Green Food!
It’s the season of green! So let’s spend a little time on what various green foods give you for health benefits! These are often foods we find within our client’s plans. Metabolic Balance plans are created to nutritional support your body’s needs. So let’s look at some of the benefits of getting a good daily dose of green vegetables.
GREEN FOOD
Green foods are often associated with leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, celery and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, etc. Green foods are abundant in nutrients that support heart health including vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, dietary nitrates, and folates. Studies have shown that consuming green vegetables daily could reduce cardiovascular disease risk by 15.8%. [1]
CHLOROPHYLL
The green comes from chlorophyll. Do you remember this from elementary science!? This little green dose has shown antioxidant activity and can support reducing inflammation and related diseases. Antioxidants battle the free radicals that are produced naturally by the body’s metabolism. While the body creates them, if they accumulate too much, it can be toxic to the body. These toxins can lead to aging faster as well as chronic conditions such as neurodegenerative, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, atherosclerosis and ulcerative colitis. Inflammation can result in redness, pain, function loss and a number of pro-inflammatory markers found in the body. Chlorophyll provides the body with these very important antioxidants to protect your health.[1]
BRAIN FUNCTION
Studies have shown those who consumed the most leafy greens each day had slower rates of cognitive decline. This is compared to those who ate the least amount of leafy greens. Organic vegetables are rich in folate (B9) which facilitate the production of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that transfer messages from the brain to the rest of the body). [2]
REDUCE BELLY BLOATING
A diet high in processed foods (with a lot of additional salt) can often be the cause for a bloated belly. There are some additional reasons as well that should be brought up to your doctor like gut infections, candida overgrowth as well as hormone imbalance. Leafy greens are rich in potassium which is a mineral and electrolyte that is essential to the body because it keeps your body’s fluid balanced at its optimal level. Having enough potassium intake through your green food can support a reduced bloated belly! [2]
LEAFY GREENS
A Metabolic Balance plan is packed full of vegetables. What types of vegetables you get on your plan, depends on your body and your health needs. But a sample of some common green vegetables that may come up on your individualized nutrition plan are some like:
- Boston Bibb Lettuce (Butter Lettuce)
- Dandelion Greens
- Cucumber
- Curly Endive
- Iceberg Lettuce
- Romaine Lettuce
- Sprouts
- Brussel Sprouts
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Kale
- Green Beans
- Green Cabbage
- Kohlrabi
- Green Olives
- Parsley
- Savoy Cabbage
- Zucchini
- Avocado
- Bok Choy
- Broccolini
- Green Bell Peppers
- Leek
- Pickles
FCM Coaching
While our popular fast/convenient culture doesn’t promote a lot of vegetables, make a point of integrating more in, at home. Enjoying them fresh or frozen (cooked) are the best choices. Remember food is your medicine, think of it as getting in your daily dose of vitamins and minerals. You start shifting your mindset for eating for health instead for emotions, stress, and uninformed choices. Learn more about a balanced approach to renewed health with FCM Coaching. Book a Discovery Call to learn more!
Resources:
[1] https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/healthy-lifestyles-last-blog/2022-02-08-eat-green-foods-better-health#:~:text=Green%20foods%20are%20abundant%20in,reduce%20CVD%20risk%20by%2015.8%25.
[2] https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/benefits-leafy-greens
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