Did you know that the dark green tops and leaves are MUCH more nutritious and can have a more complete nutritional profile than the root, stalk, blossom, or spear of the vegetable?
The edible green leafy carrot tops are far richer in all sorts of vitamins and minerals than carrots, and the same is true of parsley compared to its parsnip root, turnip greens compared to turnips, beet greens compared to beets, rapini (broccoli leaves) compared to broccoli (which is the blossom), and so on.
Did you know that blending raw in a blender (or juicing) can allow more intake of nutrients from greens than can be gotten from salads alone?
For those that can tolerate uncooked veggies, benefits include having more energy, improved digestion, a reduced risk of disease, and better skin.
Did you know that daily nutritional requirements including essential amino acids (protein) can be obtained from dark leafy greens?
This is based on eating one pound of dark leafy greens per day (kale, spinach, collard greens, chard, cilantro, parsley, etc).
Did you know that food cravings can be reduced and energy increased by eating greens, because the body has gotten what it needs? (In contrast, when eating nutritionally incomplete foods or foods that are toxic*, the body signals to slow down and take in more in an attempt to restore health.)
Healthy fats such as avocados, young coconuts, olive oil, and flax seed oil are also important because they allow the body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and as such are also essential. A source of essential fatty acids with a balanced omega-3/omega-6 ratio are chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts. Eating a fat with an acid such as lemon, lime, vinegar, or sauerkraut or other fermented veggie, helps with the digestion of the fat.
*These are generally foods that come wrapped in plastic and contain ingredients not found in most kitchens.
Did you know that nutrition helps treat the root causes of chronic health conditions, whereas medications are only designed to treat symptoms?
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