By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

July 02, 2014

• Mysterious rainforest foods aren’t always your best bet
• The home-grown super foods that protect your heart
• An easy way to get more of them in your diet

Every time I turn around, it seems like someone has discovered a “brand-new” super food.

You’ve probably heard about some of them. Acai, goji berries, noni-fruit, maca, mangosteen and camu camu are just a few that have made headline news in recent years.

These foods usually come from remote jungles, isolated rainforests or distant mountain tops.

This makes them sound mysterious and secretive. But they aren’t “new” by any means. They’ve been around since the time of ancient cultures. And all of them have historical medicinal uses. So, we’re basically just re-discovering them.

I think all of these superstars are great. I even suggest trying them out.

On the other hand, all of the hoopla they attract tends to distract us from the long-known super foods growing right here at home. You might even have a few sprouting up in your backyard vegetable garden.

I’m talking about green leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale and Swiss chard that are loaded with vitamins K, A, C, E and many of the B vitamins. These green foods provide minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium. And they’re chock full of fiber, folate and antioxidants.

I can’t get enough of these everyday green vegetables. I’ll take them raw, steamed, roasted, stir-fried or tossed in a salad. As far as I’m concerned, no meal is complete without broccoli, spinach or arugula. They’re delicious with just a little garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt.

And the health benefits you get from them will rival any rare rainforest berry you can find. Here are just a few of their super powers:

• Greens can lower your cholesterol levels.
• Vitamin K1 in greens regulates blood clotting.
• Greens can boost your immune system.
• Calcium in greens enhances bone health and guards against osteoporosis.
• Greens help protect against all types of cancer.

I’m sometimes tempted to pull out my prescription pad and write my patients an order for green foods. That’s because they’re some of the best medicines in nature’s pharmacy. This is especially true when it comes to your heart health.

Let me show you what eating a few greens every day can do for you…

Most people don’t realize it, but green vegetables are good for your heart. In fact, they protect your entire cardiovascular system.

How do they work?

First off, they improve your arterial health. And the healthier your arteries are, the healthier your heart is.

You see, greens contain high levels of dietary nitrates. Your body uses nitrates to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the walls of your blood vessels so they remain open and blood flows freely. This helps reduce blood pressure, prevents arterial stiffness and keeps the inner lining of your blood vessels strong and healthy.

Secondly, green veggies play an important role in controlling inflammation. This is something all of today’s major health threats have in common. And it’s a big factor when it comes to your heart health. It also plays a hefty role when it comes to your chances of diabetes and cancer.

So, it’s good to know that people who eat the most cruciferous vegetables have substantially less inflammation than those who eat the least. Just 1.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables every day can help lower inflammatory markers in your blood by about 25%.

If you’re a woman, congratulations! Eating these crucifers have even more benefits… they also help the liver metabolize your estrogen down the “better ” pathways, bind excess estrogen, and help move it out of the body prior to likely reabsorption into the bloodstream. This enhances the chances of your not being inconvenienced by or actually battling female cancer issues in the future.

Now, for those who still believe the “Broccoli blocking thyroid function theory,” it takes an awful lot to affect the thyroid, not just a few stalks. Eating two or more big bunches of broccoli a day is never going to happen for me… how about you? So, I say, eat your veggies.

I usually advise my patients to aim for about three to four servings of green veggies every single day. That might sound like a lot. However, it’s worth it when it comes to protecting your heart, lowering your risk of other chronic diseases, and your mortality.

But, I have to admit, if you’re not used to eating a lot of greens, it can seem like a daunting task to get all of those veggies into your day. Luckily, I have an easy way to get the job done.

I don’t have to worry about getting my greens. It’s something that comes naturally for me… well, after months of finding what works for me in my world. Unless you find the right way to fit it into your world, it will never become anything other than “a good idea.”

But I have my share of patients who just can’t seem to manage it. If you’re anything like they are, I have a very simple solution.

Try a green smoothie. Just blend a cup of water or unsweetened almond milk with two or three leaves of kale or spinach. Then add a banana or apple for some sweetness. It might take a few days to get the flavor just right, but experiment with different greens and fruits to see what appeals to you. And, if you want more flavor, add a tablespoonful of a nut butter and/or a protein supplement. If needed, you can use it as a substitute for one of your meals.

If you like “juicing,” I have a word of caution. While it might increase your vegetable intake, it also reduces nitrate content. It also removes all the fiber and concentrates the sugars from the fruits and vegetables. This can spike your blood sugar and raise insulin. The simplest recipe is four veggies, one fruit.

But, with a smoothie, you get the full deal. It slows the release of sugar, keeps insulin levels steady and leaves you feeling fuller longer.

If you’re not ready to make your green smoothie from scratch, try a green powdered drink mix. You can find them in health-food stores or online.

Just check the label to be sure you’re getting a blend of different greens. Most of these powdered formulas include a healthy dose of chlorella, sprirulina and wheat or barley grass in them. But I prefer one that includes plenty of the super-fruit components I mentioned earlier – like acai, noni-fruit and camu – along with the greens.

Sources:
Kim MY, “Leafy vegetable mix supplementation improves lipid profiles and antioxidant status in C57BL/6J mice fed a high fat and high cholesterol diet.” Journal of Medicinal Food. 2009; 12:877-884.

Fujii H, “Daily intake of green and yellow vegetables is effective for maintaining bone mass in young women.” Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2009;218:149-154.

Gullett NP, “Cancer prevention with natural compounds.” Seminars in Oncology 2010;37:258-281.

Lidder S, et al. “Vascular effects of dietary nitrate (as found in green leafy vegetables and beetroot) via the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway.” Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Mar;75(3):677-96.

Jiang Y, et al, “Cruciferous Vegetable Intake Is Inversely Correlated With Circulating Levels of Proinflammatory Markers inWomen.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics May 2014: Vol. 114, Issue 5, 700-708.

Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al, “Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease.” J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004; 96:1577–84.