The Ten Best Greens For Your Diet

The 10 Best Greens for You

If you’re dieting, you already know the importance of eating greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard. 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). In addition to being dark leafy greens, arugula, beet greens, bok choy, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and turnip greens are cruciferous vegetables, which are packed with antioxidants that may help prevent cancer. Eating dark greens regularly may also protect against certain cancers, promote normal eyesight, and improve gastrointestinal function.
Include these 10 nutritional powerhouses in your diet:

1. Arugula
2. Beet greens
3. Bok choy
4. Collard greens
5. Kale
6. Mustard greens
7. Romaine and red-leaf lettuce
8. Spinach
9. Swiss chard
10. Turnip greens

How Much Is Enough?
The most recent dietary guidelines published by the US Department of Health and Human Services recommend consuming at least 3 cups of dark-green vegetables per week, but if you're like most Americans, you don't get enough. (On any diet, we recommend eating much more than 3 cups a week.) But the bottom line is that all vegetables contribute to a healthy eating plan. So eat a wide variety — green and all the other colors — throughout the week, and you'll be on your way to getting many of the nutrients you need.

***Taken from South Beach Diet.