Eat your leafy greens

As Americans we’ve been told for decades to “Eat your grains” to get fiber and be healthy. But sadly that is not the best way to get your daily intake of fiber. What we should have been told is “Eat your greens!” Leafy greens are by far a better choice to get not only fiber but vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Eating all fruits and vegetables will promote better health. And we need about 8 servings a day to be uber healthy and provide our body with the necessary nutrients to sustain a healthy body and mind.

Greens come in many forms, and not all are actually green. Some of the most common are:

Lettuces

Spinach

Mustard greens

Collard greens

Kale

Arugula

Chard

Endive

Raddicchio

Greens are not only high in fiber but also most are high in Vitamins A and K, phytonutrients, antioxidants, folate, and manganese. They are powerhouses and helping protect against many forms of cancer and support quality bone health.

Ideally you want to eat two servings a day. What is a serving?

1 cup of cooked greens

2 cups of raw greens

The many benefits of greens:

Supports healthy bones

Improves cognitive function

Supports gut health and a healthy gut microbiome

Improves proper immune system function

Decreases risk of cancer

Improves skin health

Decreases inflammation

Helps to moderate blood sugar balance

If you don’t currently eat leafy greens, start slow and increase in amount over a week or two. Let you body get used to the increased fiber. Have fun, try different greens, and enjoy better health!