Tag Archives: greens

Benefits of GOMBS

Ha! GOMBS sounds like a funny word, but it is an acronym for some yummy health! 🙂

GREENS– Green Vegetables and Fruits contain nutrients found to reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and cholesterol as well as help the body fight illness. I will add GARLIC to this list of fighting foods too!

Examples are Artichokes, Aspargus, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Celery, Cucumbers, Green apples, Green beans, Green grapes, Green onion. Green pears, Green peppers, Honeydew melon, Leafy greens, Lettuce, Okra, Peas, Spinach, Snap peas, Zucchini, Kalirabi, Limes, Kiwi, Avocadoes, Kale, Collards, Bok Choy and gooseberries! 😀

Photo credit: Google pictures
Photo credit: Google pictures

ONIONS– onions are not only known for their power to make a grown person cry, but they are a superfood of health too! They have potassium, Vitamin C, B vitamins, kill germs, help your heart and fight cancer. Did you know why most hamburger is browned in the skillet with onions? Onions help fight bacteria, so putting them in the pan with meat will help neutralize any particles of salmonella and prevent the formation of potential cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines. (1)  They have also been used to kill funguses, yeasts, parasites, soothe the sting of insect bites, and ward off infection from stingray wounds. (1) Woo hoo! Start eating more onions! 😀

MUSHROOMS– Many people like hunting for edible mushrooms in the woods during the spring, but why do they like eating mushrooms anyway? Aren’t they just a fungus? 🙂 Mushrooms are known for helping lower cholesterol, level blood pressure, fight against bacteria, viruses, and cancer and strengthen your bones. They are mostly comprised of water, but are also a source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, Vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, selenium, and copper, low fat, low sodium and low calories! There are many types of mushrooms, but only a few out of the hundreds of different kinds are actually edible. Do some research to know what you are planning to put into your mouth BEFORE you eat it! 🙂

red raspberries

BEANS & BERRIES– Beans are known for being a great source of protein and fiber but they also help prevent constipation, help hemorrhoids, lower cholesterol, fight against cancer, preserve sexual function and stabilize blood sugar. When preparing dry beans, be sure to soak them for 5 hrs, then cook them in fresh water for at least 10 min to help release the toxin known as phytohaemagglutinin. (This is mainly in red kidney beans, but it is still good to soak other beans.) If you change the water several times that the beans are cooking in, you will reduce the amount of gas you may experience by consuming them.

Berries are known for fighting against cancer and heart disease as well as increase brain function. Strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries etc are “berry” good in fighting cancer with their natural chemicals of anthocyanin and ellagic acid.

chia seeds

SEEDS & NUTS– Consuming raw seeds and nuts will add phytochemicals and healthy fats to your dietary intake. They assist in fighting inflammation, lowering cholesterol and help other micronutrients be absorbed more readily into your body. Examples include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, or Brazilian nuts. Try some almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter next time you go to the grocery! 🙂 (Get outside your “box” of foods you eat! Try something new!)

Hemp Seeds

Cheers for GGOMBBS!! 😀

~Coach Shannon

Resources:

  1. Eat and Heal by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing (buy it for as low as 1 cent on Amazon!!)
  2. Dr Fuhrman: GOMBS
  3. Healthy Nuts & Seeds

Glorious Greens

Green vegetables are the foods most missing in modern diets. Learning to cook and to eat greens is essential to creating health. When you nourish yourself with greens, you will naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick. Greens help to build your internal rainforest and to strengthen the blood and respiratory system. They are especially good for city people who rarely see fields of green in open countryside. Green is associated with spring, the time of renewal, refreshment and vital energy. In Asian medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.Broccoli

Nutritionally, greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Whenever possible, choose organic. But eating non-organic greens is much better than not eating any greens at all!

Some of the benefits of eating dark leafy greens are:

-Blood purification

-Cancer prevention

-Improved circulation -Strengthened immune system -Promotion of healthy intestinal flora

-Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy

-Lifted spirit and elimination of depression -Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function -Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

There are so many greens to choose from. Find greens that you love and eat them often. When you get bored with your favorites, be adventurous and try greens that you’ve never heard of before. Broccoli is very popular among adults and children. Each stem is like a tree trunk, giving you strong, grounding energy. Rotate between bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, collards, watercress, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, dandelion and other leafy greens. Green cabbage is great cooked or raw, or in the form of sauerkraut. Arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun and wild greens are generally eaten raw, but can be consumed in any creative way you enjoy. Spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium from bones and teeth, and may lead to osteoporosis. Cook these vegetables with something rich like seeds, nuts, beans, butter, animal products or oil. This will help balance the effect of the oxalic acid.

Cooking Greens

Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sautĂ©ing in oil, water sautĂ©ing, waterless cooking or lightly pickling, as in a pressed salad. Boiling makes greens plump and relaxed. Boil for under a minute so that the nutrients in the greens do not get lost in the water. You can also drink the cooking water as a health-giving broth or tea if you’re using organic greens. Steaming makes greens more fibrous and tight, which is great for people who are trying to lose weight. Raw salad is also a wonderful preparation for greens. It’s refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.

Wheat grass

When some people hear “leafy green vegetables,” they often think of iceberg lettuce, but the ordinary, pale lettuce in restaurant salads doesn’t have the power-packed goodness of other greens. Get into the habit of adding these dark, leafy green vegetables to your daily diet. Try it out for a month and see how you feel.

A great additional resource for recipes and ideas is Greens Glorious Greens by Johnna Albi and Catherine Walthers.

~Coach Shannon