Kale – Not Just Fancy Lettuce

It seems like everywhere you look there is some new and special diet that will make you not only feel better but look better too. One of the latest crazes: kale. Kale is being deemed a “superfood,” but what makes it so special?

Kale or borecole is a vegetable with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. Many horticulturists consider kale to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. Many doctors consider it one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. According to wedmd: one cup of chopped kale contains thirty-three calories, and provides you with 9% of your daily calcium, 206% of your daily Vitamin A, 134% of vitamin, and 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source or copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

So, here’s a few reasons you should try kale:

1)    Kale is high in fiber and has zero fat. It aids in digestion and elimination.

2)    Kale is high in iron. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef. Iron is essential for good health—formation of hemoglobin and enzymes, transportation of oxygen, cell growth, proper liver function, and more.

3)    Kale is high in Vitamin K, which protects your body from various cancers, bone deteriorations, and ensures your blood is properly clotting. Increased levels of Vitamin K have also been linked to helping those suffering from Alzheimer’s.

4)    Kale is considered a great anti-inflammatory food. One cup of kale is filled with 10% of the RDA of omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight against arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

5)    Kale keeps your heart pumping. Kale helps lower your cholesterol.

6)    Kale is rich in Vitamins A and C. You’ll see better, and your skin will be nicer. You’ll have a better immune system, metabolism, and hydration. You’ll also be preventing lung and cavity cancers.

7)    Kale is high in calcium. Per calorie, kale has more calcium than milk. Calcium prevents bone loss, osteoporosis, while maintaining cartilage and joint flexibility.

8)    Kale is a great detox food. Because kale is filled with both fiber and sulfur, if you increase your kale intake, your body will be detoxified and your liver will be healthier.

9)    Kale promotes longer life. Kale contains kaempferol, which turns on the genes that promote longer life.

10)Kale will make you happier. Kale is full of carotenoids, which Harvard has linked to one’s sense of optimism.

So, instead of ingesting several pills a day, which is hard on your stomach and especially your liver, eat a bowl of kale. Dr. Drew Ramsey says kale possess “incredible culinary flexibility” and it’s easy to grow. It’s resistant to pests and drought. Kale provides food into the late winter, and once it endures frost it becomes sweeter.

Once your kale is grown, you can use it to cook anything from a raw salad to soup to smoothies. With its many uses and benefits, it’s no wonder kale is a health food staple in much of the world (best places to retire included), and is quickly growing in popularity in the U.S. If you want to try kale, a quick google search will instantly give you hundreds of thousands of recipes. And why not try one? It can’t hurt anything. In fact, kale only seems to be beneficial.