“Eat your Vegetables”
That's what my parents always told me. They would try to make sounds, actions and other “strategies” just to make me eat them.
But as a kid, I'll always find a way not to consume them.
Of course, my parents were right.
I needed to eat and add more vegetables to my diet.
As an adult, I juice them instead of eating them.
It's a way for me to consume super foods in the least stressing way. And the best vegetables to include in your diet are called the Cruciferous Vegetables. You'll easily recognize them as the “green leafy vegetables” in your grocery.
It's important to consume a variety of plant based foods because different phytonutrients are found in different plants.
Or maybe you are wondering … “Is Celery a Cruciferous vegetable? Or are beets Cruciferous?”… Those are the questions that comes to mind when you think of “green leafy veggies”…
Top cruciferous vegetables worth trying
1. Arugula
This delicious vegetable is commonly called Salad Rocket, simply because you'll find these served in salads and meals. This vegetable contains very few calories, so it's beneficial to those trying to lose or maintain their weight.
Aside from that, the leafy vegetable is a great source of Vitamins (A, C, K) and Folic Acid. Romans have been eating this vegetable centuries ago because it has been believed to help stimulate sexual energy. They regard it as a powerful aphrodisiac. Simply substitute your greens with Arugula or add it to your current recipes. Use a slow juicer or smoothie machine like the NutriBullet.
2. Basil
I love this herb. This culinary herb is also known as Sweet Basil, Thai Basil and in some areas, St. Joseph's Wort. It is rich in Vitamins (K, A, C, B6) and is usually added in meals for flavor and taste.Add it to your current recipes to suite your taste. Use a slow juicer or smoothie machine like the NutriBullet.
3. Beet greens – Although the beet root contains a lot of nutrients and is an ingredient of most of my juicing recipes, don't throw the greens(leaves) away. Beets have been found to help boost athletic performance and protect against heart disease, you can't beet that!
4. Bokchoy – Do you love eating chinese foods? Then you'll be familiar with Bok choy or chinese cabbage. You can stir-fry them or add them on your juicing recipes as well.
5. Broccoli – I love broccoli! Broccoli has been found out to provide us with tons of health benefits. As an example, Broccoli is a great source of sulforaphane, an enzyme that helps the liver perform it's detoxifying functions.
The Broccoli plant releases these enzymes when you bite it. A chemical reaction takes place in the broccoli's cells that gives it the “bitter” taste. So when you actually include broccoli in your juicing, you immediately release all the sulforaphane available in the plant. I love to add 3-4 florets of broccoli in my green juice.
6. Cabbage – this leafy green plant is always available in the grocery stores since it's available all year long. Make your own cabbage soup or add them in your juicing recipes as well.
7. Celery – this crunchy, watery vegetable is very alkaline. I love creating my drinks with celery. I usually add carrots and apple plus celery to create my morning juice blast. In Ayurvedic medicine, celery seed is used for the treatment of colds, arthritis (gout) and other liver diseases.
8. Chard – this vegetables is usually found in mediterranean dishes. The leaves can be green or reddish in color and the roots also vary in color. Use them as base of your green juice and as substitute for spinach or kale.
9. Spinach – If you have watched the Popeye cartoon series, you'll know that he loves spinach. And he is right. There's tons of nutritional and health benefits of eating spinach. If you're starting out with juicing or training the kids, then you'll love spinach because it doesn't have the usual “bitter taste” of vegetables.
10. Kale – My favorite vegetable. I love this dark green leafy vegetable because it has tons of nutritional benefits. Kale has been found to improve cholesterol levels, cardiovascular health and more. I use this as a base for most of my juicing and smoothing recipes.
And there you have it, the Ten Cruciferous Vegetables that will supercharge your health!