When you say the word "kale," not many of us have an idea of what it really is, and quickly turn the conversation or recipe book page to a dark leafy green more frequently used, such as spinach or broccoli. Sure, we've heard that it's healthy and the newest celebrity "it" food that every trainer is telling their clients to eat more of--but in all honesty...WHAT IS THIS STUFF??!
Brought to the USA in the 17th century by English settlers, Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. It can be found in abundance in most produce sections of the local grocery store year round. Thankfully--(especially for all us trainers who BEG AND PLEAD to our clients to eat more healthfully)--Kale is beginning to stir up some well-deserved attention due its nutrient rich phytochemical content and unparalleled health benefits!
Kale is absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, E and K. Kale has 7 TIMES the beta-carotene of broccoli and 10 TIMES more lutein! (Say hello to a kick-ass veggie!) Kale is rich in Vitamin C, not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The best and most surprising fact about the superfood? Its natural-occurring-all-important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer.
Not to go on a rant here, but let me just explain what the heck "sulforaphane" does and why its SO IMPORTANT: An article by Dr. Linda Posh explains that sulforaphane helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This in turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis. A recently new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation. Now that's something worth eating kale for! Check out the chart below to see all the nutritional benefits of eating the leafy green...
Choose kale with small leaves as they will be tenderer and offer a sweeter taste. Here are some recipe ideas for the superfood: sub it in your salads, mix into your favorite soup, add it into a wrap with hummus and grilled eggplant, or sauté it as a side dish with onions, garlic, and olive oil. One of my FAVORITE recipes is Kale Chips: heat your oven to 350 degrees. Tear the kale leaves from the stem and rip into "potato chip" style pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Voila!
Any way you have it, kale is sure to be good and GOOD FOR YOU!! No need to be scared of the word or the veggie now...you have graduated to the pros of leafy greens.
P.S. If you live in LA, I beg you to check out one of my FAVORITE lunch spots, M Cafe, and try their Kale with Spicy Peanut Dressing salad. ITS UNBELIEVABLE!! Read more about it at: [http://www.mcafedechaya.com/about.html]
When you say the word "kale," not many of us have an idea of what it really is, and quickly turn the conversation or recipe book page to a dark leafy green more frequently used, such as spinach or broccoli. Sure, we've heard that it's healthy and the newest celebrity "it" food that every trainer is telling their clients to eat more of--but in all honesty...WHAT IS THIS STUFF??!
Brought to the USA in the 17th century by English settlers, Kale is a leafy green vegetable with a mild earthy flavor. It can be found in abundance in most produce sections of the local grocery store year round. Thankfully--(especially for all us trainers who BEG AND PLEAD to our clients to eat more healthfully)--Kale is beginning to stir up some well-deserved attention due its nutrient rich phytochemical content and unparalleled health benefits!
Kale is absolutely rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, E and K. Kale has 7 TIMES the beta-carotene of broccoli and 10 TIMES more lutein! (Say hello to a kick-ass veggie!) Kale is rich in Vitamin C, not to mention the much needed fiber so lacking in the daily diet of processed food eating Americans. The best and most surprising fact about the superfood? Its natural-occurring-all-important phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer.
Not to go on a rant here, but let me just explain what the heck "sulforaphane" does and why its SO IMPORTANT: An article by Dr. Linda Posh explains that sulforaphane helps boost the body's detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This in turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis. A recently new study in the Journal of Nutrition (2004) demonstrates that sulforaphane helps stop breast cancer cell proliferation. Now that's something worth eating kale for! Check out the chart below to see all the nutritional benefits of eating the leafy green...
Choose kale with small leaves as they will be tenderer and offer a sweeter taste. Here are some recipe ideas for the superfood: sub it in your salads, mix into your favorite soup, add it into a wrap with hummus and grilled eggplant, or sauté it as a side dish with onions, garlic, and olive oil. One of my FAVORITE recipes is Kale Chips: heat your oven to 350 degrees. Tear the kale leaves from the stem and rip into "potato chip" style pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Voila!
Any way you have it, kale is sure to be good and GOOD FOR YOU!! No need to be scared of the word or the veggie now...you have graduated to the pros of leafy greens.
P.S. If you live in LA, I beg you to check out one of my FAVORITE lunch spots, M Cafe, and try their Kale with Spicy Peanut Dressing salad. ITS UNBELIEVABLE!! Read more about it at: [http://www.mcafedechaya.com/about.html]
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