Ahhh Kale. If a vegetable could be nerdy, Kale would be. It’s one of those “smart” foods many people have never even heard of, or only consider to be guinea pig food. So to explain Kale’s greatness it’s only appropriate to do so in a nerdy-like fashion:
K – Vitamin K: Kale has oodles of vitamin K, which aides in blood clotting, and bone calcification. This is great in preventing osteoporosis, and, well, uncontrollable blood squirting. Kale also has lots of well-absorbed calcium (meaning calcium in a form the body can actually absorb, before it is digested), again, helping in the prevention of osteoporosis.
A –Anti-Oxidant: Kale has an extremely high concentration of beta-carotene, and other carotenoids: really helpful anti-oxidents linked to the prevention of cancer and heart disease. They boost our body’s own antioxidant defense system, enabling it to fight against damaging free radicals we’re all inevitably exposed to. Side note: carotenoids help keep UV rays from damaging our eyes, which causes cataracts.
L – Laxative: Kale is unusually high in fiber. It helps to clean out those, for lack of a better phrase, hard to reach places inside the colon, which is pivotal to overall health, digestion, and disease prevention. As a general rule of thumb, the greener the vegetable, the better it is for you, especially for the digestive system.
E –Esophagus cleanser: Who knew one’s esophagus needed cleaning?!! But as the standard diet transitions from home cooked meals, to packaged/preservative meals, the esophagus deserves a little attention. When we eat highly processed, sugary, artificial foods, the body produces mucus, as a way to “protect” the body from foreign substances. Over time, this mucus builds up wherever food touches the body, so essentially the entire digestive tract. Kale, and it’s fiber laden edges, act as a scrub brush and as we swallow, scrub the mucus (“phlegm”) off our esophageal lining and down the shoot, so to speak. Why does this matter? Try including more Kale in your diet (and other veggies) and cutting out processed foods. Then try your normal exercise routine. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to breath, and how much farther you can push yourself when you can breath deeply in as you exercise. And you won't gross passerbys out by spitting so much. I wish all guys would eat more kale/veggies for this reason. Loogies are gross.
In a nut shell, EAT YOUR LEAFY GREENS! Especially Kale. If the kale taste is a little different at first, try steaming/boiling it at first and drizzling it with salad dressing, or something with a more familiar taste. Try cutting some up and mixing it in with your iceberg lettuce salad. Do what it takes, so that you can incorporate it into your diet. A little is better than nothing at all. I didn’t even know what Kale was until three years ago. And when I started eating it, it was such a foreign taste and texture, I thought I was poisoning my body with something designed solely for hippies to eat. But now, a salad composed of anything else, just isn’t a “beefy” enough salad. If you want to be as happy as this lady, eat your Kale!!!
