This month, we are zeroing in on the food ways to help you through #stress. Let's add one last nourishing item to your grocery list.
DARK LEAFY GREENS.
Dark Leafy Greens! All of them.
I’ll tell you three reasons why, especially when it comes to supporting you through stress.
BECAUSE MAGNESIUM
When the stress response is turned on, you utilize magnesium as one of the nutrients to get through a perceived crisis (whether real or imagined). Magnesium is indeed needed to slow down the release of your stress hormones, furthermore acting as a guardian at the blood/brain barrier to prevent the hormones from entering the brain. (See study here)
Your greens with the highest amount of magnesium? Think spinach + swiss chard.
BECAUSE MINERALS
Minerals are a crucial component you need to get from your daily diet - as they help reduce what is contributing to your body’s stress load internally - think chronic low grade inflammation. Adding in mineral rich foods like dark leafies will provide your body with anti-cancer properties, with nutrients needed to lessen inflammation in the body; they’ll support hormonal balance; are super nourishing to your brain; nourishing to the liver + adrenals, two of your major organs that feel stress keenly.
Minerals found in good amounts in your greens: manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, potassium, and on and on. Nourish with the dark leafies!
BECAUSE ANTIOXIDANTS
Dark leafy greens deliver to your system those all important antioxidants - code for vitamins that help beat oxidation. What is oxidation? It’s the end result of that low grade inflammation in the body. The more that Inflammation Dragon comes ‘round your place, the more he stokes those fires. Those fires? They’re the oxidation. What does it take to put the fire out? ANTIOXIDANTS!
Important antioxidants like all B vitamins, vitamin A in plant form, vitamins C and K1 (plant form) are all excellent helpers in putting the fire out of that inflammation dragon. As Dr. Terry Wahls puts it, think Green-BACK and eat your greens!
Look! The rainbow!
Think the obvious dark green leafies like kale, arugula, spinach, chard; but look off the beaten path for things like dandelion greens, endives, collards, beet greens, lettuce. Start using seaweed and nettle! Heck, even green fresh herbs fit the bill here! So parsley, dill, cilantro, mint, and on and on. And listen - make a cup of tea with something green. A great way to get some of these benefits into your bodacious bod.
BEST PURCHASING TIPS: it’s a question of good / better / best when it comes to purchasing greens. Where you can, opt for organic versions in order to reduce what may be contributing to hormonal imbalances. These imbalances only fuel that slow internal inflammation that contributes to your body’s overall stress load. Refer to the Dirty Dozen / Clean Fifteen to help you figure this piece out. (Spoiler alert: dark leafy greens are one of those foods that, when possible, you may want to purchase organic or biodynamic.)
Struggle with stress, dear one? Get in touch. Let’s meet up to start drawing up your road map to help you better be able to meet life’s stressors.