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Supergreens and the whole healing monthly challenge.

The month challenge for June (or really whenever you’re reading this, as these will never go out of relevancy) is to attempt incorporating 6 servings of green vegetables daily.

How did I come up with that number? No clue. Maybe it’s just my OCD wanting it a clean 6 vs. 5 (as we are told; 5 servings of veggies a day)?!

It doesn’t matter if you get 4, 5, or 6 servings a day. The point is to get more.

Here is what was stated in the 12 Months of Whole Healing post:

June: 6 servings of greens daily

• get those greens
• of all the rainbow colors, green is my fave (from a healing standpoint) for food

So let’s talk about all of this today to help give more context around greens, quantities, and the why.

Supergreens {daily servings for your gut}

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Whenever I talk about this challenge, I’m always told,

No way can I do vegetables, let alone 6 servings of vegetables.

Now, whether that’s true or false could be debated. I’m not here to tell you what works for you. You are the only one who can truly know if this works for you.

But I want to challenge you on two things today:

1. Just because it didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean it won’t work now.
2. You can be strategic with it.

So let’s chat more about all of this.

Super Greens

First, what exactly are “super” greens?

There is no specific definition for them, except for whatever is currently popular at the time.

Currently (and for quite some time now), the trend has been around superfood green powders. I do think there can be benefits by incorporating a high-quality green powder into your daily routine so I’ll review that in this post, too.

But today I’m talking about super greens as whole green plant-based foods in general.

In his book, Fiber Fueled, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz states,

There’s a second important “G” in the house, and that’s greens. There is so much plant-based diversity when it comes to greens.

ANDI Score

And in the book, Dr. Bulsiewicz also mentions Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s ANDI score, which stands for Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.

Food scores range from 1 – 1,000; with 1 being the worst (i.e. cola, corn chips, and vanilla ice cream) and 1,000 having a perfect score (i.e. kale, collards, mustard greens, etc.)

In fact, the top 9 are all greens.

Here they are:

1. kale
2. collards
3. mustard greens
4. watercress
5. Swiss chard
6. bok choy
7. spinach
8. arugula
9. romaine

So if you’re wanting in on this challenge towards 6 servings of greens per day, there are plenty to choose from.

Let’s discuss some.

Dark Green Vegetables

According to the USDA, dark green leafy vegetables provide an abundance of everything from vitamins A, C, E and K to cancer protection.

Here is a list of dark green vegetables to consider:

1. Arugula
2. Beet greens
3. Bok choy
4. Broccoli
5. Collard greens
6. Dandelion greens
7. Endive
8. Kale
9. Mustard greens
10. Spinach
11. Radish greens
12. Romaine lettuce
13. Watercress
14. Turnip greens
15. Swiss chard
16. Microgreens
17. Cabbage

So start there, with any of the greens above I have shared.

Why Supergreens?

Remember, for me (and you + everyone else in the world, whether they know it yet or not) everything I do comes back to the gut.

So, why supergreens for the gut? Here are 4 sound reasons.

1. A critical discovery suggests that leafy greens are essential for feeding good gut bacteria, limiting the ability of bad bacteria to colonize the gut by shutting them out of the prime ‘real estate.’ (source)
2. Fiber, fiber, and more fiber to both clear waste through the digestive tract and also to feed the good bacteria.
3. Fights bloat. “Potassium, a mineral and electrolyte found in abundance in greens, is essential to keep an optimal fluid balance in your body.” (source)
4. Supports optimal gut health. “A recently discovered gene known as T-bet that gets switched on by cruciferous veggies such as broccoli or Brussels sprouts instructs precursor cells in your intestinal lining to produce innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). ILCs protect your body against gut infections and inflammation, control food allergies and intolerances, support a healthy immune response, and seal the leaks in your gut.” (source from #3)

But Won’t Greens Bloat Me?

I have written about this before because I know the fear and concern around greens, vegetables, and fiber.

First, see number 3 above. So, they might in fact help you.

But also, I have addressed the greens/bloat fears in previous articles.

Rather than rehash it out here, check out these articles I’ve written:

• The Truth About Greens and Gut Healing
• Top 15 Low-FODMAP High-Fiber Foods
• Soluble vs Insoluble Fiber

Okay, so now that you understand more about why I want to make greens a whole healing challenge focus, let me share some ways you can incorporate them into your daily routine.

Fresh Greens

It’s easy to toss fresh greens into meals you’re already having. A handful here and a handful there really adds up quickly.

Here are some things I’d toss fresh greens into/on:

1. broths
2. a tuna salad mixture
3. sandwiches
4. warm rice bowls (actually used to do this all the time – would add handfuls of fresh arugula to rice bowls)

Fresh Vegetables

When it comes to heartier greens, like the bok choy, cabbage, and broccoli, these can be made and eaten fresh or frozen.

There is nothing wrong with whole, frozen vegetables. In fact, some even argue that when fresh vegetables are frozen, they preserve their nutrients more effectively.

Fresh or frozen, you can use them for…..

1. smoothies
2. sautes
3. juices
4. roasted concoctions (ever had the Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Vinaigrette from The Leaky Gut Meal Plan p. 136?!)

Greens Powder

And the last way, but certainly not a way to overlook, is by getting greens via a greens powder of choice.

There are so many on the market these days. The best way to choose which one is for you is simply by doing a little research.

Let me help with some options.

Paleovalley Supergreens

These are, hands down, my fave!

The reason is because I can literally just add this one to water and drink right up without it tasting like I just stuck my head in a dirt-filled garden.

You know what I’m talking about, yes?!

Anyways, here is what’s all in the Paleovalley Supergreens:

1. kale
2. broccoli
3. spirulina
4. spinach
5. kale sprout
6. cabbage
7. cauliflower
8. collard greens
9. parsley
10. broccoli sprout
11. turmeric
12. acerola
13. carrot
14. ginger
15. lemon
16. strawberry
17. raspberry
18. blueberry
19. beet
20. tart cherry
21. elderberry
22. cranberry
23. monk fruit

And they are all organic.

Kale Powder

Try the Perfect Supplements Fermented Kale Powder.

Here is what it contains in one serving (1 scoop):

• 9 Calories
• 1654 IU Vitamin A
• 22mg of Vitamin C
• 25mg of Calcium
• 83mg of Potassium
• 0.32mg of Iron
• 6.32mg of Magnesium
• 46.14mcg Vitamin K
• 31.29mcg Vitamin K2
• 20% Protein by Weight
• 12% Fiber by Weight

Use code GUTSYG to get 10% off your Kale Powder at checkout.

Organic Greens

For a massive blend of greens, grab a bottle of Catie’s Organic Greens.

Here are some of the benefits in just one serving (1 Tbsp):

• One tablespoon of Catie’s Organic Greens is equal to 7 daily servings of the most potent green vegetables.
• Catie’s Organic Greens is rich in natural glutathione from one of nature’s richest sources- asparagus.
• Catie’s Greens is easily absorbed into the digestive system and can be mixed into any beverage.

The blend consists of a multitude of organic greens and other things which you can see HERE.

Sources: HERE and HERE

Ready to dive in for a month filled with more greens? I sure am!

Do yourself a favor. Grab a 90-day gut healing journal and track what happens when you allow yourself to consume more greens than ever before. The journey key in my journal will help guide you along. If you want your journal right now, you can download it HERE and print it off. Otherwise, we are happy to ship you the spiral-bound journal straight to your doorstep.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. Vitamin C for Gut Healing
2. Healing Letters
3. Vitamin B12 and SIBO

Xox,
SKH