Popeye's secret of strength can be yours too!
Shikha Mahajan
Many you will be able to remember the cartoon character Popeye who got super human strength after gulping down spinach. It is not all fiction as spinach is indeed a magic ingredient in our diets. So, read on and think twice before rejecting a spinach dish that your mom offers you next time:
Of all the leafy greens, one of the most versatile is spinach. I whip it into smoothies, enjoy chilled salads of spinach, steam, and sauté fresh spinach, add it to stir-fries, and even mix it with brownie-style baked goods. There are also several health benefits of spinach, and you can easily build it into your meals. Here are six benefits of consuming more of this highly protective herb, and easy ways to integrate it into meals and snacks.
Just 20 calories, no fat, 2 grams of protein, and 3 grams of carbohydrates with 2 grams of fiber are given by three cups of crude spinach. Spinach is filled with nutrients, even though it has very few calories. Over 300 per cent of the daily need for bone-supporting vitamin K is given by a three-cup amount. Spinach also offers more than 160 per cent of the daily vitamin A target and about 40 per cent of vitamin C, all of which help vitamin A immune function and good skin support.
45% of the daily need for foliate, B vitamin that helps form red blood cells and DNA, is also found in spinach. Spinach provides both iron and magnesium with 15 percent of the daily target, 10 percent for potassium, and 6 percent for calcium, along with smaller quantities of other B vitamins.
Spinach’s anti-inflammatory effects make it a key contender, particularly in the case of aging, for brain defense. In one study, researchers tracked more than 950 older adults’ eating habits and cognitive abilities for around five years. Those who ingested greater quantities of green leafy vegetables saw a substantial decrease in the rate of cognitive decline. The data suggested that a person 11 years younger than someone who consumed no leafy greens had the same cognitive abilities as people who ate one to two servings of leafy greens daily.
I suggest eating one cup a day of some kind of leafy greens (about the size of a tennis ball). This can be as easy as putting a handful of spinach as a bed on a plate for something else you eat, So, with each slice, you get a couple of spinach leaves. Toss the spinach with a simple vinaigrette made from whisking together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and dried Italian herb seasoning for a fast and easy side dish. Sauté the spinach with sweet red bell peppers and crushed red pepper in extra virgin olive oil, or steam and toss the greens with jarred olive tapenade or milk-free tapenade pesto.
The clotting of blood
One spinach leaf contains vitamin K1, which is necessary for healthy bones, for over half of your daily requirements. It also helps to rapidly clot white blood cells, stopping you from bleeding out when you are injured. Before raising their consumption of spinach or other leafy greens, someone who is taking blood-thinning medicine such as Warfarin should talk to their doctor.
Good teeth healing
This super green is rich in catenoids, which are converted into vitamin A by our bodies. In keeping gums healthy and in building tooth enamel, this vitamin plays a key role. In addition, spinach is rich in calcium, which helps to harden the enamel, reinforce the jawbone and develop strong bones.
Good Hair
This is where vitamin A again comes in, as it is important to keep hair moisturized for sebum development, helping it to look glossy and grow. It can help minimize hair loss as well.
More skin that is radiant
Vitamins and antioxidants that are healthy for your skin are given by spinach. It can help give you a healthy glow as well.
It battles tumors
With its high levels of vitamins A and C, fiber, and folic acid, spinach was thought to help prevent a number of cancers, including colon and lung cancer.
Anemia will help with this.
Spinach is considered to be a good source of iron, making it a good booster for those suffering from anemia, caused by a lack of iron, meaning that hemoglobin, the protein in the blood, does not produce blood that transports oxygen to the organs.
Power-Ups Ups
Spinach helps produce energy in the body by relying on your daily intake of magnesium and folate and helping to keep it alkaline.
The perfect time to enjoy your share of spinach is winter. And there are so many ways to supplement your diet with spinach. You can also add spinach, apart from making spinach parathas, while making dal and spinach rice also tastes delicious. Spinach may also be used when preparing noodles, soups, etc. Spinach may also be added when other vegetable dishes such as potato, pumpkin, or brinjal are cooked. To your sandwich, add lettuce, wrap and enjoy your share of nutritious food as well. Sautee spinach in olive oil with garlic on a lazy winter evening when you’re not in the mood to prepare an elaborate meal, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
There are a number of reasons why spinach has to be included in your diet. An excellent source of iron is spinach.
There are so many advantages to eating spinach regularly and so few disadvantages, so dig in!
The writer is Holistic Nutritionist, and Founder of Diet Podium
