I was trying to come up with a clever title for this post. I thought about the title, “By Any Greens Necessary.” I was curious about the original phrase. It was my belief that Malcolm X was the first to use the phrase, “by any means necessary,” during his speech in 1964 in NYC. But actually it was a translation, according to Wikipedia (who knows if it’s accurate) of a phrase used by Fratz Fanon, a West Indian psychiatrist and political philosopher in a 1960 address at a “Positive Action” Conference. Which got me to thinking about positive action and what positive action we should all take to improve our health and well-being.
Okay, for me this is a no-brainer! Nutrition comes to mind first and foremost. And one of the positive steps that you can easily take to improve your health is to increase your daily consumption of all things leafy and green! We don’t need a conference, but eventually, I’m sure I will be hosting one. In the meantime and in between time, we need some green time! I know. Don’t quit my day job just yet. The poetry world ain’t ready for all this!
Leafy greens are among the healthiest foods you can eat! They are low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins and phytonutrients. Leafy Greens support collagen and I’m sure by now since it’s the catchphrase of the past year, you know what collagen is and does to keep your face together. (As well as your joints, etc.)
In addition, greens such as turnip, mustard, beet, collards and kale offer up a healthy dose of vitamin C and we all know the benefits of Vitamin C. Vitamin E, (oil) an ingredient found in many anti-aging skin care products is also found in dark leafy greens including spinach and swiss chard. We have nothing but good news here ladies.
“Nutritionists agree that the health benefits are substantial. In a Center for Disease Control and Prevention study that calculated nutrient density for almost 50 fruits and vegetables, 17 of the top 20 were leafy greens. Research shows that a diet that contains plenty of leafy greens is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, macular degeneration, and type 2 diabetes.” www.consumerreports.org
Now, here is something new that I recently learned while researching this piece. As we age, we lose the ability to make Nitric Oxide. I know, you are like WTH is that? And why do I even need it? Or you’re much smarter than I am and you already knew this stuff.
“Nitric oxide is produced by nearly every type of cell in the human body and one of the most important molecules for blood vessel health. It’s a vasodilator, meaning it relaxes the inner muscles of your blood vessels, causing the vessels to widen. In this way, nitric oxide increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.” www.healthline.com
And since many of us have blood pressure issues (which may actually be related to menopause) nitric oxide is a good thing! But lack of it can possibly lead to a weakened immune system, which as we age, can also happen. Consumption of leafy green vegetables can serve as a back up system. I can continue on making the case for dark, leafy greens, but I am sure you get the picture.
Before culinary school, I was never really into salads. I think I just never really had a good one. A bowl of wet leaves? Why? You can barely get them on the fork without effort.
And then I had salad the way salad should be had! Not a bunch of slimy leaves swimming in some bottled dressing. Texture! Crunchy, fresh vegetables. Super lightly dressed. I like texture. I wanted to crunch on something other than white bread croutons!
And salad isn’t the only way you can enjoy greens, although let’s start first with salads and how to up your salad game so you too can enjoy salads more often. (Ideally, daily!) I used to make omelets often and I would put greens in it and eat a salad with it. Yes, for breakfast. Salad is not just for lunch and dinner.
- So lets start with a method for washing greens. I know it says prewashed on those bags, but I’m sorry, prewashed by who? I always buy organic, but whether they are bagged greens or not, they are getting washed! Whenever I am going to consume something raw, it’s getting washed! If you are concerned about contamination, then just cook them. Cooking should kill any harmful bacteria. To wash, I put mine in the spinner basket and fill with water. Swish it around. Rinse and repeat. Spin!
- Best way to store washed greens I found was in a storage bin. It can be glass if you are anti-plastic, but line with paper towels, and place dried leaves in a single layer in the bin. Add another layer of paper towels and leaves if necessary. I’m guessing you will have a few layers.
- Bored with basic lettuce? Try the tough guys. How about softening up some of the tougher greens such as Kale, Collards and cabbage? How do you soften up a lot of things in life? Come on. You know the answer to this one. Massage! See, your mind went there didn’t it? Or was it just me? You know how you go to the spa, or maybe you don’t, but you can, for a salt scrub. Rinse that off and your skin is usually super soft. Well you don’t need to scrub on your greens, but gently massage tough greens with some salt. They will soften right up for you.
- And season your leaves. Good old sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. If you are avoiding salt, skip it. I love garlic, so I like to rub the inside of my bowl with some fresh cut garlic. Garlic is REALLY good for you.
- For excitement, add in some raw or roasted vegetables. Roast some veggies until caramelized. Yum. Then for contrast add some crunchy raw veggies. They can be the same veggies, just some cooked and some raw. Variety baby. You want those tubers crunchy? Submerge sliced radishes and carrots in an ice bath! Those babies get good and crispy for you.
- There are more things to top a salad with than croutons. I love a good toasted nut or seed topping or try some crispy fried shallots. I keep dried cranberries in the fridge. Throw those in there as well.
- Now dress to impress. If you are like me and you like your dressing on the lighter side, dress the bowl and then toss the salad. Now don’t drown the salad. You want a slight gloss on the leaves, not a soggy mess.
- One last tip! Add the nuts and toppings right after you toss unless you want them to all disappear to the bottom of the bowl, never to be seen again. For tossing, you can use your hands or some tongues, but be gentle. Treat your leaves the way you want to be treated!
Oh, I almost forgot! I am guilty of wasting greens. I admit. I could do better. I do end up tossing greens. Well I used to! I also found out that Romaine lettuce could regenerate! If you already knew this, you should have told me! I mean, no dirt, no mess. Lettuce scraps, water and a glass!
Last week, I saw this online and tried it. Instead of tossing out the bag of romaine I was too lazy to wash and store properly that had turned a tad orange in the bag. I cut the base off and placed it about an inch into a glass of water. I did this a week ago. Sat the glass in a sunny spot and this is what I got!
Just change the water every other day or so and if you really want to see growth, I think you should probably put it in a pot in some rich soil. But for me wanting a few leaves to throw in a salad, I think that is cool as hell.
I will keep you posted on further research!
This was a really good read. Learned some things I didn’t know and confirmed things that I did know. But why am I hungry now?!🤣
Wait until we start cooking!