Take Kale Off Your “Superfoods List”

In our last post we discussed the importance of eating the rainbow. You can see that post here. Green is such an important color to eat for many reasons, but today we’ll focus on the most important key reasons.

From a high level perspective, the earth is richest in what color? You guessed it. Green! Our trees, brush, grass and plants are mostly green.

Take that down the line a bit further, and most edible foods that humans can eat and receive nutrition in a bioavailable (readily absorbable) manner are also green.

A lot of the vegetables that we eat are mostly green. Kale, arugula, spinach, romaine for example. The list goes on and on. To broccoli and beyond! And these are just the vegetables. There is a wide range of fruits that are green as well ranging from avocado (yep, that’s a fruit), kiwi, green grapes, green apples and more.

is Kale Really a Superfood?

There’s something about kale that’s great. But there’s also something about kale that isn’t quite right. Have you ever caught yourself chewing on kale and thought to yourself “It’s a bit rubbery? I like Kale cooked a bit more..

You wouldn’t be the only one. I enjoy kale personally in salads, kale chips. You name it. But it’s important to understand what makes some foods better raw, and some foods better cooked.

Kale is truly a superfood. It’s a great source of vitamin A & K. A great source of antioxidants. It is also rich in sulphur, carotenoids and flavonoids. It also has lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamins that have been specifically shown to benefit eye health.

However, kale is also a rich source of oxalic acid. An antinutrient (a compound that interferes with the absorption of nutrients)

In the case of Kale, being rich in oxalic acid, the concern here is that eating high levels of oxalic acid blocks the body in it’s ability to properly absorb calcium. If too much raw kale is eaten as it’s seen as a “superfood” that’s nutrient rich, but also antinutrient rich, one may experience symptoms including but not limited to:

* Muscle weakness
* Kidney stones
* Lowered thyroid function (gointrogenic)
* Risk of gout
* Arthritis (or simply, joint pain as calcium builds up)

Oxalic acid is a mycotoxin. This is a toxin produced by fungus! If you have any mold/fungus related conditions this antinutrient will only amplify your condition.

How To Make Kale a Superfood AGAIN?

By simply steaming or cooking kale you reduce the oxalic acid (oxalate) content. It’s that simple. I know, I know! Your favorite superfoods expert told you raw foods are the only way to go, but that’s not 100% true all the time. Cooking kale allows for your to absorb more of the nutrients and to reduce oxalates that block proper calcium absorption.

However, don’t let antinutrients, oxalic acid or any of this create fear from eating greens. We need greens very much! Long story short, if I created a healthy food pyramid from scratch the bottom portion would be all green! The largest portion would be to eat green foods that grow in the earth.

It would look something like this:

We need a large amount of green food because of the antioxidant chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a green pigment that was most likely formed in the beginning of earth in algae, the oldest food known to man, and evolved into many other green plants over time.

Chlorophyll gets its green color from photosynthesis that is interacted with the sun.

Chlorophyll is so important that when paired with water it literally creates oxygen. When positively charged electrons remove electrons from water it then forms oxygen. In other words, chlorophyll is essential for the creation of oxygen which is the most important nutrient for life.

Without our breath, without oxygen, we die within just a few minutes.

We can go days without water, and weeks, months or even years with other nutritional deficiencies.

Chlorophyll is quite literally storing energy from the sun. It is storing light. This energy from the sun gives our body energy to play with.

Research has shown that chlorophyll helps support the body with detoxification of the blood, healing wounds, odor control, improving gut health, energy production, support of the immune system and even the prevention of cancer.

Cooked vs. Raw Foods

It is often promoted by superfood experts that raw foods are the best form of foods to eat. While there is some truth to this idea, it is not entirely true. Antinutrients are simply compounds that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Some vegetables have higher levels of antinutrients, while others have less.

Raw foods contain both nutrients and antinutrients. For these foods that have higher levels of antinutrients you don’t benefit as much. With foods that are rich in nutrition but have little or no antinutrients, you benefit the most by eating those foods raw.

Cooking vegetables that have antinutrients in them does help to reduce or remove these antinutrients that block the absorption of essential nutrients.

Therefore, cooked foods are good. Raw food are good. It’s all good! And important.

Additionally in some other cases cooking will actually enhance the body’s absorption of nutrients. Cooking tomatoes for example improves the body in it’s ability to absorb lycopene. The active antioxidant Lycopene in tomatoes binds to fiber. When cooked, the fiber is softened freeing up the body in it’s ability to effectively absorb lycopene. Lycopene makes a great internal skin sunscreen protectant btw! One study found that sufficient lycopene protected the skin from sunburn by 30% compared to those that did not have lycopene in their diet.

Long story short, eat both cooked and raw foods. Green and non-green foods alike. Back to the green!

Chlorophyll Benefits The Body in These Ways:

1. Chlorophyll acts as an internal deodorant! From anything to bad breath, sweat, smelly feet, stinky urine or stool. The list goes on and on. There’s nothing worse for your dating or love life than a stench. Chlorophyll is the most important nutritional component for stopping bad smells at bay.
   
2. Chlorophyll absorbs toxins: Toxins that accumulate in the body are stored in the intestines and chlorophyll acts as a cleaning agent for the intestines. This not only helps remove impurities from the body but optimizes the digestive and metabolic system as well.
   
3. Chlorophyll is one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man. In fact, it is 1000 times more superior than xanthins: caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, (such as tea, coffee, maté, chocolate). They are also 20 times more superior to resveratrol (blackberries, grapes, wine). That’s a lot of antioxidant power to combat oxidative stress on the body.
   
4. Chlorophyll is Anti-Carcinogenic: Chlorophyll has been researched and shown to reduce the risk of cancer. That’s a big deal.
   
5. Chlorophyll is a STRONG blood builder. It does this by building both red blood cells and white blood cells. Red blood cells transport oxygen, which is very essential for the body to receive in all areas. White blood cells are immune cells that fight pathogens, viruses, ailments, diseases and more. Healthy blood requires chlorophyll. It’s essential.
   
6. Chlorophyll is anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is one of the core causes of disease, ailments and conditions. It is also a big driver in pain throughout the body. Be it knee pain, back pain. Whatever it may be. Chlorophyll helps the body down regulate inflammation markers so that your body can move with more grace and ease.
   
7. A common yeast infection known as candida (which affects both women and men) wreaks havoc. Candida wreaks havoc on the immune system and feeds off sugar. Chlorophyll helps to protect the liver as well as keep candida infections at bay. Chlorophyll does this by regulating intestinal fermentation.

Personally, I eat a lot of vegetables. Big salads. Cooked greens. The list goes on and on. However, I have found that starting my day with a green powder is the best way start the day. Give my body antioxidants and most importantly chlorophyll which helps to build my blood, purify my body and prepare for the day.

I personally have tried many different types of green powders over the years and I really like Organifi Green Juice. I love it because it has a fresh minty taste, which makes me crave it! Which ensures I get my greens in. Use code “YOURHEALTH” for 15% off your order.

This green juice is my favorite because it is not just full of the benefits of green chlorophyll but it is also has an exceptional taste. It’s the best green powder that I have personally ever tasted.

It has a minty flavor, is fresh, tasty and wakes up the mind to start the day. I’ve tried many many green powders over the past decade and this is honestly my favorite green powder simply because it’s the most refreshing one I’ve had. It also contains chlorella which is the richest source of chlorophyll known, which is very important!

You can get a bottle of Organifi Green Juice to try here.

Be sure to enter the code “YOURHEALTH” for 15% off your order!