Listen to your mother, eat your greens!

I’m sure you remember your mom telling you to eat your vegetables or you wouldn’t get dessert, right? Maybe not. Well my mom never said this, but she did always praise me for eating my veggies! I don’t know why, but even as a kid I loved to eat my vegetables. Maybe it was more the praise I was seeking at the time rather than the taste. Either way, I ate them! I always remember my brother and sister NOT eating their veggies…although my sister would eat spinach solely because she liked Popeye. 😉

So why is it SO important to eat your veggies? And more specifically, green vegetables? Well, my friends, let me tell you. Dark green vegetables contain powerful antioxidants (beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin), and antioxidants help our cells fight cancer-causing free radicals. We are exposed to these free radical molecules through environmental exposure (chemicals, drugs, tobacco, alcohol) and also through the breakdown of our food. These pesky molecules can damage our cells and cause diseases such as cancer and heart disease. But don’t worry, green veggies are here to save the day! These nutritious vegetables are full of high levels of potassium and magnesium, which helps lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure! Dark green leafy vegetables also contain a hefty list of vitamins and minerals, and even a little Omega-3 fats — think healthy skin, hair and nails! Are you glowing?!?!?

So how can you add more of these green veggies to your daily diet? Here are some of MY favorite ways to get lots of green foods during the day:

• Have a juicer? Try making a green vegetable juice in the morning! A great, simple recipe is: 5-6 leaves of kale (or any other dark leafy green), 3-4 stalks of celery or 1/2 a cucumber, 1 lemon, 1 apple, 1/4 inch slice of ginger. Perfection.
• Eggs for breakfast? Add a handful of spinach to an egg white omelet!
• Eat a BIG salad for lunch! Toss in your favorite veggies, some protein, and a little balsamic vinaigrette!
• Sandwich? Add a layer of greens to increase to your daily dose of green veggies.
• Kale chips!!! O.M.G. So easy and delicious! Wash and cut a few leaves of kale, place on a baking sheet with a little olive oil and sea salt, bake at 350 for about 10 minutes…voila! Kale chips!
• Side dish idea: steam anything green! Add a little lemon juice, delish!
• Collard greens fettuccine. Roll collard green leaves into a fat “cigar”, cut the roll into strips, sauté with garlic and olive oil. Easy, filling, and amazing!
• Spanish tapas spinach! Sautee garlic in olive oil, add a few large handfuls of spinach, 1/4 cup raisins, 2 tbsp. pine nuts, and juice from half a lemon. Mmmmmmm…
• And last but not least, my FAVORITE protein shake! This is great after a workout or as an afternoon snack. I crave this!!!

***This is what you’ll need………

My Favorite Protein Shake:

1/2 frozen banana

1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 scoop protein powder (I use Rainbow Light Protein Energizer in Vanilla, it contains a green food complex of Spirulina, Kale, Spinach, and Dandelion Greens. It is a brown rice protein with no soy or dairy.)

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 handful spinach

1 tbsp. oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

What are some ways YOU incorporate green foods into your daily diet? Please share and comment! Let me know if you try any of my ideas!

Warmly yours,

Elizabeth