It's Springtime!

​Spring is a time for new growth as the earth awakens from its winter sleep, crocuses and snow drops are peeking up in the gardens.  It’s also a time for us to emerge from our winter hibernation.
 
During the past few months of colder weather, and shorter days, we’ve spent a lot of time indoors being sedentary and eating comfort foods…all the while packing on a few extra pounds of weight.
 
It’s time to get out, get moving, and lighten up the diet a little.  It’s time to put the crockpot away and pull out the salad plate and include ‘superfoods’ in your diet daily!
 
What are superfoods?  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, superfoods are “a super nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and/or phytonutrients”.  They have specific health benefits and are a whole food in its natural state.
 
And in the spring, we have some beautiful seasonal superfoods that are growing and ready to eat, and they’re mostly green.  Salad greens like arugula, mustard and turnip greens, spinach, leeks, asparagus and artichokes.
 
What are the big health benefits of these delicious green veggies?

1. They are high in antioxidants, assisting the body in fighting off free-radical damage, which can lead to cancer.
2. Per calorie, they have more calcium than milk, and along with their high content of vitamin K, can help prevent bone loss, which leads to osteoporosis.
3. Green vegetables are powerful anti-inflammatory foods.  Major health issues can be linked to chronic inflammation like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and depression.

In good health,
​Cheryl Wahl, RHN, Cancer Coach