Leafy Greens - The Advantages!

Leafy greens vegetables are the scourge of fast-food lovers everywhere. As children, we have all turned our noses up at a burssel sprout or a plate of spinach, and the thought of eating a leaf still horrifies kids everywhere, even in today's age of health-awareness. Little do they know of the culinary and nutritional delights they're missing out on! In this article, we'll discuss the pros and cons of eating such vegetation and identify some edible leaf plants that you may not have encountered previously.

Green leafy vegetables (particularly the darker coloured varieties) are one of the most concentrated sources of nutrition, calorie for calorie, available to the human species. They are a rich sources of vitamins and minerals (including potassium and magnesium, and vitamins K, C and E) and provide many cell-protecting phytonutrients such as beta-carotine and lutein. Vitamin K in particular is an oft-overlooked nutrient, and can help protect, in high enough doses, against osteoperosis, arthritis, and diabetes. Vitamin K is fat soluble, so don't forget to include some form of oil in your salads!

Also, being low in carbohydrates and high in fibre, you can afford to indulge in leafy green vegetables to your heart's content, as they have virtually no impact on blood sugar levels whatsoever.

Spinach
Mint
Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts
Lettuce
Oregano
Artichoke
Sage
Oregano
Pak-Choi

The iron in some of these plants can also serve as a helpful aid when attempting to rebuild muscle tissue.