17 Mar St. Patty's Day Gives us Reason to EAT Green, not Just Wear it!

Here’s the deal. St. Patrick’s Day can come and go and I wouldn’t even know. I am not wearing green today, don’t care if I get pinched and won’t be partaking in corned beef or green beer. Yes, yes, I know-I’m no fun. However, I would like to take this rare opportunity to highlight this holiday (using this term loosely, I might add), to bring out the green of season. No, not money green-food green!

Green is one of those colors to look for in the store. The dark green foods=healthy foods. Antioxidant, vitamin and mineral rich and
fiber-rific! I mean really, what green food can you think of (besides the a few fake/highly processed foods and the light green marshmallows in a Lucky Charms box-they really aren’t magically delicious-but note the tie into St. Patty’s Day) that AREN’T good for you?

So here’s the deal. Green foods have the substances isothiocyanates, EGCG, Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Isoflavones….powerful antioxidants that can help fight the damage caused to our cells over time that can lead to premature aging and a whole host of diseases. These particular foods and substances help support cell health, support arterial function, lung health and help us to maintain healthy liver function.

Here’s the other deal. The fruit/veggie must be green on the INSIDE as well as the OUTSIDE to receive the maximum health benefits. So, see the cucumber, green apple, green pear and endive in the photo above? It’s actually a misnomer. Why? When you cut into a cucumber, what color is it? White! Don’t get me wrong, white fruits and veggies carry their own benefits, but we’re trying to concentrate on the green theme with this blog.

So, here is a top 10 list of my favorite green foods and a challenge from me to you and to me.
I’m going to see how many of these green foods I can fit into my diet today. So far, I’m 0/0. But, the day isn’t over! How about you? How are you doing with fitting in your green foods?

1. Greens of all types: spinach, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy, mustard greens and the like.

2. Edamame (soy beans)

3, Kiwi

4. Green Cabbage (I love all types of cabbage, actually)

5. Broccoli

6. Avocado

7. Asparagus

8. Artichokes

9. Brussel Sprouts

10. Herbs of all kinds including parsley, rosemary, sage and mint.

11. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream–just checking to see that you were paying attention!

Let me know how you do getting in your “greens”! Others to remember include green bell peppers, green beans and green tea, just to name a few.

Call me what you will about being a St. Patty’s day non believer–but check back with me around April 1st…..that will be another story.