I've been on the kale train for a few years. I started with it in my salads and instantly I was hooked. Soon I was sautéing it with a little olive oil, lemon and sea salt, putting it in smoothies or having it cold pressed. Now I have it everyday in some form or another. I try really hard to eat as health as possible because the old saying "you are what you eat" is a scientific fact. Our cells are constantly renewing themselves and the building blocks of that restoration process is the food we eat. I remember when I was in college taking anatomy (I loved that class). I saw it first hand, the pros and cons to eating a healthy diet were all to clear, and the cons were not fabulous. It left such a strong impression on me that for years my love affair with certain foods came to a screeching halt. Still, I try to eat things that are healthy and I enjoy, and kale is at the top of that list. Here are some fun facts about kale and why it is so FABULOUS!
1. It is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.
Kale is related to broccoli, collared greens and a bunch of other blue-blooded veggies. It's in a league of its own when it comes to the nutrients packed in those green leaves.
2. It has the good fat....Omega-3 Fatty Acid.
I don't follow a low-fat diet instead I just eat food that is naturally low in fat and good for me and Omega-3s are in many of those foods. Think of Omega-3 as a way of moisturizing your skin from the inside out. What is the other saying? "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", think of kale as the prevention. Dry skin can lead to premature wrinkles, so can constricted blood vessels. So if the Omega-3's add wrinkle fighting moisture to my skin then I promise I will be eating this every day....and I do.
3.It is packed with Antioxidants.
Antioxidants are the good guys that fight the bad guys (free radicals), which cause aging...so to me they are Public Enemy Number One! Now, I personally have no problem with maturing internally, bring on the wisdom and let the life lessons sink in. BUT aging externally is a whole other beastly animal I want to tame and while I'd like to believe I handle some things with grace.....aging is not one of them. So, in the mean time I will channel my inner Brave Heart and fight free radicals to the death.
4. It fights Cancer.
Seriously, what can be better than that? Sulforaphane and indol -3-carbinol are substances that have been shown to help prevent the further growth of cancer cells at a molecular level. I just think this is so amazing. It's like putting a condom on the bad guys so they can't make more bad babies.
5. It's high in fiber.
I saved the best for last. We all know fiber is filling so when food is high in fiber you have to eat less of it to feel full. I personally need this. There are times I'm a bottomless pit. I put food in my stomach and feel like I am eating air. I can eat and eat and eat and feel nothing (it's seriously strange and can actually be quite embarrassing). This is why fiber is so important. It takes up space in your tummy so that you feel full (with very few calories) but it doesn't stop there. While it is making it's way through your digestive tract is becomes a big broom collecting the bad stuff as it moves along.
Kale it s the Zeus of foods so if these facts don't make you want to go buy a farm and plant acres of kale then I hope it at least makes you want to have a little everyday. I promise it will make you feel FABULOUS!
Please feel free to share this blog with friends. I love to hear feedback and topics you'd like for me to blog about! Have a FABULOUS day! xox
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