The Family Groove "Mixed Greens"

MIXED GREENS
HOLISTIC HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE COUNSELOR KATHERINE PENNINGTON OF BE-N-BALANCE.COM
COOKS UP NUTRITIOUS AND EASY WAYS TO FEED YOUR FAMILY—MIND, BODY AND SOUL

Go for the Green: Color Your Way to Better Health

With the winter season in full swing, now is the perfect time to strengthen your immune system and integrate new healthy patterns into your life. In the summer, we naturally eat more fresh green vegetables and lettuces; however, in the fall and winter when we need the nutrients the most, we tend to gravitate toward more-hearty fare. While this may make us feel warm and cozy inside, all this heavy food just taxes our bodies and, eventually, we get sick. The single most important thing that we can do for ourselves this winter is to add more greens to our diets.

Greens are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C, E and K. Greens help purify the blood, prevent cancer, improve circulation, strengthen the immune system, improve liver function, clear congestion, improve skin quality, lift the spirit, eliminate depression, and increase energy and vitality. In Asian medicine, green is related to the liver health, emotional stability and creativity. Who wouldn’t want all that?

There are two very easy things that you can do to keep your mind, body and soul healthy: eat green and drink green.

Eat Green
First and foremost, it is important to eat more leafy green vegetables. When you eat more greens, you naturally crowd out all the other unhealthy foods that make you sick. This does not mean that you have to eat salads all the time. Although I always recommend that you do add at least one raw salad to your diet per day, in the winter when it is colder, it’s nice to steam or sauté vegetables—just add a little olive oil and sea salt. Delicious!

There are so many greens to choose from, so experiment and see which ones you like. The favorites in our house are spinach (both raw for salad and cooked), romaine, kale, Swiss chard, brussels sprouts and broccoli. Others include bok choy, collard greens, watercress, the cabbage family, beet greens and dandelion. Lettuces such as mesclun, arugula, endive, chicory and wild greens are also included in this category.

As a side note, spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium, so cook them with rich foods, such as tofu, seeds, nuts and olive oil, which will balance the effects.
Mixed Greens

Drink Green
Try to drink one green juice per day. Drinking one green juice per day is one of the most important things that you can do to improve your health and lose weight. Good news: It’s easier (and more enjoyable) than it might sound. Many people get intimidated by buying and operating a juicer. Or they end up buying one and then don’t use it. I recommend that you purchase a juicer (Green Star or Breville) and make healthy green juices every day (see my green lemonade recipe). If owning a juicer is too much for you, make a commitment to buy one every day at the local health food shop or juice bar and see how much better you will feel in only a week. For clients who travel, I recommend that they carry packets of powdered greens (Berry Green, Amazing Grass or Green Vibrance) that they can add to soy milk or fresh juices. My daughter and I make green powder smoothies almost every afternoon after school.

Integrate greens into your diet and you will immediately see an improvement in your energy, your mood and your health.

Green Lemonade Recipe
6 romaine lettuce leaves
6 kale leaves (I recommend Lacinato, or “dinosaur,” kale)
3 large apples
1 to 2 stalks of celery
1 cucumber
2 to 3 lemons (depending on how tart you want it)
Agave nectar (optional)

Juice vegetables and fruit in blender. Stir in agave nectar for sweetness if needed. Drink this throughout the day and your skin will be glowing!

Grilled Kale
1 head of kale (can be red or green)
Olive oil
Lemon
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Cut kale into small pieces, wash and let dry completely so it does not wilt. Coat a casserole dish with olive oil and place the kale in the dish. Slather with olive oil and place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes until it looks a bit crispy. Slice a lemon and squeeze over, and add a sprinkle of sea salt.

We usually serve this with a grain such as brown rice or quinoa, or if you want a quick, light dinner, it can be a meal unto itself. This is delicious and one of my husband’s favorites.

Green Powder Smoothie
1 to 1½ tablespoons green powder
2 cups vanilla almond, soy or rice milk (I prefer almond milk)
½ cup Silk Soymilk vanilla creamer
1 frozen banana (optional—or use ice to make thicker)

Add green powder, milk, creamer and the frozen banana in the blender and blend. My 5-year-old daughter and I make this all the time for a healthy snack in the afternoon after school or before sports for a pick-me-up.

Katherine Pennington is a holistic health counselor and founder of Be in Balance, which helps women and men lose weight, reduce stress and achieve more balance in their lives. Additionally, Katherine runs a cooking program for kids and their moms called Kids in the Kitch where she helps mothers and father’s cook healthier meals for their families as well as working one on one with children. Katherine is also an avid runner and marathoner and advises athletes on how to fuel for maximum performance and health.

Katherine graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition/ Columbia Teachers College and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practionners. Additionally, Katherine is a founding member of Women for Family Nutrition (www.wffn.org).

Katherine resides in New York City and is the mother to two beautiful children.

For more from Katherine, go to www.be-n-balance.com.

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