assists your body with many functions.
However, using the same leafy green over and over can actually skew your body toward certain diseases and away from health. It’s rare to have health concerns related to guzzling greens, but here are some key facts to keep in mind.
Fact: Spinach
While this ubiquitous green is a great source of plant-based iron, it also contains oxalic acid which can cause some at-risk individuals to form kidney stones when eaten in large amounts. We’re talking heaps of spinach everyday, for weeks.
Fact: Kale
As a member of the brassica family along with broccoli, cabbage and collards, kale and its friends can influence thyroid function. Your thyroid is the master of your metabolism impacting temperature control, weight fluctuations and energy levels. Generally for folks with thyroid concerns, you'll wanna steam all brassica vegetables prior to chowing down to destroy potentially harmful goitrogens. Healthy as a horse? Consuming raw kale from time-to-time is a safe and healthy habit.
Fact: The Weird Ones
There are health benefits to some greens that you may not have considered. Dandelion is a liver-loving green with a slightly bitter taste. These greens go well in a smoothie and can help with liver function and better bowels. Parsley and cilantro help with elimination of heavy metals and other toxic substances. Throw these greens into your rotation, especially after a night out on the town.
How to Rotate?
A simple way to start rotating your greens is to do so weekly. Start out with a big bunch of spinach one week, then the next week try kale. You might try buying kale and dandelion in the same week, alternating these daily. Try to rotate between families, buying from a different family each week or choosing two families for a week and alternating between them daily to provide a diversity of nutrients.
