Salad, salad, salad. I know it's considered the most boring way to be healthy. The truth is that we're looking at it all wrong. After all who looks forward to going to work for the sake of work itself? You go for the reward or more adequately stated, the exchange: Money. True or true?
READ: 6 Genius Tips To Make Homemade Salads Taste Better
Before we dive into the benefits of salads lets dispel a few myths. First of all, they are far from boring! You can make them different everyday for a year eating them two to three times a day. Even recently, my youngest quickly put together some kale, mixed berries, extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan sea salt and cracked pepper topped off with fresh lime juice. It was simple and tasty!
Secondly, they are not just for lunch. They are a great way to be healthy anytime of the day. Lastly, they are easy enough that you can prep three to five of them at a time.
Eating salads is about what they offer more than our mental palette. Outside of water, the next most healthiest thing we should consume are green leafy vegetables. They provide us with necessary vitamins and minerals that other foods simply don't. They contain the best of vitamins, nutrients, enzymes and more.
Here are four reasons we should place more leafy greens than anything else on our plates:
1. Easily digestible
Leafy greens of all types are easily digested especially when lightly sauteed or eaten raw. Why does it matter? It's everything! You can get all of their benefits without feeling bloated or stuffed. They are a true food so your cells know exactly what to do with them.
2. Full of oxygen
All sorts of leafy greens carry the fundamental nutrients we need for life. Oxygen is probably the most overlooked. Foods high in oxygen help us simply breathe better. Whether you have asthma or trouble getting up the stairs, leafy greens can help you. Oxygen also helps you overcome, if not prevent, the "itis." Other nutrients include iron (red blood cells), folate (brain and nervous system), fiber (digestion) and many, many more.
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3. True energy food
Several years ago, one of our leading grocery stores along with researchers created a nutrient density chart that essentially scores food based on the amount of energy per calorie they offer. Don't think low calories are better, but rather how hard does your body have to work before your food gives energy back to you. Well, green leafy veggies topped the charts with the most energy per calorie. So eat up!
4. Speedy workout recovery
Coupled with ample water leafy greens will help your body recover more quickly from workouts. That's right! Faster and healthier than the latest sports drink. This is true because they are highly alkaline in the body. Keeping them in your daily diet will help you get rid of soreness sooner than later.
Marquese Martin-Hayes is a certified raw vegan nutrition specialist and is the founder of The Proper Perspective, a practice designed of life coaches to help individuals, families, and corporations maximize their impact. He is the co-founder of The Proper Physique, a nutrition coaching practice, Jus Juus, a juice boutique concept, and he dabbles in other better living ideas.
