Greens... TheQueens of the

VegetableKingdom

By Jodi Brown

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone wrote ahappy story about the food that weconsume? Told us a tale about how we canimprove the quality of our health in newways with nutritionally dense food and how itcan taste good in the process? I don’t knowabout you, but I have grown tired of hearingabout all the things we consume that are badfor us. We all know what the biggest culpritsare — excessive amounts of saturated fats,sodium, sugar and carbohydrates. Let meshow you a few delicious ways you can startthe pendulum swinging in the other direction.

My experience has proven to me over and over againthat green food in general makes most folks crinkle uptheir noses and recoil at the sight of it. Maybe this reactionis because many of them grew up with vegetables thatcame out of a can, like I did. Why vegetables get a bad rap,I’ll never be sure.

The latest raw food, vegan and vegetarian lifestyleshave given healthy food a facelift. Cutting out the badstuff no longer means that you are left with tasteless,lifeless, dry foods. Today’s better health choices aredelicious. It has been four years since I started makingdrastic changes in my diet and I feel better than I everdreamed possible. And for me, it all started with thegreen smoothie.

If you can flash back to your high school biology classwith me for just a minute, you’ll get a refresher on theprocess that ultimately makes greens so great for you.Plants grab nutrients and water from the soil (this is whybuying organic is so important) and ultimately combinethem with carbon dioxide and sunshine to make whatthey need to survive and grow larger and stronger—glucose. In theprocess theygenerouslygive oxygenback to the air(and us). Themolecule thatallows all ofthis to happenis chlorophyll.Chlorophyll iswhat makesleaves green.We take inchlorophyll, aswell as avariety of othergood stuff,when we eatthe greens of awide variety ofplants.Chlorophyll isknown to help

build blood and detoxify the body of unwanted junk. Italso assists in the production of red blood cells as well asincreases their ability to carry oxygen. It has an intensework ethic.

If you can peak your head into that classroom again,you‘ll likely remember that in order for chemical reactionstake place in an organic environment (and you are anorganic environment), each and every reaction needs achemical compound, a mineral, a vitamin, an atom fromhere, or a molecule from there to complete its task sothat the next string of events can happen. Today’spopular food preparation processes kill almost all of whatis nutritionally available in our foods through high heat.The good stuff is basically cooked right out of everything.Therefore, important reactions necessary for the body tohelp and heal itself can’t take place if atoms, molecules,minerals, etcetera are not present.

Disease and illness are the result of the body notgetting the elements necessary for it to complete all thechemical reactions that need to happen in order for us tostay healthy. This idea is basic science, not rocket science.The more food is processed, the less there is available init for your system to benefit from a nutritional standpoint.This fact alone is one of the most compelling reasonsthat it is so important to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.In fresh form, they are still loaded with all the good stuffour bodies need to continue running at its best.

Greens in particular are loaded with precious gems andare incredibly nutrient dense. Calcium, potassium, iron,magnesium, amino acids (which when linked togetherbecome proteins, yes proteins), vitamins (C, E, K andmany of the B’s), lutein, and omega 3 fatty acids just toname a few. And, of course, Mr. Chlorophyll. And let’s notforget fiber, the “A Team” of keeping it clean. Freshgreens are a great way to get on the fast track to betterhealth.

Salads are how most of us traditionally get our greens.There are aplethora ofgreens tochoose from intoday’smarkets, andmany arewashed andready to use.Take advantageof what’s outthere. Variety iskey toachieving thebenefits thateach individualgreen brings tothe party. Ifyou like spicy,get yourselfsome arugulaor radishsprouts. And

Kale and Avocado Salad

Photos by Jodi Brown

38 Pm

let me tell you this, kale is no longer just for decoratingthe deli case. Keep in mind that the darker shade ofgreen the leaf is, the more nutrients it has. So kale is amuch better choice than iceberg lettuce.Here’s a different salad for you. Every time I serve this,people are blown away by it. The raw seeds turn thissalad into an even bigger superstar.

Kale and Avocado Salad1 head of kale leaves removed from the ribs, washedand torn into bite-sized pieces.1 lemon, juiced3 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO)1 clove of garlic finely minced (you can substitutepowder when you are in a rush)2 ripe avocadosTomatoes of your choice and quantity, dicedPinch of cayenne pepperSalt and pepper to taste (easy on the salt)Raw sunflower seeds (optional), small handfulRaw pumpkin seeds (optional), small handful1tbsp. hemp seeds (optional)

In a large bowl put kale, lemon juice, EVO, garlic,cayenne and ONE avocado and massage the contentsinto the kale. Don’t be gentle with this. We want tobreak the kale down a tad and make it a bit wilted.Add tomatoes, and the remaining avocado (diced)and toss with seeds. Adjust seasoning to your liking.

Back to the green smoothie I alluded to earlier. I startevery day with one. It isn’t always easy to get all the rawfruits and vegetable we need in daily, so the smoothie isa great way to combine the two in a palate-pleasingpowerhouse. I make an entire blender full in the morning.I drink half for breakfast, then I throw the other half intoa recycled glass jar and it goes with me for the day. Atsome point, either for lunch or an afternoon snack, Ifinish it up. NOTE: Smoothies are to be made andconsumed on the same day.

Here are the basics. You’ll need a knife, a cuttingboard and a blender. Keep in mind that this is not astructured process. A little fruit, some greens, some goodwater and zoom—you are in business. Greens can be anylettuces, kale, herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint), spinach,chard, or bok choy just to name a few. You should mix andmatch and change it up weekly in order to properlyrotate a variety of greens and fruits into your diet. Varietyis important so you don’t get bored and so you don’tbuild up alkaloids in your system from using the sameones daily. Variety is the spice of life. Shake it up andkeep it interesting.

Don’t be afraid to start out slowly. I do about a 2:1(greens to fruit) ratio, but I’ve been at it for a bit. Addgreens a little at a time until you get the hang of it.Sweeter fruit will make it more enjoyable, but add sugaras well. Always be mindful of using too much of anythingsweet, fresh or not.

Today I had a banana, spinach, parsley, mangosmoothie:1 banana2 cups spinach½ cup parsley½ a mango2 cups water Blend til smooth

Yesterday, I had pineapple, mint, parsley,cucumber and mango (mangos on sale this week):½ cup pineapple1 cup of parsley1 cucumber (peeled if not organic)A couple sprigs of fresh mint½ mango2 cups waterBlend til smooth

Got the hang of it? For more fabulous information onthe green smoothies, check out Victoria Boutenko’s bookcalled Green for Life. It is chock full of information andideas to make you a master of the green smoothie. Summer is coming. Lighten your food load. Eat fresh,organic and green whenever possible. Your body will thankyou for it.

About the author: Jodi Brown is the Ultimate Kitchen Commando andloves to turn people on to delicious and healthy foods. She assists peoplewith food transitions and teaches healthy cooking classes. She shares hertime between New Orleans and Pensacola. Go towww.ultimatekitchencommando.com to learn more.

The Green Smoothie