By Sarah Scherer, Shaklee Pure Performance Team Dietitian/Nutritionist
Let’s go green! I am not talking about recycling (though I support that too); I am talking about veggie greens aka our dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, bok choy, arugula, etc. In this article, I will be reviewing why it’s a good idea to eat more greens. After reading my thoughts below, I hope you are inspired to incorporate more greens into your diet and feel great doing it! Here are my favorite things about dark leafy greens:
High Fiber Content with Many Health Benefits
- Healthy blood sugar
What we have come to learn is that fiber plays a key role in a healthy blood sugar balance. Not to mention, more fiber means that we can eat smaller portions and feel even more full.
- Healthy GI system
Additionally, including fiber in your nutrition is essential to a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system. Your GI health impacts digestion and absorption of the nutrients in your diet. Ultimately, improved digestion and absorption allow us to get more out of the healthy foods we eat. Finally, a healthy GI system supports our immunity. Click here to learn more about the foods that fight inflammation.
Key Nutrients That Keep Our Bodies Healthy and Strong
- Detox
Chlorophyll is a powerhouse nutrient that packs a punch in greens. Chlorophyll-rich foods can help remove heavy metals and toxins in your blood. Chlorophyll also helps cleanse your liver to support your body’s natural ability to detox. An easy way to boost this nutrient and many others in your diet is to add a scoop or two of Organic Greens Booster to your daily nutrition.
- Bone health
We are often told that dairy is a good source of calcium, and it is, but as we know, some people are dairy intolerant. Also, dairy contains saturated fat, which we all should limit as much as possible. I recommend plenty of dark, leafy greens to get the calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins D and K that support optimal bone health.
- Healthy aging
My last but not least favorite reason to eat more dark, leafy greens is that key ingredients in greens may have the power to delay the shortening of telomeres, the protective endcaps on our chromosomes that shorten as we age. And, keeping telomeres from shortening may help you live a longer, healthier life. Additionally, Shaklee Vivix® has been designed to protect and repair our DNA.*† And, we all want to do what we can to age with grace and feel great doing it.
3 Ways to Eat More Greens with Ease
You all know I love to keep nutrition simple, so here are three simple solutions to boost your intake of greens and the amazing nutrients they contain.
- Adding Organic Greens Booster
- I love adding my “greens booster” to everything; I add it to veggie dips, water, yogurt, Life Shake™, and even curries. It is the perfect way to boost these superfood nutrients in your recipes with a simple scoop.
- Blending your greens
- Anyone else love their Life Shakes as much as I do? One reason I love them is that they pack such a punch of nutrients! I keep a bag of fresh spinach and kale in my freezer just for my shakes. Two scoops of Life Shake, two handfuls of spinach and kale, plus a small handful of berries and I am off and running into my busy day.
- Adding raw and finely chopped greens
- I’ll even go as far as to say grated greens are the way to go. The biggest complaint I hear from my clients is that greens have a weird taste and texture. If that is the case for you, grating or finely chopping the greens in your recipes may help make texture or taste less noticeable. My personal favorites among the recipes I have developed are the ones that “sneak” in many cups of veggies without my husband even noticing.
Thank you to each of you for reading my take on healthy greens and I hope you were inspired! Who else is going green with me?
†Laboratory studies show that Vivix key ingredients protect and repair cellular DNA.
Sarah Scherer is the Shaklee Pure Performance Team dietitian/nutritionist. She is also a two-time competitor for the USA in the Summer Games, participating in the 10-meter Air Rifle event in 2012 and 2016. Her experience as an elite athlete and her status as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and Licensed Nutritionist (LN), make her perfectly suited to consult with Shaklee athletes on their nutritional needs. Sarah graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas with a BS in Nutrition in 2013, and then earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Healthcare Management. She specializes in weight loss, improved sport performance, diabetes prevention, heart health, healthy aging, smoking cessation, and performance goals. Her hobbies include church ministries, mountaineering, physical fitness, and gardening.
