Editor’s Note: This sponsored health and fitness column is written by Virginia Wright, founder of BbG Fitness, which offers group fitness classes around Arlington. Sign up for a free class today.
What the heck does green have to do with the color black? Well to begin with, both black and green are very slimming. While wearing black can give the illusion of weight lost, eating lots of greens can actually promote weight loss. Eating greens with every meal can reduce your overall calorie consumption. Consider these numbers:
- 4 cups of arugula = 20 calories
- 4 cups chopped kale = 130 calories
- 4 cups of spinach = 30 calories
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce = 30 calories
- 3 cups chopped broccoli= 90
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts = 40 calories
- 3 slices cheese pizza = 420 calories!
- 1 black dress or shirt = the illusion of 10 fewer pounds on the wearer!
Green is Chic
Just like wearing black, it’s very chic to eat greens. Eating processed, packaged food is way overrated. It’s a well known fact among the rich and famous that the best way to look and feel healthiest and full of energy is to eat mineral-and-antioxidant-rich super greens. And like wearing black, eating green looks good on just about everyone. We know the benefits of that black outfit, including a very high rate of return — just like greens: the more you eat the more benefits you’ll reap. Leafy greens provide huge amounts of Vitamins A, K and C. They give us calcium and iron and lots of other micronutrients, with very few calories.
Both Black And Green Go With Everything!
One of the advantages of wearing basic black is that it can be accessorized with bold colors to make a stand-out statement; the same holds true for green! Start with your basic greens and add deep red onion slices (vitamins C, B6); bright green avocado (vitamins K, C, B5, folate); bold orange carrots (vitamins A, K, C, B6); multicolored bell peppers (vitamins C, A, K, B6); and cherry red tomatoes (vitamins C, A, K, potassium) for a gorgeous and nutritionally wonderful meal.
All of these beautiful colors pair fabulously with both green and black! Eating green has amazing health benefits that one cannot possibly get by donning just a chic black outfit alone.
Check out these stats:
- 1 cup of chopped raw kale provides more than 350% of vitamin K, 133% of our daily vitamin A and 90% of vitamin C.
- 2 cups of romaine lettuce give us more than 164% of vitamin A, 120% vitamin K, 40% vitamin C, 8% calcium and 12% iron — in only 32 calories!
- 1 cup of broccoli supplies 115% of vitamin A and more than 135% of vitamin C.
- 1 cup of cooked spinach? 110% of vitamin K, 377% of vitamin A and 30% vitamin C.
Why Not Make It A Daily Goal To Eat Your Greens?
- Start with breakfast: A green shake with spinach or kale added to frozen fruit and coconut water or milk.
- Too rushed in the morning to put together a simple lunch? Make a green roll up the night before so it’s ready for you the next day. Spread some hummus on a whole wheat tortilla and top it with a big handful of greens (romaine, spinach), carrots, onions, bell peppers and other vegetatbles. Season with salt and pepper and roll up tightly for a great lunch.
- You can also throw spinach or kale into an already prepared soup for green benefits.
Tis the Season to Go Green!
Wreaths, trees and garland — decking the halls in festive evergreens gives us hope that new life will come after the cold of winter. Green is the color of life. In addition to eating green, you can shop green by supporting our local farmers markets, and by looking for the most local produce at the big grocery chains. When you make the effort to go green you help yourself and local growers too.
Happy holidays!
Ginny Wright has been a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor for more than 10 years. She received her Health Coaching certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York in 2007. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.