We’ve all probably heard the candy commercials touting ‘Taste the Rainbow’ as their slogan. While I’m not encouraging eating candy this is actually a great concept for healthy eating, IF they weren’t referring to eating rainbow-colored candy! So we’re hijacking their slogan and making it our own. Focusing our efforts towards eating a variety of naturally colorful foods (Eat the Rainbow) ensures we get all our necessary minerals and essential nutrients. Each different hue of fruit and/or vegetable has it’s own unique health benefits so the more we mix it up the more complete our nutrition will be.
Today, we’re talking GREENS. Any edible green plant is included in this category (spinach, kale, broccoli, kiwis, etc). These plants are green in color due to their abundance of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll acts as a detox agent within our bodies, helping to aid in the removal of toxins we encounter in our environment and from the other foods we consume. Fun fact: Chlorophyll also acts as a deodorizer which improves bad breath! The darker green the food is the more chlorophyll it contains which means more health benefits. Greens are also packed with minerals and essential nutrients! The most unexpected one being Calcium, that’s right, you don’t have to drink milk to get your daily recommended allotment of calcium green veggies are a great source as well. That’s not all either, they’re also rich in magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B, C, E, and K. Another really awesome trait of the green stuff is their high fiber and water content making them easy on glucose levels (low GI food) so they can actually help regulate blood sugar levels making them a great option for just about everyone.
So to summarize, EAT ALL THE GREEN PLANTS your body will thank you! We’ll be back with more colors you should be eating more of and why, stay tuned!