Add the Holiday Color GREEN!!

One of my favorite sayings is “When you’re green inside, you’re clean inside!”.  You may even catch my children repeating this mantra as they fill their bellies with spinach or broccoli.  I love it!  But that’s because I love veggies and I love them for SO many reasons. (Especially the green leafy ones!!)

Vegetables are the most important ingredient of any meal in my opinion.  They are a highly alkaline food as we learned yesterday, they are like fresh air for the body.  Green veggies are high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc which are all supportive minerals for energy production, bone strength, glandular support and more.  Greens are also high in vitamins A, C, E and K!

When you eat lots of vegetables you naturally “crowd out” other, not so good for you, foods. (as discussed yesterday) It’s very hard to overeat vegetables as they are high in fiber which makes you feel full faster and keeps you feeling full longer.  The fiber in vegetables promotes regular bowel movements which helps remove toxins from your body to help you feel your best.  It also helps with sugar cravings as it helps keep your blood sugar balanced for longer periods of time by slowing down digestion. 

A sneaky way of getting more greens is to add them to shakes and/or start juicing!  I love to juice my veggies and drink the juice for the incredible enzyme and nutrient content.  I regularly add green vegetables to all kinds of foods!  I finely chop celery and green onions and put them into my egg salad or chicken salad sandwiches. I add finely diced spinach and kale to chili and sauces.  I even add the pulp from my juice to salsas and meatloaf!  There are lots of ways to get more vegetables into your life.  Do you add vegetables to anything unexpected?  I know there ways to bake them into fun treats like zucchini breads and spiced kale chips!!  

If you’re looking to add some green super foods this holiday, you can try Spirulina or Chlorella.  These are algae that are high in protein as well as have some fantastic detoxification properties. (Can be found in your local health food store.) They can support your immune system and are high in antioxidants to fight free radicals. All forms of green whole foods are great for health and vitality.  This is true over the holiday season and the rest of the year too. Try to make as many of your side dishes as you can this holiday green vegetables.  Enjoy them raw, steamed and baked! 

What are your favorite holiday greens?  Did your grandmother make the classic baked green bean casserole?  Are you going to gorge on brussel sprouts and dark leafy green salad?  I want to know if you have planned a delicious meal for your holiday dinner and which Holiday greens you will be serving!!  I am loving all the comments and all the commitment to this Holiday Health Challenge!  Thanks for joining me again today!!