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15 Tiny Tweaks For An Instant Health

Makeover
By Timothy Gower for Men's Journal
If there's one food that no one -- not your doctor, your nutritionist or even your
mother -- will tell you to eat less of, it's leafy greens. Calorie for calorie, chard,
collards, kale and other leafy greens may just be the most nutritious food you can eat.
They're packed with vitamins -- A, B, K and others -- but also rich in essential
minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, as well as antioxidants,
which protect cells against damage (http://www.mensjournal.com/healthfitness/health/the-anti-cancer-antioxidant-20120910). Leafy greens contain
phytochemicals, natural compounds that can help prevent hardening of the arteries
and lower inflammation linked to heart disease. The greens' synergistic combination
of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals helps detox cells and expunge
free radicals that damage DNA, both of which may inhibit cancer cells from forming
and multiplying.
Greens are also your single best source of natural nitrates, which get converted by the
body into nitric oxide, a gas that lowers blood pressure, promotes blood flow and can
even improve sexual function in men. Y ou produce less nitric oxide as you age -levels can dip by half after age 40 -- which means you need to eat even more nitrates
to keep everything working properly, says University of Texas biochemist Nathan
Bryan. As if that weren't enough, greens have been shown to boost mental clarity,
prevent depression and reduce the risk of diseases like Alzheimer's. If you're looking to
stay lean, high-fiber greens help speed digestion and make you feel full, and they're

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low in carbohydrates and calories, so you can practically eat as much of them as you
want. At the very least, aim to consume three to five ounces of leafy greens a day,
says Bryan. Here's how to get your fill.

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1
Swiss Chard
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#TorontoGreenSpace, #DownsviewPark/Flickr
Why You Need It: This green is a top source of two important, lesser-known
antioxidants: syringic acid and kaempferol. The former can help stabilize blood
sugar by inhibiting
enzymes that turn carbs into simple sugars, while the latter
protects cells against cancer-causing toxins, lowers inflammation and may also
reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
How To Eat It: Save calories while boosting your antioxidant intake by using
Swiss chard instead of tortillas to make burritos and wraps. Cut leaves from
stems, and steam leaves briefly. When cool, fill with your favorite healthy burrito
staples: brown rice, quinoa, grilled shrimp or chicken, black beans, goat cheese,
chopped tomatoes, sweet potatoes or other vegetables, beans, grains or grilled
meats. Or saut chard stems in garlic and olive oil for several minutes; add
leaves, pine nuts and currants; and cook two to three more minutes before
serving.
2
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pilipphoto via Getty Images

Why You Need It: Arugula has one of the highest nitrate levels of any leafy
green, helping to
increase blood flow and therefore enhance performance. It's
also packed with flavonoids -- antioxidants that fight heart disease and even
some cancers. New research suggests it may also prevent ulcers.
How To Eat It: Arugula can be slightly bitter, so dress it in a salad with a fruity
vinaigrette to counter the bite.
3
Collard Greens

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Jennifer Levy via Getty Images

Why You Need It: Of all leafy greens, collards are best at binding your stomach's
bile acids, which can help lower your cholesterol levels and even protect you from
some cancers. Collards also contain a special class of phytochemicals that
nourish the body's natural detoxifying system.
How To Eat It: Boiled collards are a soul-food staple, but unless you eat the
broth, you'll miss out on many nutrients. Steaming preserves more nutrients and
increases bile-acid-binding activity. Jill Nussinow, a dietitian and chef,
recommends kneading sturdy greens like collards or kale with olive oil for a few
minutes before cooking to increase their flavor and make them easier to chew.
Or massage with tahini and braise in garlic and lemon juice.
4
Bok Choy

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Why You Need It: Bok choy is one of the best sources of potassium, which helps
build muscle and keep blood pressure low. It's also packed with vitamin A, which
strengthens the immune system by increasing white-blood-cell activity and the
body's response to toxins.
How To Eat It: Chop up and braise the lower, white portion of the stems in
chicken or vegetable broth and sesame oil. Add leaves after two minutes, and
cook another one to two minutes.
5
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jrwasserman via Getty Images
Why You Need It: Kale is a prime source of cancer-thwarting compounds called
glucosinolates, as well as kaempferol, which researchers believe combats cancer
and may also, incredibly, protect the heart, lower blood sugar, strengthen bones
and reduce inflammation in the body. Kale is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin,
antioxidants that help prevent eye disease and vision loss as you age.
How To Eat It: Briefly saut kale in olive oil with chopped onions, and then
braise in white wine or vegetable stock for five to 10 minutes.
6
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gettystock
Why You Need It: A single cup of watercress will bump you over your
recommended daily value of vitamin K, which can help regulate blood clotting
and reduce plaque on artery walls and may lower inflammation linked to chronic
diseases like arthritis. If you could stand to eat watercress daily for two months,
you would cut DNA damage to your white blood cells, reducing your risk of
cancer and lowering your triglycerides (unhealthy blood fats) by 10 percent,
according to studies. At the very least, eat more.

How To Eat It: Watercress adds a peppery crunch to grilled cheese and other
sandwiches, and also works well in salads. Or take a tip from Julia Child and
simmer a pound of potatoes, three cups of leeks and a little butter in two quarts
of water for an hour; add a cup of watercress and simmer five more minutes
before pureeing in a blender until smooth. Don't worry about losing nutrients:
Y ou'll retain them in the base of this flavorful soup.

