Veggie Allstar: All Hail To Kale

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September 17, 2012 12:31 pm By Kay Konnect
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My journey to a healthier me cannot be traveled without my once long time enemy: VEGETABLES. You can spend all your waking time in the gym, but none of it will matter if you do not include healthy eating. If you’re like me, then this is a struggle.

Once I started Operation Fit Chick, it was clear that I could no longer ignore what I was learning about food. I had to face the green monsters in the face. So I kept it real simple and stuck with broccoli and SOMETIMES – when I was being fancy and wanted a little bit of color on my plate, I’d go to mixed veggies.

Now I’ve moved on up. I was recently introduced to kale. But just like a child, I decided that I didn’t like it before even trying it. My spidey senses are telling me it’s green. It’s a vegetable. It’s not candy. It’s nasty. But with every article I read on health and wellness, kale kept coming up so I decided to dig deeper.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable. Which simply means it is part of the cabbage family of veggies that all contain phytochemicals, vitamins, fibers and minerals we all need. It’s dubbed as the “Super Veggie”. It is one of the healthiest vegetables around ESPECIALLY when cooked right (steamed for 5 minutes).

A review of research published in the October 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that 70% or more of the studies found a link between cruciferous vegetables and protection against cancer.

So what are the experts saying about Kale?

It helps protect against cardiovascular disease

It helps lower cholesterol

It fights off cancer

It supports the body detoxification system

It has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits

It’s high in vitamins K, A and C

With a list like this, you can’t go wrong. It’s recommended that we have 2-3 servings per week of cruciferous vegetables like The Almighty King Kale and 4-5 servings for maximum benefits.

I’m going to start with 2-3. Will you join me?

Words By Angela Childs
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