The Power Of Leafy Greens

Food is what I consider to be the foundation of health. Speaking for myself, at one time I was hitting the gym religiously and still had a gut. Case in point is when I would take on any all-you-can eat specials!


Today, I make sure I pick the best greens and other ingredients for my salad. My salad dressing is simply oil and vinegar, and sometimes some lemon juice. I try to limit my sodium by using spices such as turmeric, black pepper and garlic salt.


We are in the middle of a kale revolution, as everyone seems put kale on their shopping list. Here are some ideas for kale salad. Because of its affect on the thyroid and high vitamin K content, kale should be limited to 3-4 times a week.


I am practically addicted to this greens and beans recipe. I tend to mix the greens and will use kale, spinach, beet greens, chard, etc., in one pot full!


Knowing your leafy greens and their nutritional value may or may not teach you something. For instance, I did not consider broccoli a leafy green but I did know that iceberg offers minute nutrition. More on the health benefits of the healthy leafy greens here.

Health Week Tips-Day 1

I'm starting a bit of an experiment this week as I give advice and tips about various healthy lifestyle issues. If it works, I'll do it again, perhaps turning it up to a month or even a year. Either way, I'm sure I'll need to streamline it to make it more informative.

Nutrition

Featured Super Food: Kale. Kale is beneficial in so many ways. There's more kale benefits here, here, and finally here. Although it is one of the most beneficial super foods, it comes with a bit of caution:

Kale is very high in vitamin K, known as the clotting vitamin because without it, blood won’t clot properly. If you are taking blood thinning or anti-coagulant drugs, like warfarin (brand name Coumadin), you need to avoid large amounts of kale. Kale’s level of vitamin K — a cup has more than 1,000 percent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) — could interfere with your drugs.

Also, if you’re a kale newbie, don’t go overboard. Too much kale can be hard on the digestive system. Just ask the New York fashion models who binged on kale to stay slim and fight off the flu this winter and then had to be treated for diarrhea.

 

Kale recipe: My Kale Chips: Toss clean and dry kale with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add cayenne to heat it up. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Another variable is to lightly coat them with maple syrup and bake for a sweet treat.

 

Exercise

 

Even if you are doing a lot of walking, don't neglect strength training. More about strength training can be found here.

 

Featured Home Gym Equipment: Kettlebells. Kettlebells are taking the workout world by storm and may very well replace traditional weights. They are easy to grip and are great for cardio, strength and flexibility training. You should start with a weight of about 10 or less to get a feel for them, before going high. More kettlebell routines here and here.

 

Mind and Mood

 

An overall memory improving lifestyle will improve your health in all aspects. There is more information here.

 

In our hectic lives we are all influenced by stress in some way. More stress reducing tips here and here.

 

Tip Of The Day

 

Start your day with yogurt. Instead of buying a cup a day, by a 32 oz. container and divide them into 4 oz. servings which equals 8 days. Buy plain yogurt that is lowest in fat, cholesterol, sodium and sugar. If you want to sweeten it add a little maple syrup.