Detox Summer Slaw & benefits of leafy green vegetables
This summer salad is highly nutritious, fresh, light and a healing side dish to add to any meal. It will be a hit if you take it to your next bbq or a great addition to your family dinner. I personally love it served on top of baked sweet potatoes. It can also be served with cooked chicken, chickpeas, feta, quinoa, cashew cheese or tempeh. Delicious!
I absolutely love adding tonnes of kale and other leafy green vegetables to all of my meals. On average I would eat approximately 4 cups per day as they fuel my mitochondria to give me huge amounts of energy, they support my immune system and gently promote detoxification.
Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, bok choy, salad green, broccoli, mustard greens) have been eaten since prehistoric times for their array of nutritional properties. They are rich in fibre, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are extremely rich in folate, B vitamins, beta carotene (precursor for vitamin A), vitamin C, E, K, magnesium, potassium and calcium. This gives leafy green vegetables many health enhancing benefits including:
• Decreasing inflammation in the body
• Helping to build and protect your bones
• Their low glycemic index supports a healthy weight and assists with fat burning.
• High levels of fibre aid with digestive health
• High levels of carotenoid antioxidants help to protect against cancer.
• Dietary folate enhances healthy DNA duplication and repair, and helps to prevent birth defects.
• They are prebiotic and they feed the healthy microbes in your gut.
• The green colour (formed by the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin) helps to maintain healthy vision.
Give this recipe a try. Your body will love you for it….
Getting into the kitchen and cooking your own food is the best thing you can do for your family’s health and it’s such a privilege too. Happy cooking!!
RECIPE
1 bunch of kale, leaves torn and finely diced
1 red onion diced
2 carrots grated
1 apple grated
1/4 -1/2 red cabbage finely sliced
1 cup of pumpkin seeds
½ cup of dried cranberries or diced red grapes
½ cup of diced mint
Dressing:
Juice of 1 orange
2 tabs honey or maple syrup
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tabs of olive oil
Method:
Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix dressing in separate bowl. Stir dressing through the salad. Place in fridge covered and allow to marinate for 1 hours before serving. Serve topped with toasted sesame seeds or walnuts.
