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Tuesday 24 July 2018

Leafy Green Vegetables ... so healthy !



"The 14 Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables


Leafy green vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals and fibre but low in calories. Eating a diet rich in leafy greens can offer numerous health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and mental decline.

Here are 14 of the healthiest leafy green vegetables to include in your diet.

1. Kale
Kale is rich in minerals, antioxidants and vitamins, particularly vitamins A, C and K. To reap the most benefits, it’s best eaten raw, as cooking reduces the nutritional profile of the vegetable.

2. Microgreens
Microgreens are immature greens, which have been popular since the 1980s. They’re flavourful and packed with nutrients like vitamins C, E and K. What’s more, they can be grown all year.

3. Broccoli
Broccoli  is part of the cabbage family and packs several nutrients, including the plant compound sulforaphane, which may decrease heart disease and cancer risk and improve your gut flora and even symptoms of autism.

4. Collard Greens
Collard greens have thick leaves and are bitter in taste. They’re one of the best sources of vitamin K, may reduce blood clots and promote healthy bones.

5. Spinach
Spinach is a popular leafy green vegetable that can be used in a variety of ways. It’s a great source of folate, which may prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, during pregnancy.

6. Cabbage
Cabbage has thick leaves and comes in various colours. It has cancer-protective properties and can be turned into sauerkraut, which offers additional health benefits.

7. Beet Greens
Beet greens are edible green leaves found on the tip of beets. They’re full of nutrients, including antioxidants that may support eye health.

8. Watercress
Watercress has been used in medicine for centuries. Some studies have shown that watercress may be beneficial in cancer treatment.

9. Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is a popular lettuce found in many salads. It’s full of water and fibre, making it a great food to help you lose weight. It’s also rich in vitamins A and K.

10. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard is rich in colour and often incorporated into Mediterranean cooking. It contains the flavonoid syringic acid, which may be beneficial for reducing blood sugar levels. However, human-based research on its effectiveness is lacking.

11. Arugula
Arugula is a leafy green vegetable that goes by several different names, including rocket and rucola. It’s rich in vitamins and naturally occurring nitrates, which may help reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow.

12. Endive
Endive is a lesser-known leafy green vegetable that is curly and crisp in texture. It contains several nutrients, including the antioxidant kaempferol, which may reduce cancer cell growth.

13. Bok Choy
Bok choy is popular in China and often used in soups and stir-fries. It’s one of the only leafy green vegetables that contain selenium, which benefits your brain health, immunity, cancer protection and thyroid health.

14. Turnip Greens
Turnip greens come from the greens of a turnip plant and are considered a cruciferous vegetable. Studies have found that they may decrease stress in your body and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation and atherosclerosis.

The Bottom Line
Leafy green vegetables are packed with important and powerful nutrients that are critical for good health. Fortunately, many leafy greens can be found year round, and they can easily be incorporated into your meals — in surprising and diverse ways. To reap the many impressive health benefits of leafy greens, make sure to include a variety of these vegetables in your diet."

Words above taken from an article by Autumn Enloe.
Read the full article, with relevant links here

Regular readers will know … there is a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

thats quite a list and lucky for us all they are plentiful and a good price right now!

Martha said...

All good stuff! I need to eat more of these on a regular basis.

Tom said...

...and they look beautiful.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Great list, I particularly like broccoli and spinach

Valerie-Jael said...

One lovelier than the other! Hugs, Valerie

Christine said...

I should eat more of these more often. The summer fruit is distracting me.

Jo said...

We were always served leafy green vegetables as a child and told of their health benefits. I weren't so keen on them in those days but I love them now.

Mary Kirkland said...

Out of that list Kale and Turnip Greens are the only ones that I don't care for.

Catarina said...

I don't buy microgreens or endive... but now that you mentioned them I will.

Pom Pom said...

Yum! Yum! I'm glad I like so many of those!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

We had a romaine lettuce scare here in the U.S. earlier this year. Something about it was contaminated and no one wanted to buy it. I like it all, except collard greens. When I had them, they were foul tasting. May have been the way they were cooked. Thanks for sharing this information, Jan.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I've quit eating sandwiches for lunch. I use ingredients that would go in a sandwich but I put them on top of a big leafy salad. So much better! (and I lost the 5 pounds I needed to lose without going on a 'diet')

happyone said...

Yes, and tastes good too. Good list!!!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

SO good and SO healthy..... I like most all of those green veggies... When I was a child many moons ago, Mom cooked KALE---and I hated it, but ate it... I remember that when you cook it, it has a terrible odor. We didn't have AC back then--so the smell would draw FLIES to our screen door..... What a crazy thing to remember!!!! ha

Hugs,
Betsy

JFM said...

Green is definitely good for you!!!

Happy Tuesday~

Dianna said...

Kale is our favorite around here. As a matter of fact, I just put some in the dehydrator last week to enjoy in soups, etc. this winter...and broccoli from the garden is on the menu tonight with our supper.

Karen said...

Collards are my favorites, maybe because my grandmother always cooked them for me. Good to know they are good for our bones! Thanks for you post today. Trying to eat more greens!

William Kendall said...

That's quite a list!

wisps of words said...

Agree!!!!

Greens rock!!!

:-)

Bob Bushell said...

That is a list, yet, I love them all.

Snowbird said...

Most informative, I'm delighted to know I eat at least ten of these on a regular basis.xxx

Amy Purdy said...

I love greens. We eat a lot of them here.

Lisabella Russo said...

Thanks for the information on the leafy greens! They should definitely be a key part of our diet.

Chris Lally said...

Gotta love green. So healing!

Jenn Jilks said...

Great info! We have so many wonderful greens about. Lots of local organic stuff, too!

Maria Rodrigues said...

Hi Jan
My son loves vegetables and makes lots of vegetarian recipes.
An excellent post.
Hugs
Maria
Divagar Sobre Tudo um Pouco

Elephant's Child said...

And delicious too.

Debbie said...

Good stuff, except for kale, I really don’t like kale!!!!

Carla from The River said...

Yummy! I am making Kale muffins for dinner! Kale, Sweet Potato and Fetta Cheese.

Betsy said...

I don't think there is a green I don't like. I love beets too

riitta k said...

Great list. I have been eating a lot of green salads & cabbage casserole. And the amazing thing is that although I have not been able to excerise or move, the cellulitis on my things has almost disappeared :) Low carb works!

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Um excelente artigo sobre os vegetais.
Um abraço e continuação de boa semana.

Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros

Teresa said...

Toda la verdura me gusta, en casa la comemos bastante. Besitos.

sandy said...

great list - I almost always only have Spinach in my salads, sometimes romaine - I love them both so much. I will save off this list.

Magic Love Crow said...

Excellent list! Thank you Jan!!! Big Hugs!

Conniecrafter said...

thanks I learned a few new things about some of these!

Lee said...

Spinach and broccoli, and rocket/arugula in particular, are regulars for me...and of course, in summer, lettuces plays a more regular role.

ANNA said...

Hola soy Anna de Poemias,
espero estes bien hace tiempo que no se de vos
anna-historias.blogspot.com
Besos