Eat Your Greens

What a fabulous green growing season it’s been! The kale, lettuce rocket and spinach have been pumping. And the stores are gratefully bulging with fresh broccoli and cabbage (our cruciferous friends) because I can’t seem to get those happening up here!  The green thumbs are truly glowing with the extra time we’ve been gifted at home. A huge theme right now for the clinic seems to be ‘eat more greens’ for a billion reasons so I thought I’d share just a few here! Are you ready? Here we go!
Antioxidants- greens of all sorts are busting with natural antioxidants. Food is the single best way to get them into you on a daily basis.  Antioxidants are like a mop up crew in the body for things that could potentially damage our cells. Antioxidants also prevent premature aging. Who doesn’t want a bit of that?
Liver support- the liver is filtering 2L of blood a minute so give it some love. It’s busy detoxing and metabolising environmental and ingested toxins, hormones and toxic fumes. It’s creating bile and cholesterol as well as dealing with caffeine, alcohol and sugar. It even stores energy bless its lobes! I’ve really glossed over its roles but it’s a ridiculously important organ! Greens contain lots of the nutrients the liver needs to function at its best. Eat a huge variety including the cruciferous family of broccoli, cabbage and Brussel sprouts to truly treat your liver.
High in fibre- those toxins gotta leave the body somehow! Keeping regular bowel movements keeps the toxins moving out! It also feeds all those little goody two shoes bacteria to keep us healthy and well both physically and mentally.
Rich in iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium- just to name a few. We need as many varied sources of nutrients as we can get to ensure good absorption. Greens contain lots of micronutrients the body depends on to sustain life. These nutrients aren’t limited to single food groups. Eating a broad variety of foods gives you the best chance of getting all the nutrients you need.
Folate rich- so important in pregnancy to prevent neural tube defect e.g. spina bifida but did you know it’s also needed to synthesise some neurotransmitters? Serotonin and dopamine both need it and so does adrenaline. Mental health is a topic close to my heart both personally and professionally. Yes, eating more greens is a part of the puzzle but often it has 1000 pieces so seek out help if you are feeling down, overwhelmed or anxious. I promise you are not alone!
While you enjoy a spinach pie with a side of garden greens tonight think of all the lovely ways you are nurturing your strong and resilient body! Go the green thumbs!