The way to a healthy living is a lifestyle which includes healthy diet, exercising regularly and living a stress free life. A healthy diet plays a very important role to provide your body with all the vitamins, proteins and nutrients to cope up with day-to-day activities. But due to our busy schedule, stressful life, poor diet, dust, dirt and pollution, we fail to fulfill our basic body nutrition level. All this reduces body’s pH level and makes the body acidic. Acidity is a dangerous condition and high acidity can weaken all major body systems. A pH balanced body has proper metabolic functions and disease resistance. A body fails to assimilate minerals and nutrients, when the pH is not balanced. Most of our body is slightly on the acidic side and thus it is recommended that we should consume at least 80% alkaline foods and less than 20% acidic food. Green veggies or green leafy veggies whether raw or cooked are alkaline in nature. To have a healthy diet, we need to eat at least 3 to 5 servings of veggies every day.
Greens are a rich source of nutrients and proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals. Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, zeaxanthin, lutein, calcium, folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene and phytonutrients. They even contain small amount of omega-3 acids. Green leafy vegetables are carbohydrate free and the high amount of fibers in them prolongs the digestion process and keeps the stomach full. Green vegetables improve the overall health of a person.
1. Minerals: Green vegetables are a rich source of magnesium. Magnesium is most required of minerals to carry out biochemical reactions in the body. It maintains the bodily nerves, muscles and bones. It helps in protein synthesis and cellular metabolism. Magnesium regulates the heartbeat. It prevents from asthma, back pain, diabetes, osteoporosis and constipation
2. Vitamins: Green veggies are a rich source of vitamin K, which helps in preventing bone problems. It helps in the production of osteocalcin, a protein necessary for proper health of the bones. Vitamin K prevents clotting of blood, abnormal loss of bone tissues, internal bleeding, menstrual pain, and normalizes excessive menstrual flow and biliary obstruction. It also enhances the function of liver, maintains the heart muscles, capillaries and blood vessels, maintains strong bones in elders, reduces cramps and fracture and thus helps in maintaining a healthy life.
3. Antioxidant and anticancer: The various phytonutrients and beta-carotene along with lutein and zeaxanthin help to protect our eyes from various age-related diseases and muscular degeneration, which when untreated could lead to blindness. It is believed that these nutrients also help in treating some particular cancer types like the lungs and breast cancer. They also prevent heart diseases. Leafy green veggies contain nutrients which take care of antioxidant activities. They prevent inflammation and also are anti-cancer.
4. Dietary fibers: Dietary fibers keep the body well-toned. Vegetables are a rich source of soluble as well as insoluble dietary fibers. Fiber aids in the proper functioning of the digestive system and thus increases metabolism and helps in preventing problems like constipation, bowel irregularity, colon cancer and polyps. It also helps in weight loss as it gives a feeling of fullness and thus prevents unnecessary snacking. Some green veggies and fruits are sources of negative calorie which means they have very less amount of calorie in them but the body has to spend a huge amount of calorie to digest these kinds of veggies and thus it helps in weight loss. Green veggies are a must for the obese people as they accelerate the weight lose process.
5. Water: Green veggies naturally have high level of water and thatâs why they have very less calories and are fat free. They help to maintain proper weight and flush out the toxins from the body.
Green veggies can be consumed either raw or cooked but raw vegetables are the best source to get vegetable nutrients. Be careful in choosing the vegetables, always consume fresh vegetables and wash them properly before consuming. Each vegetable contains a different combination of vitamins and nutrients which is beneficial to your body. Thus always choose a variety of vegetables so that you are not bored. Skip all your junk food and go green, consume salads, soups and veggies. Apart from all these benefits, consuming green veggies and fruits everyday helps to give a glowing skin, promotes hair growth, keeps the body healthy, slim and fit.
Love green, think green, eat green, live green, burn your calories and toxins, and stay healthy.