Digest for Week-ending 28 May 2011

This week, it’s all about eating in season, which is a great way to ensure we’re getting the freshest produce with the highest nutrient content. On a health and energetic level, eating in season also naturally gives our bodies what they need to adapt to the seasons’ changing temperatures. Here are some vegetables in the spotlight right now!

Asparagus

Best when eaten just-picked, their true season is short and it’s here for you to take advantage of.

Greens

Abundant and powerful, the many types of greens are perfect for detoxing after a long Winter!

Radishes

Pungent radishes work to help cleanse the liver as well and are high in a key protective vitamin.

Beets

Hands down my favorite vegetable that makes its way into both raw and cooked dishes!

Artichokes

Packed with fiber and nutrients, these are a little work, but totally worth the effort!

Vidalia Onions

Both sweet AND healthy, these sweet onions can accompany just about any meal and help you to pass on dessert.

What's in Season? - Greens

Isn’t it wonderful that nature provides for us the things we need to stay health and adapt to the seasons? Spring, for example, is the perfect time for fresh greens. It’s their season and the season that is most associated with their cleansing effects and our detoxification organ, the liver. Their color is also associated with Spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy.

Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping your skin clear and blemish free. Members of this family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid (derived from the word foliage), chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals.

You may be surprised to know that greens are also high in protein, relatively speaking. In Joel Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live, he outlines the protein and nutritional content in 100 calories of sirloin steak versus that of broccoli, romaine lettuce, and kale.

Food - Protein (g)

Sirloin - 5.4
Broccoli - 11.2
Romaine lettuce - 11.6
Kale - 9.5

Of course you would have to eat 15 – 30 times in weight the amount of vegetables to get the same amount of protein in the meat, but this is a good thing because loading up on vegetables will help fill us up and keep our digestion running smoothly.

So eat them raw in salads, sauté them, add them to soups, stews, and smoothies, and juice them. Get them any way you can think of this time of year and you’ll be doing your body good!

What’s your favorite green vegetable and how do you like to prepare it??

Picture of beautiful dinosaur kale courtesy of Bonnie Rogers.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Maybe you remember that adorable song sung by Kermit the frog. It came to mind today while I was talking to a client about the fact that when we “go off the wagon” of healthy eating, the first thing to go is vegetables, and more specifically green vegetables. Why is that? Is it because it’s rare to find kale served at the local fast food restaurant, or because there’s no such thing as spinach ice cream?

What we don’t always realize is that if we are eating our broccoli and baby greens on a regular basis, then we are less likely to crave the foods we should be eating very little of, like sweets, processed and refined carbohydrates, and salty fast food. And if there’s one food category that can dramatically improve our health, it’s green vegetables.

And despite what Kermit says, it is easy to make green part of your everyday. Add a green to your eggs, soup, salad, or wrap. Whatever you’re eating, “greening” it will add very few calories. Yet the fiber and nutrients that they provide will create a ripple effect that will make your cells happy and make it less likely that you’ll wind up with a bucket of fried chicken for lunch. Try it, it’s easy!