Green can restore depleted energy and can provide a sanctuary away from the stresses of modern life, restoring us back to a sense of well being. Just look at mother nature- there is a reason why so much of the earth is green; green has a calming effect on our senses.

Green is the color of growth, as in young saplings growing into majestic trees. Change and transformation are necessary for growth, and so this ability to sustain change is also a part of green energy.

Green is an emotionally positive color as it relates to our ability to love and nurture ourselves and others.

The color green has a strong sense of right and wrong, honor and a sense of order. 

Green is a natural peacemaker, a good listener, a contributor to society. It is the charity worker, the good parent and the helpful neighbor. 

  

  

Here are a few ways I enjoy greens.  I include greens with just about all of my meals and not just because I know it's good for me.  When I eat a big dark green leafy salad I feel grounded, expansive and satisfied.  It feels like all the cells in my body are saying thank you!!

  

Instead of caffeine,  I start each morning with a green shot of Sweet Wheat from Britecore, a powdered wheat grass super food. It really gets my day going!  It gives me energy, focus, clarity and a sense of well being.  Not only do I ingest it, but I use it for facials, I brush my teeth with it and I put it on bug bites, cuts and burns.

  

I also love Designs for Health's Paleo Greens. I put a tablespoon in my shake each morning.  It contains 15 different types of greens and 6 different types of fruit powders, and it tastes delicious.  

(For more information about these two great products contact me at Health Through Awareness 856-596-0200)

Green vegetables are the foods most missing in modern diets. Learning to cook and 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 build your internal rainforest and strengthen the blood and respiratory system. They are especially good for city people who rarely see fields of green in open countryside. In Asian medicine, green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.

  

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

  

  

Try a variety of methods like steaming, boiling, sauteing in oil, water sauteing, waterless cooking or lightly pickling, as in pressed salad. Boiling makes greens pumped 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 more weight. Raw salad is also a wonderful preparation for greens. It's refreshing, cooling and supplies live enzymes.

  

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 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.

  

Integrative Nutrition, 2010.

 

87 cal; 1g pro; 7g total fat (1g sat. fat);5g carb; 0mg chol;59mg sod; 1g finer; 1g sugars