Eat Your Greens!

I've discovered some greens that I didn't have growing up.  COLLARD GREENS!

So.....here's some health benefits to eating this power-packed veggie.

It's, in my opinion, a little more flavorful than spinach when steamed or sauteed with some herbs or other veggies.

The following information is taken from The World's Healthiest Foods website.

It's been recently discovered that eating steamed collard greens actually can lower your cholesterol more than kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts or cauliflower. This is because steamed collards (more than raw) can bind the bile acids in our digestive system. And because of this, those bile acids can be excreted from the body. Bile acids are made from cholesterol, so the binding process is actually lowering your cholesterol levels!

Eating steamed collard greens also is a cancer protection. That's because collard greens have 4 specific glucosinalates but I'm not going to list them because they are long and hard to pronounce.  And I still have to balance my checkbook today so I've gotta get off this blog! HAHA...BUT...you can look it up if you're interested in knowing the technical terms.  Basically, they pack a punch of cancer protection goodness in our bodies.

To get the maximum amount of protection, include greens in your diet 2-3 times a week at about 1 1/2 c. per meal. 

Even better....add the other cruciferous veggies to your weekly diet for 4-5 days and push the serving size to 2 cups per person!

Don't overcook collard greens!!!!  They don't take long at all to saute or steam.  Add some fresh chopped garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice or olive oil and some chopped red or orange sweet fresh pepper.  YUM! I really liked them like this.

Other health benefits:  they are full of vitamins C and A and E along with other antioxidents. They act as an anti-inflammatory.

They're also great for your digestive system as a one cup serving offers 7 grams of fiber!!!!

In the northeast, they are best when bought and eaten from January-April.  (They are considered a staple in the southern states and are available year round).

So.....start eating your greens this winter!!