Podcast Episode 39 – Why you should eat more leafy greens and how to do so

[00:00:00] Hello, this is Shonda. Today I want to emphasize the importance of green vegetables and how you can add more greens to your diet. Now, specifically, I am talking about leafy green vegetables because they have some very specific qualities that are good for us. But before I get to that, I'd like to begin by reminding you of a little change coming your way. Beginning with episode 50, which will be published on September 1st, 2021, the podcast will change to monthly episodes.
[00:00:40] It will still be available through your favorite podcast players and available on YouTube. With this change, the goal will be to bring you more recipes and recipe videos to help support you along your plant-based.
[00:01:07] Hi, and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks, lifestyle podcast. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patrice. Let's just be real.
[00:01:33] Here's our disclaimer, we do not professionally practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.
[00:01:53] Okay. So first let's get into the why. So we've had a few episodes where we have mentioned Dr. Fuhrmanand part of his recommended foods that he has titled G-bombs, greens are actually the first letter in that. Leafy greens are the most nutrient dense of all foods; yet only about 100 calories per pound. Wow! I mean like what an amazing category of foods that we can fill up on, but not load us up with calories. So I can load up on greens and feel very full and satisfied, but without feeling, you know, that feeling of, "oh, I ate too much" or "I need a nap". In fact, leafy greens can curb your hunger attacks due to their high fiber content.
[00:02:54] Also Dr. Brooke Goldner of "good-bye lupus" stresses the importance of leafy greens. She stresses how they increase our Omega 3s and are part of her recommended anti-inflammatory foods. Don't forget to check out her hype-nourishing protocol by following the link below in the show notes.
[00:03:16] And also of course, there's a link to Dr. Furman's G-bombs below also.
[00:03:23] So there's even more to greens though. Greens are also full of antioxidants and we know antioxidants fight free radicals and protect us against so many of the chronic diseases that are prevalent today.
[00:03:40] An wait, I still have more. Lately. I've been hearing about the benefits of nitric oxide production, and perhaps you have too. Well, here's another benefit that we can get from eating our leafy greens.
[00:03:54] Leafy greens are full of potassium and by lowering our sodium to potassium ratio, we increase the release of nitric oxide, thus reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. So leafy greens even help out our arteries.
[00:04:14] All of this is really good news. Don't you think? Yes. I agree too. And I've also found that greens give me energy so you can not lose by adding more greens to your diet.
[00:04:30] Perhaps you're thinking this all sounds good, but greens are bitter. Well, I know... that's the good part though. It's the polyphenols that cause them to be bitter. Actually the more bitter, the more better. Eventually you can come to appreciate and enjoy the bitter taste of greens. This is what I have experienced firsthand.
[00:04:56] So now that you knew about all the benefits, let's talk about the ways to add greens to our diet. So when we were talking about that bitterness, There's a really good way to start enjoying your greens and that's by adding them to smoothies, because guess what else is in smoothies? Fruit! And so the fruit balances out the bitter, and we still get all the benefits, most of the benefits anyway, but the greens are made more palatable for us.
[00:05:31] And, you know, as the years have gone by, I even enjoy smoothies that are a little bit more on the bitter side. So hold on tight, keep trying, and you too will enjoy the bitterness of greens.
[00:05:48] And as you begin to use them more and more, you can put them in things such as, um, a bowl, a warm bowl, stir-steamed vegetables, or with pasta, you can use soft wilted greens, such as baby kale, Swiss, chard, and spinach. Or some hardier ones that you can enjoy, um, or cruciferous veggies that, um, may take a little longer to cook to your liking, but they are just as pleasing as well and just as full of all the nutrients.
[00:06:24] Now let's get to salads. Salads are one of my favorite, especially in the warmer months. You can add so many different leafy greens to your salad to add more flavor and nutrients to your meals.
[00:06:42] And when you sign up for the real food and drinks' weekly newsletter, you can download the "no-fail salad" template for creating delicious salads that can be made into satisfying meals.
[00:06:56] Then there's another way I like to enjoy greens. And I think you two can do so is by adding more greens to your soups and sandwiches and wraps, just add it everywhere you can think of adding it, you know. And then you can even use lettuces to wrap your ingredients instead of using bread or a tortilla. You could use something such as bib lettuce, romaine or collard greens.
[00:07:29] There are a few other ways I like to get greens in. And one of my favorite is to add it to dips. Now you can add it to guacamole which would be really good. And, um, you know, let's not forget that, uh, parsley and cilantro, they're also leafy greens and they're really good at helping us to detox metals.
[00:07:54] But also have you seen the spinach and artichoke dip that's at real food and drinks? Check it out. I think you'll like it and it's even creamy and a bit cheesy.
[00:08:07] Oh. And before I forget...to those smoothies I also like to add additional supplement powders, supplement green powders in particular, such as barley greens or wheat grass. They're even companies that make spinach powders. So be sure to check those out too.
[00:08:27] Now I haven't done this recently just because I just like eating kale the way it is. You know, mixing a little lemon in there, whatever. But, kale chips are really great. And I know many of you out there probably have air fryers by now. So I want you to check out a kale chip recipe that's on the website. And I like in place of oil. I like to make like a cashew cheese and rub my kale in there, massage the kale in there. And you can either put that in the dehydrator. Or an air fryer on really low and have a really great snack. Kale chips.
[00:09:12] And, so I can't end this podcast without talking about vegetable juices.
[00:09:21] So I'm just going to leave you with a simple recipe. And the simple recipe is. If you're just getting started, you can start with something as simple as spinach. Spinach is not an overpowering leafy green. And if you add spinach to apples and maybe just a squeeze of lemon juice, those three are very enjoyable together.
[00:09:50] And that is my go-to juice for my family or for someone new to juicing. And it's just really delicious and refreshing.
[00:10:00] So there you have it. Remember to have a variety of greens prepared in a variety of ways, cooked, raw dehydrated, and or juiced.
[00:10:15] Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy today's podcast.
[00:10:19] Remember, you can catch show notes and additional details at realfoodanddrinks.com under the podcast menu. Also subscribe to our podcast if you aren't already a member of our community. And if listening through Anchor, please send us a message of topics you would like to hear us have conversations about until next time.
[00:10:44] Let's just be real.