Leafy green vegetables changed my life. I didn't grow up eating vegetables. My family's diet was very rice- and meat-heavy. So, I wasn't really too excited about vegetables, especially leafy greens. Not surprisingly, I was diagnosed with hypertension in 2009. I was extremely stressed and I was always angry and unhappy. I was also prone to having bouts of depression and had low energy and low self-esteem.
Because of the high blood pressure diagnosis, I decided I'd better increase my vegetable intake. I didn't really know how to cook back then. So, I decided to eat more salads. It was torture for me! ;D Needless to say, I was unsuccessful in increasing my green leafy veg intake.
Discovering green smoothies in 2010 was the turning point in my life. Imagine! By blending a cup of spinach, 2-3 cups of various fruits, water or juice, and sweetened yogurt, I could easily take my veggies as if it were juice! Granted, my first green smoothies were probably pretty high in sugar and fructose BUT I was actually nourishing my body with green leafy vegetables everyday for the first time ever--and in my 40s! That's almost four decades with hardly any vegetables in my diet before I discovered green smoothies. I started feeling better and surprisingly, happier!
I began to learn more about making green smoothies and experimented with different combinations of leafy greens, fruits and other ingredients. Some were hideously sickening in taste but most were really delicious and had exciting flavours--black forest flavoured (dark cherries and raw cacao) smoothies, peanut butter banana smoothie, green virgin pina colada smoothie, ginger orange cardamom, pineapple turmeric... Eventually, my basic green smoothies evolved to comprising 2 cups water, 3 cups leafy greens, and 1-2 cups fruits. No more added sugars! My smoothies weren't super sweet anymore. My taste buds had adjusted.
A year into my green smoothie journey, I learned where I could get my hands on some organic veg and that's when I learned to love salads. The taste of organic leafies and conventionally grown produce were worlds apart! The organic veg did not have any bitter taste to it. My daughter and I began to make salads, stews, and soups more often with the organic veg that were delivered to our home every week.
I have to say that green leafies really made the biggest difference in my health! It was my doorway to discovering the world of health and wellness.
How about you? Do you have a story about the vegetables in your life? Did you dislike vegetables like I did or did you grow up loving them? Or are you like I was at the beginning of my health journey--you want to add more green goodness in your life but are struggling to do so? Let me know in the comments section. I'd love to have a conversation with you!
