October 13, 2022 general

Today I’m not talking about the intensely-hyped green plan to convert (rather abruptly) from fossil fuels to electric everything (airplanes?). Is it really feasible to support that with by sustainable sources of electricity? Another time I might discuss my doubts that the short-range side effects and long-term viability have been fully studied and weighed. Right now, I’m interested in green food. (Of course, I do not mean food that has become green because it stayed in the back of the fridge too long.)

We are often wisely advised to eat more fruits and vegetables…especially green veggies. You might have guessed that the experts were not talking about fried green tomatoes. Hmmm, time to get serious…of course, it is leafy greens they mean. I am sure that the readers of this newsletter know better than to think that the single leaf of pale iceberg lettuce on a burger is sufficient. It takes more than that and the darker the green the better—e.g. spinach. (Just ask Popeye.) What is it about green that matters?

Vegetables in general are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients like antioxidants and are low in fast-metabolizing carbohydrates. There is a wonderful utility for finding out what is in a food. I had linked a library article to this USDA database but when I tried to go there today, the agency had moved it and not provided a referring link like a business would have. After a whole bunch of time-consuming internet searching I finally tracked it down and linked it above. (Hey, USDA, we paid for that database, so please make it easy to find!)

Greens are especially rich in chlorophyll. You will not see chlorophyll listed as a nutrient in the database or on food labels because it is a combination of elements rather than a single nutrient. The molecule is very much like one in our blood, hemoglobin, except that magnesium is at the center instead of iron.  Magnesium is an extremely important mineral that is woefully deficient in the American diet. But chlorophyll is more than just magnesium. It has a long history in nutrition circles for detoxification and breath freshening. The famous Cleveland Clinic website mentions these other benefits of chlorophyll: “cancer prevention, healing wounds, skin care and acne treatment, weight loss, controlling body odor, relieving constipation and gas, [as well as] boosting energy” . Any one of those would be reason enough to seek out green foods, but whoa, all of them? Sign me up!

I try to incorporate green foods in our meals. Broccoli is easy and fast to steam. I then add butter and a little lemon juice or vinegar. Kale can be easy but it is important to buy it as organic. Kale is typically at the top or at least in the top 3 of the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of produce choices that are most contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals. To rinse off the dirt and sand that can be hard to reach in those tightly curled leaves, I strip (tear) the leaves off the stems into bite sized pieces and throw them in salad spinner. Swirling them in that bowl of water gets them clean (probably uses less water than having it running rinsing the other way) and then I spin it. It is fast and there is no need for a knife. Then I put them in the steamer basket for about 8 minutes; and toss the hot leaves with my favorite vinegar-based salad dressing. However, if you want to get fancy or just have variety, Allrecipes.com appears to have over 100 kale recipes.

The best shortcut I’ve found for reliably upping my green intake is Sweet Wheat. It is a supplement that is gluten free, organic and free of additives. It tastes good and is very easy to use. (Just a little scoop in water or take the capsules.) I had a great experience using Sweet Wheat for a 2-day fast (no hunger or energy loss), but now have started using it daily. The best time for me is when I start to crave something sweet or starchy…it solves that problem and provides a full range of nutrients. Happily, our sponsor, Bright Core, is giving our listeners and readers a discount. If you buy 2, you get one FREE, plus a free bottle of vitamin D3. If you mention Healthy by Nature and ask about the family and friends’ package, you can save even more. To receive the discounts, call 888-958-5331. This is a really great product!!