More from Men's Journal:

The 10 Healthiest Fruits and Vegetables (http://www.mensjournal.com/expertadvice/10-healthiest-fruits-and-vegetables-20130923)
Is Organic Food Healthier? (http://www.mensjournal.com/healthfitness/nutrition/is-organic-food-healthier-20140729)
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Suggest a correction

Conversations
46 comments

Add a com m ent

Kathleen Lake
They failed to note the health risks of these plants. People on blood thinners should
avoid high levels of Vitamin K, and some people develop migraines from nitrites and
nitrates.
Reply Like

10 Follow Post August 24 at 4:02pm

Andy Fuoco Rio Americano High

Kathleen you have got to be kidding the health risks are not in the
vegetables they are in the blood thinners...wow come on!!! People have to
take the dangerous drugs because they dont eat their fruits and veggies...
Reply Like

28 August 24 at 8:02pm

Kathleen Lake
Andy Fuoco, I agree that blood thinners are dangerous. But for people on
blood thinners such as Warfarin or Coumadin, too much Vitamin K can
interfere with their medication and lead to blood clots. Some people are
more prone to blood clots, especially after surgery and no amount of fruits
and vegetables can prevent them from developing DVTs. Look up
Prothrombin Mutation for one example.
Reply Like

9 August 24 at 8:35pm

Arlene Troum

Top Commenter Beverly Hills, California

Andy Fuoco Wow come on, you do need to educate yourself. Kathleen Lake
is so very right.
Reply Like

3 August 24 at 9:24pm

View 8 more
Beth Ervin Bilous
I think I'm tough enough to take a bit of these six and chop a tomato over em, drizzle a
really good vinaigrette and down the hatch. I'll try it.
Reply Like

7 Follow Post August 24 at 2:28pm

Kimberly Collins

Follow

You can put them in a Nutribullet too. It's a faster way to get them down the
hatch. :-)
Reply Like

4 August 24 at 6:12pm

Sheriff J W Pepper

Top Commenter

or I can take an IV of wheat grass in my veins, even faster

Reply Like
Debra Moore

1 3 hours ago
Top Commenter Harvard Medical School

Oh I like 'em braised in olive oil and garlic with a splash of balsamic. Maybe

Oh I like 'em braised in olive oil and garlic with a splash of balsamic. Maybe
some dried cranberries on top.
Reply Like about an hour ago
Dental Health
In Kashmir this vegetable is well renowned. It finds its place in almost every meal in
Kashmiri houses, with both leaves and roots consumed. Leaves in the bud are
harvested by pinching in early spring, when the dormant buds sprout and give out
tender leaves. Also, seedlings of 3540 days' age, as well as mature plants, are
pulled out along with roots from thickly sown beds. When the extending stem bears
alternate leaves in quick succession during on-season, older leaves are harvested
periodically. Before the autumn season, the apical portion of stem is removed along
with the whorled leaves.It is called haak there.
Reply Like

4 Follow Post 20 hours ago

Debra Moore

Top Commenter Harvard Medical School

Cool stuff. Thanks!

Reply Like about an hour ago
Nelson Briggs Stationary Engineer at Montana Tech of the University of Montana
Your swiss chard picturei, s beet greens
Reply Like

4 Follow Post August 24 at 1:10pm

Kimberly Collins

Follow

I was wondering when i buy beets, if i getting 2 vegetables in one?

Reply Like August 24 at 6:11pm
Peter Shelsky

Top Commenter

Kimberly Collins You are. You can cook beet greens. They're relish
Reply Like

2 3 hours ago

Sexologist
Collard greens are also a high source of vitamin K (the clotting vitamin) and should be
eaten in moderation by individuals taking blood thinners.
Reply Like

3 Follow Post 20 hours ago

Vacation Portal

Follow Managing Director at India Vacation Portal 496 followers

Chard and the other beets are chenopods, a group which is either its own family
Chenopodiaceae or a subfamily within the Amaranthaceae. Although the leaves of
chard are eaten, it is in the same species as #beetroot (garden beet), which is grown
primarily for its edible roots. Both are cultivated descendants of the sea beet, Beta
vulgaris subsp. maritima, but they were selected for different characteristics
Reply Like

2 Follow Post 20 hours ago

Peter Korpics Jr.

Top Commenter The American College

I'll take broccoli any day over these veggies because I like it. Chard ,ok, beet greens in
season is great. PEACE
Reply Like

2 Follow Post August 24 at 7:17pm

Debra Moore

Top Commenter Harvard Medical School

That'll do, Pete.

Reply Like about an hour ago
Tommie Lassiter

Top Commenter None

WHY NOT JUST GO OUT AND EAT GRASS

Reply Like

2 Follow Post 22 hours ago

Hector Ayub

Top Commenter

Go ahead! eat it!

Reply Like

1 5 hours ago

Brian DeRhen Top Commenter Graduate Teaching Assistant at

University of the Pacific - Communication Department
Is that a sarcastic attempt at expressing your antipathy toward green
vegetables? Why even post it?
Reply Like about an hour ago
Health is Wealth
Pak choi contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent
cancer in small doses, but, like many substances, can be toxic to humans in large
doses, particularly to people who are already seriously ill
Reply Like

1 Follow Post 20 hours ago

Raymond Benning Atlanta, Georgia

My oldest son said you can eat grass if you chew it for the juice and spit out the grass.
Cows eat grass but they have more than one stomach to take care of the grass.
Reply Like

1 Follow Post 9 hours ago

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