Most of us know we should be eating more leafy green vegetables. In Chinese medicine, green foods are cooling and cleansing, excellent for nutrition during all stages of life, and beneficial for weight loss. Green foods help calm a liver pattern and remove dampness. In other words, they can help mitigate the effects of stress on our bodies, thus having a rejuvenating effect on our skin and body tissues.
The best way to eat greens is freshly picked from our own organic gardens and gently steamed.... If that sounds too far removed from the reality of an average workday, try some of these quick and easy tips:
1. Cook frozen greens from a bag. This only takes about 10 minutes on the stove. My favorite is "Leafy Greens Blend" that you can find at Whole Foods. Good frozen greens are kale, turnip, collard and spinach.
2. Season them up! In the South we like to season greens with a splash of vinegar. My favorite is rice vinegar because it is mild tasting.
3. Cook fresh or frozen greens with soy sauce (add about a tablespoon or so, seasoned to your taste) and a garlic clove. It's one of my favorite ways to add flavor to greens.
Bonus tip for leftovers: Make a cold salad the next day with your leftover greens and some oil and vinegar or your favorite salad dressing. Delicious!
The best way to eat greens is freshly picked from our own organic gardens and gently steamed.... If that sounds too far removed from the reality of an average workday, try some of these quick and easy tips:
1. Cook frozen greens from a bag. This only takes about 10 minutes on the stove. My favorite is "Leafy Greens Blend" that you can find at Whole Foods. Good frozen greens are kale, turnip, collard and spinach.
2. Season them up! In the South we like to season greens with a splash of vinegar. My favorite is rice vinegar because it is mild tasting.
3. Cook fresh or frozen greens with soy sauce (add about a tablespoon or so, seasoned to your taste) and a garlic clove. It's one of my favorite ways to add flavor to greens.
Bonus tip for leftovers: Make a cold salad the next day with your leftover greens and some oil and vinegar or your favorite salad dressing. Delicious!