Organic Spinach – Fitness Superfood #11
Organic Spinach 101: Loaded with Vitamins, Minerals, and Fiber to get Lean
In today’s episode, lets talk about all the fitness and nutrition benefits of organic spinach.
This is day 11 in our 12 day series showcasing the top 12 superfoods to help you with your fitness and nutrition goals.
It should come as no surprise that organic spinach made the top 12 superfoods list.
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I mean, if Popeye eats it, and has biceps like that, why shouldn’t we!
And yes, I’m referring to organic spinach.
Spinach is listed on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen list of most highly pesticide sprayed foods.
That’s why I always recommend organic spinach.
And even though we’re focusing specifically on spinach in this episode, I’ll really be spotlighting all leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables as superfoods.
Examples of other superfood leafy greens include:
- Kale
- Arugula
- Romaine
- Swiss chard
- Collard greens
Each of these leafy greens deserves a place on this superfood list and should be on your grocery list.Also, lets not forget cruciferous vegetables.
Cruciferous vegetables are often called the belly fat fighting vegetables.
This is because they contain specific phytonutrients that reduce estrogenic compounds in the body that can lead to belly fat storage.
Examples of superfood cruciferous vegetables include:
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
Consider all these cruciferous vegetables as part of the top superfoods as well.
Get Lean with Organic Spinach
When most people think of spinach, they know it’s healthy, but they often don’t think of it as a food to get lean.
That’s a mistake, because spinach is very low in calories, in fact, we call it a zero calorie food.
We don’t count calories from spinach because the body uses most of the energy to simply breakdown and digest the food.
Also, since organic spinach is loaded with fiber, it helps fill you up, and adds a lot of volume to your meals, without the extra calories.
Spinach and other fibrous vegetables should be your go-to source of fiber
I repeat, vegetables are your primary source of fiber.
Not packaged foods with nutrition labels that claim they are high in fiber.
Spinach is a great source of fiber to help keep you regular and promote a healthy digestive tract.
And I’m sure by now, you’re probably aware of the importance of the macronutrients in foods.
For example, the protein, carbohydrates, and fats that make up the calories.
However, many people ignore micronutrients, and that’s where all these greens come in to play.
Organic spinach, and all the other greens mentioned earlier, are loaded in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Calorie for calorie, organic spinach is one of the most nutrient rich foods in the world.
Spinach is often called nature’s multi-vitamin.
Organic spinach is also high in antioxidants and flavonoids which may help fight oxidative stress, free radicals, and inflammation.
Organic spinach is a very alkaline
Also, as a Live Leaner, we prioritize protein in our diet for the many health benefits it brings.
However, protein is typically is an acidic food, thus we need to balance that with alkaline foods like greens.
Organic spinach is an excellent food to pair with protein as it’s very alkalizing.
Since cancer cells grow in an acidic environment, it’s very important to eat a lot of vegetables to stay in a slight alkaline state.
Greens may also help absorb more of the protein in the body.
These are just a few of the reasons why I always aim to have at least one serving of greens with every meal.
Other Nutrition Benefits of Spinach
Spinach is high in calcium and vitamin K which is great for bone health.
Since vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin, it’s important to consume your spinach with foods higher in fat such as olive oil.
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It’s also high in vitamin A and vitamin C to provide your body with great skin and healthy hair.
Bottom Line:
Whether you eat spinach fresh, frozen, and even sometimes canned, just eat them.
I love adding organic spinach to my morning eggs, in my green smoothies, and in my big ass salads.
Since there is very little taste to spinach, it blends in to other foods without even knowing it.
Try to add at least one serving of leafy greens and/or cruciferous vegetables to every meal.
Come back tomorrow for fitness superfood #12.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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