Friday, December 11, 2015

King of Greens: Spinach versus Kale


I recently spoke with The Daily Burn about a great topic (or great to me): which is better for you, spinach or kale? I gave them my two cents (and they printed one cent tops) so here is my complete take on this:

Greens, greens why are they so friggin' great?

Leafy greens are also a great source of magnesium (I call it “mag”) and chances are you need more mag. Mag is important for restful sleep, heart health, PMS/hormonal stuff, migraine prevention, and ahem “going”Plus, vitamin C in leafy greens is as good as any anti-aging cream (great for skin) and the fiber in leafy greens helps lower cholesterol levels.
*The fiber in kale is even more effective when kale is steamed versus raw.

So you’re convinced, let’s talk about how much
The average person, even the average healthy person, should probably eat more greens. Many people know leafy greens are healthy but don’t consume them in quantity- so bulk up! We suggest Foodtrainers’ clients thave at least two cups of veggies, twice a day and at least 2 of those 4 cups should be leafy greens.

Is kale the king of greens?
In the head to head matchup of kale versus spinach, kale has almost three times the vitamin C as spinach and more vitamin K (important for bone health and blood clotting).
However, spinach wins in B6 (double that of kale), fiber, iron, magnesium and protein. And it’s not just by a small margin- spinach has 5x the iron over 6x the magnesium, and more than double the amount of protein found in kale. Popeye may have been onto something. If forced to choose I’d say spinach for the win. Having said that if you OD on one food you're probably missing another so the moral of this story is theres more than one green in the sea (or ground) and in nutrition as in life- don't believe the hype.
 Does my verdict surprise you? Are you team spinach, team kale or bi-vegetable?

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