Spring is fresh and exciting, we come out of the locked-down feeling of winter and our natural instinct is to allow our bodies to refresh themselves. Everything we think and feel about Spring is reflected through the Wood Element. We want to throw off, throw out and go out, and the best way to support ourselves is with the foods that have this energy abundantly in them.

Greens rich in chlorophyll and minerals like calcium, strengthen the bones, help the blood to absorb oxygen, and bring energy upward in the body, leaving you feeling light and refreshed. Because greens have absorbed so much light, they are like “eating sunshine”.
Jessica Porter, The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics

Leafy greens contain the spiral of life, from how DNA functions, to an untwirling fern frond to the seasonal whirling winds around us. The season for rapid change, expansive upward and outward energy and the nurturing of growth.

Spring is the time to re-create yourself by improving your creativity, flexibility and the energy that is around supports you to make the changes that you want. Spring energy is expansive and like all the plants your body will respond to this climatic change and eating these plants as they grow will allow you to grow and feel alive.

🟢 Get leafy, bitter & dark green

Lets talk about leafy greens from the garden, the best ones!

History records that man has used the power of green plants as both food and medicine through most cultures, and even if we look at our animals, they tend to eat green grasses at times when they feel unwell.

The benefits and magic substance in bitter leafy greens is…

Chlorophyll

❔What are the magical things that are so valued in bitter leafy greens, and processed green-food supplements?

The magic substance is chlorophyll, the substance which makes all plants appear green. And the bonus of green plants is their ability to utilise carbon dioxide and produce clean fresh oxygen. It’s natures natural cleaner and purifier.

The greater the amount of chlorophyll the greener the plant, so we want to look for the dark green plants as they have a higher level of nutrients and chlorophyll. When used in a meal, green plants provide a refreshing, vital, and relaxing presence.

Now we can purchase a range of green food supplements and pills, like Natures Vital Greens, but I will talk about Micro Algae like spirulina and chlorella and sea vegetables in my upcoming blog “The Primitive Power of Sea Plants”.

Green is the ‘master colour’, just 2 cups a day will clean your body and remove toxins

When looking at colour therapy green is known as the “master colour” as it benefits all conditions.

You often choose a green filter when making corrections to photos, you have heard of the green screen in movies. Green can be used for both sedating and reducing excesses and strengthening weaknesses. Traditional Chinese Medicine says it has healing powers for the liver and the gallbladder, which in our society has been affected by our diets and lifestyles.

We drink too much, we take drugs (prescription and non-prescription), we eat overly processed dead food, we consume large quantities of saturated fats and consume much bad salt. All these bad lifestyle choices impact your health, and especially on the liver.

💚But the good news is, leafy green plants when consumed at about 40% of your daily diet, that’s about 2 cups per day will

clean your body
remove toxins
reduce inflammation
clear arterial plaque
benefit anaemia
reduce blood pressure
encourage good bowel function and
act as a mild diuretic

Leafy greens in your diet, what’s good and what’s not

🥗 Best leafy greens to add to your diet

There are many leafy greens, we just need to open our eyes and hearts to trying new things and avoid getting stuck in the same old shopping list, after all we should eat fresh and seasonal, local, and whole.

· Kale

· Rocket

· Collards

· Romaine

· Bok choy

· Watercress

· Cabbage

· Fennel

· Wheat and Barley Grass - sprouts

· Seaweeds

This can also include other non-starchy, E greens like broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, green peas, snow peas, green beans, shallots, & onions. Anything green voila.

🛑Leafy greens to avoid in your diet

There are some green plants that should be consumed in small amount. They are often night shade plants and can leech the body of minerals, especially calcium and cause a build up of Vitamin K. Things like English spinach, beet leaves, swiss chard greens have a compound called oxalic acid which can build up over time and lead to health problems such as gallstones, abdominal pains, low blood pressure, tremors, and vomiting. But rest assured, the best way to be healthy is to have variety and moderation in your diet. By the way you would have to eat about 3 kg of spinach to get enough oxalic acid to cause you problems.

✔More benefits of eating leafy greens

Many benefits for easting greens

· High in folate

· High in Vitamin A, C, E & K

· High in Iron (Fe)

· Burn fat and aid gallbladder to produce bile

· Anti-aging

· Improve heart health

· Protects telomeres

· Reduces diabetes

· Improve gut health as a form of natural prebiotic

· Calming effect of green on your mental state

· Anti-ageing

· Increases the production of enzymes

· Increase saliva production

· Lubricate bowel

· Give full feeling as full of cellulose and fiber

· Improve bowel function

🍽Raw versus cooked greens

While cooked vegetables can grant us access to more nutrients, raw vegetables offer more fibre and helps to maintain healthy digestion, lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels. What’s more, some vegetables offer different vitamins depending on if they’re raw or cooked. For example, baby spinach in its raw form, offers more Vitamin C and in its cooked form, it offers more vitamin A. So be mindful of including a combination of vegetables in their cooked and raw form in your diet.

In spring aim to eat half raw and half lightly cooked green vegetables, so that is 1 cup of raw and 1 cup of cooked each day.

Green for the heart and liver, Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory

In Vedic Yoga Philosophy, the colour for the heart chakra is green, seeing that connection of the liver to a happy open heart.

The Liver and Gallbladder are responsible for digesting fats and producing digestive enzymes. How does this help your body?

As wood feeds fire, the type of wood is the fuel for how well the fire element works, so heart and blood pressure are fed by the wood element, simply put, what do you use to fuel your energy?

Is it petrol (stimulants) or a variety of woods? Do you throw oil in your fire? Like lots of bad fats, cholesterol, overconsumption of animal meat. This will restrict and constrict the pumphouse and the arterial pipe system. Just like your plumbing system in your house, putting fats down the drains blocks the drains so a rich diet high in fat overburdens the liver which stresses the heart and the arterial system making them work harder to maintain functioning oxygen and nutrient levels to the body.

BUT

The Liver and Gallbladder are responsible for digesting fats and producing digestive enzymes and eating greens + all those wonderful points ☝🏼 will have you looking and feeling fantastic.

Thanks for reading and taking time to find out more about being healthier. Let me know your thoughts on my eat your greens blog and what sort of greens you love in the comments below. Post your pics and comments and tag me @naturalelementhealth, I’m on Instagram and Facebook.

Lisa 🌷

Eat your Greens