A Salad A Day: A Recipe for Health
Are you ready to transform your health? Well, of course you are, that’s why you’re here. What if I told you you could start by adding one salad at a time? Let’s uncover some of the surprising benefits of adding a daily dose of leafy goodness to your plate. We all can add a little salad or leafy greens to our meal. It’s not that difficult. I was shocked at the number of studies involving leafy greens. Not general fruits and vegetables, but leafy greens.
The Amazing Benefits of Salad & Leafy Greens
So many studies showing the benefits of leafy greens and these are just a few –
- They reduce the risk of cognitive decline, especially as we age.
- They reduce Inflammation throughout the body.
- There was a whopping, 40% reduction in death from rectal cancer.
- They help control blood sugar as well as decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- They improve triglycerides.
- They reduce the risk of coronary artery disease,
- Will reduce your overall consumption if you’re trying to do some sort of weight management.
Gut Health
There is a current study that has actually pinpointed a certain sugar that is produced by leafy greens that feed good bacteria to help populate that. These good bacteria then help control the populations of bad bacteria. So adding a salad and leafy greens will lead to a healthy gut beyond the fiber.
Rich in Phytonutrients
Besides all these benefits that we’re seeing from these studies, we also know that they’re very rich in phytonutrients, which is important because we need all these minerals and vitamins. Since we can’t produce minerals in our bodies.
Incorporating Leafy Greens into Your Diet
So let’s look at how we can actually incorporate a salad or what we mean by incorporating leafy greens daily, and I do mean most days you should have some sort of leafy green Saladish thing and we’ll go into what that means in a minute. This is not something you do in the summertime and not in the wintertime. The benefits shown by the studies were people who are having them most days of the year. So let’s start thinking that way.
Beyond Basic Lettuce
We are all very familiar with the basic lettuce salad. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, maybe some little bit of carrots on top and dressing. That’s awesome. But let’s find some other ways to add these leafy greens in and a wider variety of leafy greens.
Let’s start with the Cruciferous vegetable family. It’s got things like cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. That all can add a little crunch. Slightly cooked or just marinated in a citrus or vinegar base will slightly cook it down, and keep the crunch, but add lots of flavor to your lettuce, like spinach, iceberg, and romaine. I already said that.
What about radicchio? It will add a little bit of bitterness to your salad, which is very delicious. Watercress, herbs. Herbs are technically a leafy green.
Creating the Perfect Leafy Green Meal
So how exactly do you get it so that you enjoy this salad-a-day thing? How do you enjoy upping your leafy greens instead of looking at them as things that you have to eat alone? How can we spruce them up?
- Starting with the Greens – I usually point out to start with the protein. Well, in this case, we’re going to start with the green. You’re going to pick your leafy green. You’re going to decide if you want it cooked or raw or a combination. Maybe you’ve picked a handful of different kinds. Cook what you need to cook. make sure you cook it in healthy fat. Put it all together as the base.
- Adding Protein and More – After greens, pick your star, which is your protein. Find chicken breast, beef, fish, whatever it is, and add that on top.
- Get Creative with Additional Toppings – add seeds, nuts, cheese, and a healthy dressing. Add some other vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes, celery, carrots, or anything you want.
Be Creative
There is no reason why you have to eat a plain, boring lettuce salad while if you enjoy it, go for it. But if not, spruce it up. Add some other things to it to make it delicious for you. Make it into a meal. Here are some other ways of incorporating greens.
- Arugula Delight – Get some arugula. Drizzle some olive oil on top, and a little bit of salt. Cook your beef like a steak or a roast. Put the bed of arugula down and then put the roast or your steak on top of it and let the juices and the heat from the meat kind of wilt it. It’s delicious. Trust me. You’ll thank me later.
- Wilted Spinach Sensation – Another great vegetable wilted is spinach. Saute some bacon and some olive oil on the side with maybe some onions or whatever you like as a seasoning and drizzle it over the hot. Use the hot dressing over the spinach and it’ll just slightly wilt it. And then add your chicken or shrimp or whatever else you want to add as a protein.
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts – We see it on every menu as a roasted Brussels sprout, but have you ever shaved them and let them soak in some lemon juice or vinegar, and garlic, and just let them sit and marinate overnight to just partly cook, but not really. It’s super crunchy, and it’s a great additive to just a bed of lettuce and some shrimp.
Thinking Outside the Salad Box – Embrace Variety
Think outside the box. These vegetables can be cooked or raw as long as they’re leafy, and it’s probably good to get an assortment of it. Get in some of these other forms of leafy greens to broaden the phytonutrients, to broaden the minerals and vitamins that you’re getting. And it also helps diversify your gut when we’re eating a multitude and a variety of foods.
Wrap Up
Based on all the current research, there really is something about incorporating a daily dose of leafy greens, either by salad or by cooking it on your plate. I challenge you to start adding in leafy greens daily and get creative. Try a variety of them. Things you say you didn’t like when you were younger, you might actually like now. Go to the store, buy a handful here and there, and figure out which way you can start adding in this daily dose of goodness.
Referenced Studies –
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31819449/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33568158/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15572294/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10235173/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22435940/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24088718/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22008705/
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160215114005.htm
Inspired by Dr Sarah Ballantyne, PHD