Eating a diet rich in dark leafy greens has specific nutritional benefits. The human body can do a lot of things but it can’t create minerals and a diverse world of phyto-chemicals necessary for optimal health. All greens are loaded with plenty of anti-oxidants (specific vitamins, minerals and enzymes) that help prevent cancer and other dis-orders by protecting cells from the damaging effects of oxidation. Greens are also jam packed with a wide range of phytochemicals. These are biologically active substances that cleanse and protect cells from cancer-like cell replication. Greens are loaded with them, mostly carotene and luceine.

So what do all those good things do for you? Well minerals like iron, potassium and magnesium are jam packed into dark leafy greens and our modern lifestyle with all it’s stresses and bad habits (even drinking coffee) can deplete the body of needed minerals. Iron’s greatest benefit is in helping produce hemoglobin and myoglobin, and oxygenating red blood cells. Without it, some enzyme production can stop entirely. Magnesium aids enzyme production especially the enzymes associated with energy production. Feeling tired a lot? Eat more dark leafy greens! Potassium helps in keeping your nervous system working at peak efficiency, prevents strokes and aids in transferring nutrients through cell membranes.

Vitamin A is great for maintaining healthy eye, skin and gastrointestinal function, but since the carotenoids are compounds related to vitamin A and those compounds are known to prevent cancer by neutralizing the free radicals in the cells, these may be A’s biggest contribution to our wellness. Vitamin C is responsible for over 300 metabolic activities in the human body and vitamin E is an antioxidant that contributes to normal cardiovascular function and prevents cancer. Popeye may have been on to something after all.

When buying greens, fresher is better. Sounds easy, but you should not purchase any greens that have any yellowing, pocking, slimed stems, browning or wilting. Greens, even heavy duty ones like collards, are very sensitive and should be washed and dried only before using. When you get your greens home roll them in lightly damp paper toweling and place the bundle in a zipper bag, pricking a few holes in the bag so that humidity doesn’t build up and promote spoilage. Remember the best ways to prolong freshness is to slow down the respiratory function of the vegetables by refrigerating them and keeping them moist without promoting water damage by storing them as indicated above.

For many of us, greens like spinach, cress, arugula, escarole, dandelion, and all the dark baby greens have been first introduced to our diets via the salad bowl. It’s an easy no brain-er way to incorporate more of these greens into our diet. I love mixing up a ‘blended salad’ in the food processor or blender as a great afternoon pick me up and a simple way to get my ‘five a day’ numbers up without losing the fiber through juicing. In raw form, greens are great detoxifiers and give a big energy boost that lasts. But bitter experience with bitter tasting vegetables is a buzz-kill that we can all relate to. In fact while delicious when properly selected, washed, stored and used in a raw state, it’s really when cooked that these vegetables shine.

Try braising collards, kales, cabbage and chards with sliced garlic, olive oil and pancetta for a great side dish. Sorrel, mustards, pea tips, beet greens, cress, and other tender greens don’t take well to long term cooking and are great candidates for sauté-steaming. Just preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add a teaspoon of butter or olive oil. Follow that with several thick handfuls of tender greens and let them wilt in their own juices, tossing every 30 seconds or so until tender. Try seasoning the greens with dill, lemon, shallots and garlic when they go in the pan or toss with some high quality Chinese oyster sauce at the last second before serving.

Read more about how to incorporate more greens into your diet.