Healthy Greens Can Be Tasty (and Holiday Friendly)

Are you ready to go green? We’re not talking about adjusting the type of car you drive or composting (though go for it if you feel inspired), but about the foods you eat.

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, it’s a good time to discuss the colors of the foods you eat. Namely, the green foods in your life. The little nutrition leprechauns at The Joint Chiropractic want to share with you some tasty and nutritious green foods that are sure to leave a pot of gold at the end of your health and wellness rainbow.

Great Green Groceries

There are a variety of health benefits green foods can offer. They’re full of important vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and other nutrients that help your body to work at its very best. A few green-hued foods you can incorporate into your diet this St. Patrick’s Day and every day include:

• Spinach - This green go-to packs a powerful nutritional punch. One cup of fresh spinach has magnesium, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, fiber, protein, iron, and calcium. It also contains plant-based compounds called glycoglycerolipids that help to protect the digestive system from inflammation and damage. Making spinach a part of your diet can help to regulate your blood pressure, build stronger bones, keep your vision healthy, and support a healthy immune system.
• Kale - This green vegetable has made quite a name for itself over the past few years, but it’s not hard to understand why. Kale is low in calories but full of important nutrients. It also boasts important antioxidants that may even help to protect you from certain cancers. It can help to improve your cholesterol levels, too.
• Cucumbers - Cucumbers may be mostly water, but they are also full of important nutrients such as Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and calcium. They’re a great fruit (yes, technically a fruit) to help you hydrate on warm days and they can also help your body to reduce inflammation.
• Guava - If you’ve never tried guava, then what are you waiting for? This fruit has a soft, sweet pulp and can be eaten raw. It also happens to be packed with nutrients such as Vitamin A, copper, folic acid, Vitamin C. It’s great for your skin, can help reduce your risk of developing diabetes, and promotes a healthy digestive system.
• Green apples - You know what they say about an apple a day, and they’re not exaggerating. Green apples are crisp and tart and can be used in a variety of ways to help deliver potassium, Vitamin E, fiber, Vitamin B, and Vitamin A to your diet. It can help to regulate your blood sugar, promotes healthy skin and teeth, and can help you to maintain a healthy body weight.

Top O’ the Morning to Ya!

Take an opportunity first thing in the morning to inject some green foods into your day. You can easily make a smoothie with some guava and a handful of spinach, among other ingredients, to start your day off right. A green apple with nut butter makes a good option, as does loading up your water bottle with fresh cucumbers and water to sip on throughout the day.

All the Luck You Need

A healthy body isn’t something you stumble upon along with a pot of gold, it’s also something you work for. One of the easiest ways to do this is to incorporate foods that are nutritious into your diet where you can. Starting with these green goodies is a way to ensure you’ve got years of shamrocks and shenanigans ahead of you.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.