Five Reasons to Eat Your Greens

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It’s no secret that vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They’re rich in vitamins, minerals, and those amazing phytonutrients, and they keep us feeling great and functioning at our best.

And though I’d never pit one veg against another—because they all have so much goodness going on—those green leafy vegetables are pretty special.

Five Reasons to Eat Your Leafy Green Veggies

What’s so great about dark leafy greens? Quite a lot, actually:

Dark leafy greens are vitamin and mineral rich. They contain the vitamins A, C, E, K and minerals such as iron and calcium. There’s a lot to say about each of these, but in brief, each are essential to basic health and functioning of the body. They support skin health, eye health, immune health, bone health, and proper overall health of body systems (Morris et al).
Dark leafy greens contain folate. Folate, a B vitamin, promotes heart health, helps to prevent birth defects, promotes blood health, and is necessary for DNA duplication and repair which means it can help protect against cancer development (Morris et al). Folate may even be helpful in maintaining healthy mood and emotions (Melong, and Gardner).
They’re good for the brain. They’ve been found to improve memory and processing ability (Morris et al).
They promote heart health. Dark leafy greens have been found to reduce the risk of various cardiovascular diseases (Pollock).
They have anti-cancer properties. Dark leafy greens are high in free-radical-fighting antioxidants and are rich in phytonutrients, including the cancer-fighting carotenoids. They are also high in fiber, which is helpful for digestion and may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer (Www2.Ca.Uky.Edu).

That’s an impressive list of attributes, and it’s really just skimming the surface. When you up your veg—and especially your greens—you really can feel it. Clearer mind, more energy, less bloat. And, a greater desire to eat more veggies. It’s funny how that works.

A green smoothie is an easy way to get the veggies in.

Sometimes, even for the veggie-lover, it’s hard to get all the veggies in every day. It can be a lot to plan for, to prep, and to chew. That’s why so many people turn to green smoothies as an easy and fun way to get more green veggies in every day.

I love starting the day with a green smoothie whenever I can. When I do, I feel energized and nourished. I also feel confident, knowing I’ve given my body so much nutrition right out of the gate.

I do try, though, to sip slowly and take my time, because all that veg would actually take a lot longer to chew than it does to sip, and I want to give my system time to process it.

How to Make the Best Green Smoothie

The best green smoothies are those that are actually smooth. Nothing ruins a smoothie more than the texture of spinach pulp or a chunk of slimy banana.

High-powered blenders such as the Vitamix or Blendtec are up to any challenge your smoothie can throw at it. Kale? Broccoli? Nuts? No problem. These blenders will make it all smoothie as cream, but they do come with a pretty hefty price tag.

Want to enjoy a green smoothie without shelling out that cash for a new kitchen gadget?

Me too!

Find out how to get a creamy and delicious smoothie with a budget blender here.

Which green leafy veggies are your favorite? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them? Do you like to drink your veggies?

Sources:

Lin, Yan. "Dark Green Leafy Vegetables : USDA ARS". Ars.Usda.Gov, 2016, https://www.ars.usda.gov/plains-area/gfnd/gfhnrc/docs/news-2013/dark-green-leafy-vegetables/. Accessed 11 Mar 2020.

Melong, Jonathan, and David Gardner. "Women With Depression Should Be Offered Folic Acid". Can Fam Physician, vol 57, no. 9, 2011, pp. 993-996. Pubmed, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3173416/. Accessed 11 Mar 2020.

Morris, MC et al. "Nutrients And Bioactives In Green Leafy Vegetables And Cognitive Decline: Prospective Study.". Neurology, vol 90, no. 3, 2018, pp. 214-222. Pubmed, doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004815. Accessed 11 Mar 2020.

Pollock, Richard Lee. "The Effect Of Green Leafy And Cruciferous Vegetable Intake On The Incidence Of Cardiovascular Disease: A Meta-Analysis". JRSM Cardiovascular Disease, vol 5, 2016, p. 204800401666143. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/2048004016661435. Accessed 11 Mar 2020.

Www2.Ca.Uky.Edu, 2020, http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/FCS3/FCS3567/FCS3567.pdf. Accessed 11 Mar 2020.