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Did you know that the wealth of vitamin K (122% daily value) found in green beans plays an important role in bone health?

Although calcium and vitamin D are often the nutrients highlighted in discussions on bone and prevention of bone-related disease, current research is increasingly revealing the importance of vitamin K. Although much of the research has focused on the K2 form of the vitamin, the K1 form found in greens beans has also been associated with better bone mineral density and decreased risk of bone-related diseases.

So, green beans can now join in with a variety of vegetables (including kale, spinach, collard greens and mustard greens) which are excellent sources of vitamin K1 and provide welcomed support for our bones. But the benefits of green beans do not stop here. They're also a rich source of other vitamins and minerals, many of which can act as powerful antioxidants that help combat the free radical activity associated with increased risk of both cancer and heart disease.

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Labels: bones, eating healthy, green beans, green leafy vegetables, Green veggies, healthy diet, Kale, spinach, strong bones, Vitamin K

Apples

Nutrients: Vitamin C, potassium
How they help control weight: Low-fat apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that helps carry dietary fats and cholesterol out of the body as waste.
Serving size: One apple
Notes: Research shows that eating three small apples a day promotes weight control. Eat apples raw, including the fiber-rich peel. Red apples contain pyruvate, a metabolism-boosting antioxidant (see page 29 for details).

Lentils
Nutrients: Vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, iron, zinc
How they help control weight: High fiber content fills your stomach quickly with a small amount and helps you feel full for a long time.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Notes: Try lentil soup or baked lentil "meatloaf," accompanied by steamed vegetables and rice. To alleviate flatulence, add kombu (a sea vegetable) to lentils during cooking.

Oatmeal
Nutrients: B vitamins, iron, potassium
How it helps control weight: Low-fat, high-fiber complex carbohydrate that is digested slowly and has a long satiation factor.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Notes: Eat whole oats cooked or uncooked, served with 1/2 cup of low-fat milk and fresh fruit; or one slice of whole-oat bread with 1 tablespoon of natural (no sugar added) peanut butter.

Spinach
Nutrients: Vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, calcium, iron How it helps control weight: High in dietary fiber and 91 percent water, making it a super "low-energy-density" food that provides satisfaction at a low calorie count.
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Notes: Eat fresh in a salad, or lightly steamed.

Yogurt
Nutrients: Vitamins A, B, and D; calcium
How it helps control weight: Studies show that the calcium and protein derived from yogurt and other low-fat dairy products may help to burn fat.
Serving size: 1 cup
Notes: Yogurt is a high-protein snack at less than 100 calories per serving. Look for brands that contain acidophilus and lactobacillus, "good" bacteria that promote digestion and immunity.

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Labels: apples, eating healthy, healthy food, lentils, nutrition, oatmeal, spinach, yogurt

Leafy green vegetables have a myriad of health benefits. When eaten raw they are one of the best sources of amino acids, which are the building blocks needed for protein in the body. Leafy greens are easy to digest, and they stimulate digestion by encouraging digestive enzymes. They also strengthen the immune system and provide needed nutrients required for proper hormone balance.

Though they pack a nutritional punch, leafy greens are extremely low in calories. 100 grams of spinach contains only 23 calories, but it also contains 188% of a person’s daily value of vitamin A and 604% of a person’s vitamin K. In general, leafy greens have numerous vitamins, including many B vitamins and vitamins C, E, and K. They are extremely rich sources of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, and they also provide many phytonutrients, including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Many greens even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Greens are also packed with fiber. Fiber comes in two types, water-soluble and insoluble. Water-soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol levels and insoluble fiber promotes regularity, so fiber slows digestion and has little impact on blood glucose levels.

Other specific health benefits attributed to greens include:

Green	Purported Benefit
Cilantro	This pungent and spicy herb is also great for your eyes because of it’s lutein and zeaxanthin, which may prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Collard Greens	A cross between cabbage and kale, collard greens are considered an anti-cancer food because of its cruciferous properties.
Kale	Three times as much calcium as phosphorus makes kale a great osteoporosis inhibitor. In addition to kale’s calcium, it is also one of the richest plant sources for vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin important to blood clotting; it also builds bones, slows bone loss, and heals fractures, all important to osteoporosis sufferers. In fact, one study showed people who had high vitamin K diets were less likely to suffer hip breaks than people eating low vitamin K diets.
Lettuces	There are a variety of lettuces you can enjoy. Besides supporting eye healthy, they enhance skin health and improve immune function.
Parsley	Parsley has many of the same health benefits as cilantro and kale. In addition, apigenin, which is an antioxidant flavonoid found in parsley, protects the prostate and may also reduce breast, colon, skin, and thyroid cancers.
Spinach	Nutrition Data notes spinach is a strong anti-inflammatory and rich iron source. However, it also contains oxalates, which may bind with the calcium and make the calcium unusable. To learn more, read Oxalates.
Swiss Chard	Similar to collard greens, swiss chard is a powerful anti-cancer food.

The good news about leafy greens is they are versatile and offer many healthful nutrients. Leafy greens are also a major source of chlorophyll and have become increasingly popular in things such as smoothies. They may be your best bet to preserve bone health because they have an excellent calcium and magnesium ratio.

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Labels: chlorophyll, cruciferous vegetables, eating healthy, green leafy vegetables, healthy diet, Kale, lutein, spinach, strong bones, swiss chard; greens

Both spinach and Swiss chard are among the most nutrient-rich foods we know. Nutrient richness refers to the quality by which a food provides a concentration of nutrients for the calories that it contains. If a food is nutrient rich, it means that you'll get a lot of nutrients but you won't have to "spend" a lot of calories on them.

In general, spinach does contain a higher concentration of many nutrients than does Swiss chard; yet, there are exceptions such as vitamin E for which Swiss chard contains about double the amount contained in spinach. And Swiss chard contains phytonutrients that spinach doesn't contain.

The other thing to consider is biochemical individuality; for example, while both vegetables contain oxalates, spinach is also one of the most common foods to which people report allergies/intolerances and commercially grown spinach is among the 12 foods upon which the most pesticide residues have been found. So, while spinach may be consider 'more healthy' for some people since it has a higher concentration of many nutrients, it would be less healthy for those who are allergic to it or are very sensitive to pesticides.

For more information on this topic, please see:
Spinach
Swiss chard

Labels: health food, spinach, swiss chard; greens, vegetables