Spring Into Spring With These Vegetables!

Spring is almost upon us and if you plan on
doing some Spring cleaning on your home, why
not also do some Spring cleaning on your health?

How, you ask?
By taking advantage of the fresh produce that’s
available in March and April.

Listed below are the veggies that’ll help you
lose belly fat, soothe your gut and lower
your stress levels.


So, when writing out this week’s grocery list,
make sure to include the following…

a) Collards-
Popular in the South and African-American households,
this sturdy green will help you turn back the clock
on your skin.
Collards contain a trio of nutrients that heal and
rejuvenate the epidermal layer of the skin, plus trigger
the creation of smoothing and firming collagen.
Aim for a cup a day.
A cooking tip: If you’re cutting down on or giving
up carbs (bread), collards make a great substitute.
Just clean 2 to 3 leaves, boil in a pot of water, (about
1/2 cup) for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the water,
let cool and place some tuna fish or a burger on
a leaf, add some condiments, fold the leaf over
and enjoy. This is a take on the lettuce wrap,
just a sturdier version.
Need more recipes: Go to youtube or google.com
and type collard green recipes in the search bar.
b) Radishes-
Need to lose weight, particularly in the stomach?
Then you need to eat more radishes. The peppery-
tasting radishes are brimming with 2 compounds
that activate the brain’s appetite control, helping
you prevent the mindless between meal snacking.
Cooking tip: If you’re a fan of fried potatoes,
but not a fan of the calories, then use radishes
as a great stand-in.
To make: Clean a few radishes, dry completely,
slice as you would a potato, and place on
a baking sheet. Heat oven to 350F.
Pour a little olive oil (or cooking spray) on the radishes
and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to check
the oven, as they may over brown and burn.
c) Peas-
Unable to focus lately? Try adding some more peas
to your daily regimen. About 30% of the pea’s calories
comes from amino acids- the building blocks of focus.
Enjoy a half cup a few times a week and you can improve
your focus in less than 2 weeks.
d) Asparagus-
If you’re plagued with bloat and gas, and over-the-
counter meds aren’t working, then maybe you should try
try adding more asparagus to your diet.
Nutrients in asparagus fuel the growth of healthy
probiotic bacteria in the intestines.
A cooking tip:
If you’ve been steaming your asparagus for
years and then adding a little lemon juice,
switch things up and start roasting them.
Heat the oven to 400F. Place the asparagus
on a baking sheet, spray with cooking spray
or a small amount of olive oil, bake for 10
minutes. Remove from the oven, place in
a large bowl and toss with some good quality
butter and Parmesan (or Romano) cheese.
e) Turnips-
Called a hardier and more bitter version of the potato.
And if you’re unable to break out of the listlessness
of this past Winter, then you must add turnips to
your diet. These hardy root vegetables are packed
with compounds (indoles) that help cellular mito-
chrondria convert fatty acids into ATP, your body’s
main source of energy.
A cooking tip: Like radishes, turnips make a great
alternative to the higher calorie potatoes.
Bake in the oven as you would a potato.
Avoid deep frying on top of the stove in a vat of oil.
f) Rhubarb-
This little known vegetable is great for those who want
to lower their anxiety levels. Compounds in this
sweet tart flavored veggie increases the production
of calming alpha brain waves.
Two cooking tips:
Need a sweet dish? Dice 1 pound of rhubarb, and mix
with 1/2 cup of honey and roast at 400F for 5 minutes.
Need something more savory? Cut 1 pound of rhubarb
and 1 bunch of radishes into matchsticks, then toss
with 2 Tbs. of olive oil, 2 tsp. of honey mustard and
1 tsp. of lemon juice.
And one last tip: If  you’re a fan of pie, look online for
a rhubarb pie recipe. Rhubarb pie is delicious, but you
may want to look for a recipe that doesn’t use a ton of
sugar. Or you can find a recipe and replace the sugar
with alternative sweeteners.