Great information about Greens!
I had to pass this information along to you. I read it on Jackie Graff’s blog, and just loved it because she sings the praises of two of my FAVORITE greens–collards and kale. I LOVE collards and kale in smoothies, and they are packed with so much amazing nutrition! I can’t believe I love these greens as much as I do. Three years ago I wouldn’t have touched either one, but three years ago I was sick and recovering from surgery to remove big nasty tumors. My, how things do change!
Here is an excerpt from the Sprout blog:
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“Kale and Collards
The vegetables for May are Kale and Collards, which have the highest nutrient density of all fruits and vegetables, and other foods, according to Dr. Joel Furman. This gives them the distinction of being a superfood. It is very important to get these greens in the diet consistently, increasing the alkalinity of the body. The other reason for choosing them is that the nights are still cool and cool weather changes starches in the leaves to sugars, and also changes the structure of protein flavor compounds to make them tastier. They are available year round, but are in season mid winter to early spring.
Kalehas one of the highest levels of antioxidants with a very high ORAC score and one of the highest levels of total carotenes. Is very high in Luten, Carotenes, and Vitamin K, and also high in Protein, Thiamin, Calcium, Manganese, and Folate. Collards are a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Calcium and Manganese, Folate, and vitamins A, C, E, and B6. Botanists say, that the collard plant has remained almost the same for 2000 years and is actually a type of kale. Historians think that its origin was growing wild around the Mediterranean. Collards and kale are loose-leaf non-heading wild cabbages that are the predecessors of head cabbage, which grow profusely in the south and are a staple in southern or soul food cuisine where they are usually cooked for a long time with pork, degrading the nutrient integrity of these plants. Collards are good for the soul if they are not “cooked to death” (a saying that has been around for a long time, I just never gave it much thought, until we started eating food that is not dead).
Collards are more heat tolerant than kale, which tolerates the cold better. The fact that they were originally wild makes them a highly desirable food. Collards are milder in flavor than kale, which also has a slightly salty taste. They are both members of the cruciferous family, which researchers believe help to prevent cancer. The cruciferous family also includes cabbage, bok Choy (the third highest in nutrient density), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, watercress, kohlrabi, horseradish, and rutabaga. They are called cruciferous because the flowers of these plants are in the shape of a cross or crucifix which makes them even more appropriate in the early spring.
Purchasing and Storing
Collards and kale are usually sold in bunches of eight. It is important to buy organic because they are prone to aphids and worms, which eat holes in the leaves. Non-organic are sprayed heavily with pesticides to prevent this infestation. I won’t eat a collard if the worm won’t eat it!
We are lucky that they are available year round in the market. These greens are best when deep green and plump and I prefer the smaller, tender leaves for salads and wraps and juice the larger leaves. Leaves that have turned yellow and shriveled should be discarded or the yellow cut away. They can be stored for one week if kept at 32 degrees and need to be washed thoroughly prior to preparation to remove any sand, although I find that now they are usually free of sand.
Preparation
Preparing these greens without cooking retains all of the nutrition. Collards are prepared for marinated salads by cutting the stem away (chopping it separately). Eight leaves are stacked and rolled together into a log, placed in the feed tube of a food processor, and sliced with a 1/8-inch slicing blade then cut again after removing from the processor. The leaves look like very thin grass clippings at this point! Chopping small or slicing thin makes these heavy greens easier to chew, marinate and flavor.
Kale leaves are easily stripped from the stems by hand and then chopped very small for marinated salads. Often kale is flavored and dehydrated for a kale chip. I compost kale stems, not used in juice, as they are bitter. Limit the number of kale stems in your green juice, as it will make it bitter. Collards with the stems removed make the best wraps and letting them sit out of refrigeration, they will be less crisp and easier to roll.”
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Great information! Please include these awesome greens in your smoothies, along with Sun Warrior protein, which will help your body assimilate the nutrition in the greens as well. See my Defiant Recipes page for great smoothie ideas.
I rely heavily on greens for helping me build muscle. They really work! They are so high in amino acids–which are protein building blocks and are used immediately and directly by your body to build strong muscles. Think about this–how hugely muscular are gorillas? Pretty buff, huh? Their diet is over 90% greens with some fruit, and they have awesome muscle. And their DNA is very similar to human DNA. Now there’s an obvious lesson for anyone who thinks you can’t build muscle on greens and fruits! I say Go Gorilla and eat your kale, collards, and spinach!
Be Defiant!
Christy
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