If you’re following the South Beach Diet lifestyle, you already know the importance of eating dark greens. Research shows that consuming dark greens may help you maintain good health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease. Dark greens are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that can damage cells). Those in the Cruciferae family (a.k.a. cruciferous vegetables) — such as beet greens, bok choy, collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard to name just a few — have also been found to protect against macular degeneration and reduce age-related memory loss. For better health, make a point to include these 10 nutritional powerhouses in your diet:
- Arugula
- Beet greens
- Bok choy
- Collard greens
- Kale
- Mustard greens
- Romaine and red-leaf lettuce
- Spinach
- Swiss chard
- Turnip greens
How Much Is Enough
The most recent dietary guidelines released in 2010 by the USDA and the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that Americans fill
half their plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal, and that includes
dark leafy greens. On the South Beach Diet, we encourage you to enjoy even more
vegetables than that. But the real point is that eating a wide variety of
vegetables — green and all the other colors too —
throughout the week will put you well on your way to getting many of the
essential nutrients you need for optimal health.
