God’s Good Greens

By: Dr. Don VerHulst 

I love summer’s salad days—the time when our local farms and gardens are bursting with greens like kale, chard, lettuce and mustard. It’s the perfect time to get into the habit of making greens a part of your daily diet.

Did you know that on average, Americans eat green leafy vegetables only once or twice a week? And, that probably means a dried up iceberg lettuce salad topped with gobs of unhealthy salad dressing. With greens being recognized as one of the most inexpensive sources of so many vital nutrients, this is truly sad news.

What exactly do God’s good greens do for you?  Well, being low in calories, leafy vegetables help you maintain ideal weight, for one.  They also reduce risks of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease because they are low  in fat, high in fiber and rich in nutrients like folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, vitamin K, quercitin,  beta-carotene and more. 

The magnesium in greens helps folks with type 2 diabetes.  The vitamin K helps ensure bone health.  One study found that the risk of hip fracture in middle-aged women decreased 45% when they ate one or more servings of leafy greens every day! Greens also boost immune function (a factor in allergies) and ensure eye health.

Leafy greens offer a rainbow of flavors:  sweet, bitter, peppery and earthy. Collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, and spinach have a mild taste, while arugula, mizuna and mustard greens are excitingly spicy. Whatever kinds of greens you choose, look for crisp leaves with a fresh vibrant green color--the darker the color, the richer the nutritional value. 

While no substitute for God’s good greens, It Works’ Dr. Don's Recommended Complete Health Package features all the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis for detoxification and complete balancing of your immune system. If you are not eating two to three fruit, four to six vegetable and five to 11 whole grain servings every day (grown organically and locally and not picked until ripe), your body needs supplemental nutrients. 

These specific vitamins, minerals and co-factors are all supplied in Dr. Don's Recommended Complete Health Package. Why take a chance on being deficient? Cover all the bases! Give your body everything it needs to get and stay healthy naturally.