Day 8 ? Greens

Greens are one of the healthiest foods we can consume, yet they are conspicuously missing from most diets.

According to Joshua Rosenthal, Director of The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, “Learning to cook and eat greens is essential for lasting health. Greens help build our internal rainforest and strengthen our circulatory and respiratory systems.”

Here are some of the benefits:

• blood purification
• anti-inflammatory
• cancer prevention
• improved circulation
• immune strengthening
• lifted spirit, elimination of depression
• promotes healthy intestinal flora
• clears congestion, especially in the lungs, reduces mucus
• improved liver, gallbladder and kidney function

When it comes to greens, skip the iceberg. It has little to no nutritional value. If you prefer lettuce with a crunch, try Romaine.

Greens are so versatile. You can eat them raw or cooked. Try kale or spinach in your morning smoothie or add it to your favorite soups. When making salads, there are a variety of different greens depending on your taste – Boston lettuce, red and green leaf, mesclun, arugula to name a few.

And if you needed one more reason to eat more greens, consider this: Greens make our bodies more alkaline which keeps illness and disease at bay.

What’s your favorite way to eat greens? Please share your tasty recipes below!

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