All Hail Kale; Popeye the Sailor Man With His Spinach

All Hail Kale, The New SuperFood
Does anyone remember Popeye–the sailor man?  Remember how he would eat spinach and have super strength to defend Olive Oyl or put his enemies at bay by eating an uncooked can of spinach?  Spinach is no longer the superpower food. It’s kale.

I am having a kale moment, enjoying all the healthy benefits. Who knew kale could be so beneficial for the body?  Maybe you did, but I am just discovering the many benefits of kale, the newest superfood many health-conscious people enjoy. The dictionary describes super food, a term sometimes used to describe food with significant amounts of antioxidants that bestow health benefits.  Move over blueberries and green tea (considered great antioxidants); kale is a fantastic vegetable recognized for its exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor.

Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables, incredibly dark, leafy greens like kale, can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale regularly may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection, lowering cholesterol, and is unusually high in fiber (foods high in fiber help to create bulk one needs to keep you full for a reasonable amount of time). Kale’s high levels of fiber have been found to lower LDL or “bad cholesterol.”

Health Benefits of  Kale:
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium.  In addition to beta-carotene, kale possesses other vital carotenoids:  lutein and zeaxanthin.  These carotenoids help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts.  According to recent research, kale is an incredible source of well-absorbed calcium, one of the primary factors that may help prevent osteoporosis. Side note: as women age, we hear a great deal about calcium because bones deficient in calcium are weak and susceptible to injury.  Hip fractures in older people, especially women, often osteoporosis as the underlying cause, are a common cause of disability and death.  You can always take a calcium supplement, but why not eat what is readily available and natural?

Additional benefits of kale include manganese, which helps your body’s antioxidant defense system, superoxide dismutase, and protects you from damaging free radicals. Folate and B6 team up to decrease homocysteine levels, which may help prevent heart disease, dementia, and osteoporosis bone fractures. The anti-cancer compound in kale helps one’s liver more efficiently remove toxins.

But wait…there’s more benefits to kale:
More iron than beef-Kale gives you more iron per calorie than beef.  It also delivers 2g of protein per cup, making kale a viable meat alternative.
Non-Dairy Source of calcium-Kale supplies more calcium per calorie than milk and is easier for the body to digest.
Boosts Your Eyesight Better than Carrots-One cup of kale provides 206% of vitamin A per recommended daily allowance.
Anti-aging skincare vitamin C has many health benefits, including fewer wrinkles and firmer skin.

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 15% of the daily calcium and vitamin B6 requirement, 40% magnesium, 180% vitamin A, 200% calcium, and 1,020% vitamin K.

SONY DSC

Now that you know some of the surprising benefits of kale, here’s an easy smoothie recipe to help get you started:

1 cup almond milk
2 -3 stalks of fresh kale
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple or mango
1 banana
Directions:  Puree ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Serves 2

Since Kale is king, all hail Kale is the new superfood.  I hope to learn more recipes to saute, juice, and enjoy kale in salads. Have you tried kale?  If so, are there any easy recipes you can share?