Drink Your Greens
#WHATHEALTHYMODELSEAT
Green has always been my favourite colour. I’m an avid green tea drinker, I prefer green apples than the red ones and the best veggies are green! So it’s no shock that I’ve been a vegetarian/vegan for almost 8 years. I admit, when I first started, I wasn’t the healthiest vegetarian. I thought eating cheese and vegetarian burgers would do it for me but overtime, my body started reacting to the bad food I assumed was “healthy” for me. Sometimes we deny our bodies that ability to tell us what it really needs for sustenance. We ignore it by feeding them with food that we want; the food that makes us feel full and satisfied like our over furnished cravings. But feeling full isn’t enough. The majority of us are over fed with crap food and under nourished with nutrients and substance.
I have friends who think they can get away with just eating carrots, lettuce and potatoes as their side of vegetables. Or then there’s those that buy protein powders and vitamin supplements that contain vegetable like ingredients so they don’t need to bother eating the real deal. We are getting by eating food like products and not the real stuff. Our bodies will be more susceptible to many more ailments, diseases and allergies.
Non starchy vegetables, especially dark leafy greens, should be your main dish. Everything else like your complex carbs, fats, starchy vegetables (or meat – if you’re not yet a vegetarian) should be your side dishes. We’ve deluded ourselves all these years that “protein” (like meat, fish or beans) is the most important thing to be getting and that “eating your vegetables” comes second. The right kind of vegetables do contain a lot of protein! Broccoli, kale, spinach, spirulina, sprouts, collard chards – all greens that contain a high amount of protein. On top of that, they contain more nutrients and vitamins than any piece of steak you’ll eat.
How can you incorporate more greens into your diet? It can be time consuming to constantly chop your vegetables and eat a huge salad every 3-4 hours. One of the best ways to minimize your time in the kitchen is to prep your food in advance. I go to the market to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables every 2-3 days. Divide your vegetables into BPA free containers so that it’s easily accessible and convenient. Plus, you’ll want to eat more of it since it’s already been prepared.
Once you’ve prepped your vegetables, you can start blending/juicing! A great way to add more greens to your everyday diet is to drink them. You can customize it to your liking and it’s a delicious way of getting your daily dose of veggies. Instead of drinking sugary, fruit smoothies, try this favourite blend for some detoxing:
A handful of spinach, kale and lettuce. A squeeze of lemon. A tiny bit of parsley. One green apple. 250 ml of water (or more) and a scoop of spirulina and/or chia seeds. Optional: tiny bit of grated ginger. Blend on high for 1 minute. Add ice if needed. Make it fun by pouring your yummy potion into a cute mason jar.
Green is the way to go!
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