June 2021
Jacqui Lewis - BHSc Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine
Eat More Greens
Eating plenty of vegetables may be one of the simplest ways to improve health and put the fire out in your gut.
I'm sure we can all hear our parent’s voices echoing in our heads “come on, eat up your veggies, they……. You can enter your own remembered benefit here - I know my mum used to say they would put hairs on our chest….well, I can bet safely that your parents might have had a better way of selling the notion to you that eating your greens was a good thing to do!
So what's all the talk about adding GREEN to your food list every day?
Green veggies like Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Beans, Sprouts, will weave their magic when you eat them on a regular basis
Firstly - the colour green has a lot to do with ALKALINITY (opposite to ACIDITY) and can help soothe the inner fire of reflux, help lower the incidence of gas and bloating, pep up your good gut bacteria and help prevent kidney stones.
Greens such as Broccoli and Kale and spinach are great for bone density with calcium, vitamin K. These green hits of goodness are also connected to cancer prevention - being high in antioxidants and carotenoids.
A 2013 study published in Osteoporosis International found a significant positive association between an alkaline eating plan and muscle mass index. Consuming vegetables high in potassium and magnesium is a contributing factor.
After WLS - this is a huge plus given the effect on calcium absorption.
The Australian Health Survey conducted by the ABS revealed that 96% of Australians are not reaching the recommended daily servings of Vegetables on a regular basis.
The AHS has found that on average Australians are only eating 2.7 servings of vegetables or legumes a day, however the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommends an adult eats between five to six servings each day.
Green veggies bring good news to WLS patients who suffer from REFLUX.
Increasing the fibre in your diet, and improving your overall gut health is a great way to take the load off your stressed out tummy.
Fibre from GREENS helps to produce healthy bacteria and reduce stomach acid - overall the alkaline effect of green veggies will help “put out the fire” pretty quickly.
More fibre in your diet also helps to reduce excess cholesterol - it acts like a magnet, removing it from the body instead of cycling it back to the liver. Just by adding a few more veggies to your food planning you’ll notice the health benefits pretty quickly!
So now we know WHY - let's talk about HOW
One totally easy way to smash in some greens is in a SMOOTHIE
Spinach, Kale, and Greens powders are a great addition to your morning routine.
We buy the frozen spinach squares and just pop them in the blender with everything else.
Stir Fry makes eating veggies tasty and quick.
Here’s 5 hot tips you’ll want to commit to memory to make it perfect every time
Your Wok Should Be Smoking Hot.
1. Do Not Cook Ice-Cold Meat.
2. Cook the Meat in Batches - this way it does not stew and go tough.
3. Cook the Vegetables next but don't over do it.
4. Add the Cooked Meat at the end.
Make Salad a meal - salad used to be iceberg lettuce and tomato and was hardly a meal. Now we know better - we do better by making salads that are complex enough to be a solid meal - here’s how.
Base: Baby Spinach, Hydroponic Lettuce, Kale
Fill it out with: Baked veggies- pumpkin, sweet potato, cauliflower
Pimp it with: Nuts and Seeds
Add a hit of Protein: - Poached chicken breast, stir fry beef strips, prawns, pork medallions
Dress it with: homemade dressings.
Check out our AMAZING homemade dressings book here.
Jacqui Lewis
BHSc Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine
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