Cut the B.S Wednesday – Super Natural Kale
Have a love affair with your greens. I mean it, I challenge you to fall in love with Kale! This nutrient dense power green is packed with so many vital nutrients your body will be wondering “where have you been all my life?”
Vitamin C –
1 cup of Kale actually contains 134% of your recommended intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect your cells from damage, there by keeping you healthy and fighting off illness. It is also excellent for keeping your skin looking smooth and you’re immune system boosted.
High in Calcium –
YES there are many non-dairy sources of Calcium and leafy Kale is one of them. Calcium is a crucial mineral for bone health. Incorporating plant-based Calcium into your diet via leafy greens will promote an alkaline environment in your body, decreasing inflammation.
Packs Phytonutrients –
Kale is considered to be a superfood because these leafy’s are packed with Phytonutrients (plant nutrients). One powerful phytonutrient, sulforaphane, is indicated in having anti-cancer properties.
B-Vitamins –
When you add leafy greens like Kale into your meals you are loading your system with a mix of B-vitamins, a crucial vitamin complex when it comes to combating stress.
Chlorophyl –
Found in leafy greens, Chlorophyl helps to control hunger and cravings, encourages repair and growth, and promotes healthy iron levels.
Acid-Alkaline Balance –
I am sure you have heard this term before and wondered what it really means in terms of your health. Your body prefers a slightly alkaline environment for optimal functioning. Foods like vegetables, some fruits and lemon water once metabolized, break down into an ‘alkaline ash’, which provides a steady supply of alkalizing minerals. If you don’t get enough of these foods in your diet, your body will do whatever it takes to keep the acid-alkaline balance. To do this, it will actually pull minerals stored in your bones. So if you don’t supply your body with these foods, you are actually depleting minerals directly from your bones! Keep in mind that disease thrives in an acidic environment.
How to prepare it: Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, and for some, it can be difficult to digest and breakdown Kale in it’s raw from. For those of you who have trouble with raw Kale, you can try to literally rub and massage (I did say love affair, didn’t I?!) the leaves with oil and lemon juice to help to soften and break down the plant enzymes, making it easier to digest.
You can also sauté or steam it, OR try this recipe for homemade kale chips.
From our kitchen to yours!