Warmer weather and the birth of spring is always an exciting part of the year.
After a long, hard winter, this can be the best time to refresh yourself and enjoy the rest of the year to the fullest. Spring is the season of new beginnings, and what better way to celebrate that than by taking care of yourself?
Previously, we wrote about easy tips for 'Building a Powerful Healthy Body', like more exercise and a healthier diet. "Today I'm sharing a collaborative post from Kim Watkins about a few things you can add into your meals to maximize that refreshing feel and prime you for the best of spring."
After a long, hard winter, this can be the best time to refresh yourself and enjoy the rest of the year to the fullest. Spring is the season of new beginnings, and what better way to celebrate that than by taking care of yourself?
Previously, we wrote about easy tips for 'Building a Powerful Healthy Body', like more exercise and a healthier diet. "Today I'm sharing a collaborative post from Kim Watkins about a few things you can add into your meals to maximize that refreshing feel and prime you for the best of spring."
Here are some of our favorite greens for sprucing up your meals and welcoming in the warmer weather.
Kale
Kale is a fantastic veggie to ring in the warmer spring weather, and here's why.
According to Mayo Clinic, kale is a nutritional superstar. It's packed with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, K, calcium, potassium, and manganese.
Plus, it's low in calories and carbs, making it a great choice for people with health or diet restrictions. Kale can be eaten raw, steamed, sautéed, boiled, or baked— you can blend it into a smoothie, or transform it into these amazing kale chips for a healthy snack. It's delicious, versatile, and good for you. No wonder it's called a superfood.
| Arugula Arugula is a favorite for spring salads. One look at its nutrients and health benefits will tell you all you need to know. Organic Facts reports that arugula has nutrients like potassium, magnesium, calcium, and high levels of vitamins C, A, E, and K. |  |
t's antioxidant rich and low-calorie, making it a healthy addition to your plates. Arugula is best eaten fresh and tossed in a salad, but cooking it lightly can help your body absorb its other benefits.
Try topping your homemade pizza with it, add it to soups and even dips for a creamy, healthy appetizer. Leafy greens like arugula can be blended with basil and spinach to make a super pesto. Its a wonderful way to include different greens in your diet and make use of items such as carrot tops.
Wheatgrass
There's nothing more spring-like than the first fresh, green sprouts, and that's exactly what wheatgrass is. Wheatgrass is the young grass of the common wheat plant, and is a popular superfood thanks to its incredible nutritional value. It has double the vitamin A of carrots, and has more vitamin C than even oranges. It's also packed with calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Wheatgrass can be eaten fresh in a salad, but its strong green taste might put off the uninitiated. To make it easier, consider taking wheatgrass in powdered form and adding it to smoothies, juices, soups and power balls for that fresh and vibrant kick. Whatever your style, you can rest assured that you've got a health boost for the warm weather.
If you are wondering if wheat grass is gluten free, rest assured it is.
Read more on it’s healing potential here!
Spring Greens
Of course, it's not an article about spring greens if we don't talk about literal spring greens. Spring greens are the first, fresh crop of young cabbages, and they're slightly softer and have a sweeter and fresher taste. They're also incredibly healthy— The Guardian says spring greens have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and can protect against heart diseases.
These greens are pretty versatile, and can be added into a variety of recipes. You can steam them, sauté them, or throw them in a pan with other veggies for a nice stir-fry. You can eat them raw in a salad or smoothie, or simply sweat them down with a little butter or olive oil in a pan and dig in. Even the stems are tasty, which makes this great veggie even better.
Try topping your homemade pizza with it, add it to soups and even dips for a creamy, healthy appetizer. Leafy greens like arugula can be blended with basil and spinach to make a super pesto. Its a wonderful way to include different greens in your diet and make use of items such as carrot tops.
Wheatgrass
There's nothing more spring-like than the first fresh, green sprouts, and that's exactly what wheatgrass is. Wheatgrass is the young grass of the common wheat plant, and is a popular superfood thanks to its incredible nutritional value. It has double the vitamin A of carrots, and has more vitamin C than even oranges. It's also packed with calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Wheatgrass can be eaten fresh in a salad, but its strong green taste might put off the uninitiated. To make it easier, consider taking wheatgrass in powdered form and adding it to smoothies, juices, soups and power balls for that fresh and vibrant kick. Whatever your style, you can rest assured that you've got a health boost for the warm weather.
If you are wondering if wheat grass is gluten free, rest assured it is.
Read more on it’s healing potential here!
Spring Greens
Of course, it's not an article about spring greens if we don't talk about literal spring greens. Spring greens are the first, fresh crop of young cabbages, and they're slightly softer and have a sweeter and fresher taste. They're also incredibly healthy— The Guardian says spring greens have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, and can protect against heart diseases.
These greens are pretty versatile, and can be added into a variety of recipes. You can steam them, sauté them, or throw them in a pan with other veggies for a nice stir-fry. You can eat them raw in a salad or smoothie, or simply sweat them down with a little butter or olive oil in a pan and dig in. Even the stems are tasty, which makes this great veggie even better.
Spinach
Finally, another vegetable you can add into your diet to welcome in a better, healthier spring is spinach. Spinach has long been immortalized in popular culture for its amazing health benefits— Popeye the Sailor Man, anyone?— but many people might not know what exactly those are.
BBC Good Food claims that spinach can help maintain your good vision, boost energy levels, and even support bone and heart health. It's also delicious, and can be added into a ton of recipes. You can toss it into a smoothie or salad for ultimate freshness, or add it into a vegetable lasagna or curry. Whether baked, sautéed, fried, or fresh, this is another green that's great all the way through.
We encourage you to get a wide variety of greens into your diet daily in whole food form as well as powered to help you reach the recommended intake of 2-3 cups per day. You are sure to see and feel the benefits of consuming this wonder food and a big bonus is they are all alkaline and anti-inflammatory. The payoffs eating more greens - you're sure to feel as vibrant as spring.
Images - Pixabay
Finally, another vegetable you can add into your diet to welcome in a better, healthier spring is spinach. Spinach has long been immortalized in popular culture for its amazing health benefits— Popeye the Sailor Man, anyone?— but many people might not know what exactly those are.
BBC Good Food claims that spinach can help maintain your good vision, boost energy levels, and even support bone and heart health. It's also delicious, and can be added into a ton of recipes. You can toss it into a smoothie or salad for ultimate freshness, or add it into a vegetable lasagna or curry. Whether baked, sautéed, fried, or fresh, this is another green that's great all the way through.
We encourage you to get a wide variety of greens into your diet daily in whole food form as well as powered to help you reach the recommended intake of 2-3 cups per day. You are sure to see and feel the benefits of consuming this wonder food and a big bonus is they are all alkaline and anti-inflammatory. The payoffs eating more greens - you're sure to feel as vibrant as spring.
Images - Pixabay
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