Why You Need To "Go Green"

Green-Veggies

Why You Need To "Go Green"

Greens are great!

We’ve all been told to eat our greens because they are good for us but why?
Green vegetables or “greens” are actually a power house of nutrition with different greens having different vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals which all serve to keep you vibrant and healthy.
One of the great benefits of greens is the alkalizing effect they have on the body. All disease stems from an acidic body so by having a daily dose of greens you are helping to prevent one of the causes of chronic and degenerative disease in the body.
Greens are also packed with soluble fibre. Soluble fibre has many benefits, some which include helping to lower cholesterol, maintain satiety and encourage bowel movement and digestive health.
Greens are also packed which chlorophyll, which is fantastic for cleansing the blood and deodorising the body.
Switching up your greens is also important so that you get an array of different nutrition combinations to help cover a more vast array of health.
Different greens include: Endive, broccoli, spinach, kale, endive, seaweed, bok choy, gai lan, kang kong, silverbeet, and rocket
Some different health benefits of greens are as follows:

  • Spinach is a great source of non-heme iron, which is needed for building the blood and carrying oxygen around the body.
  • Rocket is rich in indoles, thiocyanates and sulforaphane which counteract oestrogenic cancers such as breast, colon, cervical and prostate.
  • Kale is rich in di-indol-methane which is an immune modulator, anti bacterial and antiviral.
  • Bok Choy is a negative calorie green so you actually burn calories when you consume it.
  • Silverbeet is rich in vitamin A, which helps to protect mucus membranes.
  • Green cabbage is a great source of glutamine, which is needed for gut repair.
  • Broccoli is rich in zea-xanthin which helps to protect eyes from ageing.
  • Kang Kong works as a mild laxative.
  • Gai Lan contain oils, which convert into isothiocyanate, which induce phase 2 liver detoxification.
  • Seaweed is a great source of iodine needed for a healthy thyroid gland.
  • Mustard greens are rich in vitamin K, which assist in building bones and maintaining healthy bones.
  • Endive is a bitter and also assists healthy bile flow.

 
As you can see, greens have a range of different health benefits some which are contained in more than one type of green such as vitamin A, Folate, and Vitamin C.
Start adding green vegetables to your meals daily and alternate them to benefit from the numerous health promoting qualities that they contain.
 
 
 

Teodora Robinson
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