5 Reasons Why You Need To Eat Your Greens

From very little we are told to eat our greens, and for good reason! Green vegetables are full of health promoting nutrients to keep you full of energy and feeling vibrant. Upping your vegetable intake can do wonders for your health and wellbeing, and can go a long way in helping to prevent age related disease. We have put together 5 reasons why you need to eat your greens! 

1. Full of fibre
Most Australians are not eating enough fibre. The recommended daily intake of fibre for men is 30g, and women is 25g. Most Australians eat less than this. Fibre provides necessary roughage for healthy gut, heart, liver and hormone function. The next time you go grocery shopping, add these fibrous greens into your shopping cart - asparagus, broccoli, kale, leek and brussels sprouts.

2. Anti-inflammatory benefits
One of the best ways to fight off inflammation is by incorporating an array of greens into your daily diet. A chronic pro-inflammatory diet is a pervasive feature of aging and inflammatory related disease. An anti-inflammatory diet may also be beneficial when looking to support skin health. Leafy greens are high in natural antioxidants and polyphenols that assist in reducing inflammation. Antioxidant powerhouse broccoli is packed with key vitamins, carotenoids and flavonoids making it an anti-inflammatory go to. As important as it is to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods, you must also work to reduce inflammatory foods. This includes reducing refined carbohydrates, processed meats and red meat. 

3. Energise the body 
When we are stressed we can become nutrient depleted particularly in nutrients such as vitamin C and magnesium. This can lead us to feeling tired and devitalised which have a significant impact on our overall mood. Greens such as broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts are rich in these energy boosting nutrients which help to keep us feeling revitalised.  

4. Full of nutrients!
The nutrients in green vegetables such as beta carotene, vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium and calcium help keep your immune system strong, manage stress levels and are a good source of minerals for strong bones.  The vitamin C found in many green leafy vegetables helps the body produce collagen, a key factor in maintaining healthy skin and hair as you age.  Leafy greens are also a great source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant known to repair and renew the skin. In the body, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is important for eye health, for a strong immune system, and for healthy skin.

5. Strengthen your immune system
The many nutrients in leafy greens help strengthen the immune system and prevent inflammatory diseases. Beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A, which improves immune function. We all know that Vitamin C is good for the immune system, and it’s found in abundance in green veggies. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps the body fight off infection. Greens also help clear the body of toxins, making it easier to fight off infections and diseases.

As we have highlighted, it is important to eat greens, but sometimes it can be hard to fit it all in. Our Purity Greens Blend contains 32 Certified Organic plant foods, including extra goodies such as dandelion, milk thistle, and cruciferous veggies to support ALL phases of liver detox. Plus, it supports a healthy gut with prebiotics and bioavailable sprouted goodness. It is also 100% certified organic which means purity and stricter guidelines are in place when it comes to testing for heavy metal toxicity. Find out more here.

Information sourced from Health Direct, Harvard Health and Fiona Tuck.