Let’s talk KALE!!!

I’m sure that unless you have been hiding under a rock you have heard that kale is a superfood which means it is just so unbelievably good for you!

However most people I talk to about eating for health say… oh no! Don’t say I have to eat kale!!!

Whilst I do recommend that you eat your kale, I truly believe the reason most people don’t eat kale is not because they don’t like it but more that they simply don’t know how to prepare it!

So today LET’S TALK KALE!!!

Firstly, let’s talk about some of the incredible benefits of including Kale into your daily diet.

Kale is a powerhouse of nutrition, packed full of phytochemicals/phytonutrients, omega 3’s, antioxidants, fibre, vitamins, minerals and all the good stuff…

Let’s look at a few of these in more detail…

Fibre
Kale is a phenomenal source of fibre, it helps to keep you feeling full for longer, aids in lowering cholesterol, helps to promote a regular, healthy bowel, and aids in detoxification.

Antioxidants
Helps in the prevention of free radical damage which makes it helpful in cases of oxidative stress

Calcium
Aids in bone strength & preventing development of osteoporosis.

Vitamin K
Encourages clotting along with regulating blood calcium levels (please note do not kale in excess if taking warfarin or other heart medications and please talk to your health care provider regarding healthy intake of kale and other foods high in Vitamin K)

Vitamin A
Encourages healthy glowing skin & promotes good vision.

Vitamin C
Aids in building strong immunity, in addition to promoting healthy blood vessels, collagen production and circulation. Vitamin C is beneficial in reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

Iron
Helps to transport oxygen for cell growth, renewal and purification of the blood.

In addition
Kale has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties & is a great prebiotic (feeding the good bacteria in the gut).

Considering all these amazing benefits, the question really is… why are we not getting ourselves a hearty dose of kale a few times each week???

My guess is because kale is an unusual green to work with, mostly because it’s so hardy, fibre-ish and can have a strong, bitter-ish taste. Saying that.. It’s also super YUMMY & can be used in lots of fabulous ways, so let’s discuss how to prepare this incredible super food so that you can start to enjoy its taste and multitude of benefits.

6 WAYS TO INCLUDE KALE IN YOUR DIET

Juice it – a super delicious juice is a couple of kale leaves, cucumber, ginger, apple, lemon and coriander YUM! You can add a couple of carrots if you like or a beet for some added nutrients.

Smoothie it up – simple just add a leaf or two to your favourite smoothie for some extra green goodness (provided you have some sweetness in your smoothie by way of banana, dates or other fruit you shouldn’t taste it)

Massage it – before chowing down on your kale salad chop it up, add a little dressing or some lemon juice and give it a good massage, squish it in your hands, rub it together and keep going till it’s soft and bright green. It helps to make it less fibrous and much easier and yummier to eat!

Chop it small (remember to still massage it) – a chopped salad is delicious and so much easier to eat.

Coat it with delicious dressings – Everything tastes better with a super delicious healthy dressing, kale especially.

Crisp them up – Make your own kale chips at home, it’s so easy and delicious! All you need to do is to coat them with a small amount of oil or vinegar and then sprinkle with seasoning of your choice such as nutritional yeast, paprika, curry powder, garlic or onion powder, add some salt if you like and spread them on a baking tray to crisp up in the oven (watch them carefully as they do not take long and can burn easily) If you have a dehydrator this is an even better option to retain more of kale’s incredible nutrition. If you feel adventurous you can make up a thick creamy dressings to coat your kale chips with before baking or dehydrating them. Some of my favourites combinations include cashew cheeze sauce, red curry sauce, coconut curry, tahini ginger, satay, smokey BBQ & hummus!! ohhhh the combo’s are endless….

Throw them in soups, curries, stir fries etc. this really speaks for itself, de-stem your kale, chop it and throw it into whatever you are cooking, it holds up well in most meals & typically doesn’t break down fully in the cooking process.

Okay lovely people it’s time to get your KALE ON!!!

Saying all of this I do have a word of warning…

The fibre content of kale can be too much for some at the beginning and if this is you we suggest you start with small amounts of kale and slowly work up to more if you are experiencing bloating or other digestive issues