More Greens Please!

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food" - George Bernard Shaw 

Yada, yada, yada... eat broccoli instead of a cookie or burger?  Makes no sense, right?!  But, do you know that green plant membranes found in foods such as broccoli, spinach, kale, colored greens,asparagus, watercress, parsley, and lettuce have been found to actually help curb your appetite leading to healthy weight loss?

Broccoli in the garden

Much has been written about the antioxidant and anti-cancer effects of these vegetables, but here is a new one. Scientists and colleagues from Lund University in Sweden studied the effect of a diet high in green plant membranes among a group of 38 women, aged 40 to 65 years. Those who consumed at least 5 grams a day lost on average 11 pounds over three months, compared to only 7.7 in those given a placebo.

Kales grow year round for us in northern California

Women eating the greens secreted more of a hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) which is known to aid in satiety and to reduce the urge to eat junk food. Green plants also appear to slow fat absorption by collecting around lipid droplets from food. Lab animals given greens displayed reduced weight gain, fat mass and blood lipids. Likewise, the women in the Lund study had decreased total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL – or “bad”) cholesterol readings.

Wonderful peppery arugula.  This is another easy crop to grow.

So, make sure that you add greens to your dinner tonight, and every night.

- Dr. Mariam Manoukian