I ate a plate of kale, now when do I feel better?

27th January, 2009 - Posted by Maude -

I’m sure if you heard anyone say this, you’d find it absurd. Kale is not valium. It’s not a thing like LSD. You’re not going to feel it coming on. You won’t get a sudden feeling of relief 15 minutes after you ingest it. But just because kale doesn’t produce an immediate “effect” doesn’t mean it’s not nourishing your body, right? Right!

How many times have you heard that one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself (besides getting regular exercise) is eating dark green leafy vegetables? There must be a reason for this suggestion.

Okay, what if I eat kale every day for two months?

Well, then that’s a different story. By the time two months went by you’d probably be feeling a lot more energetic. Of course, if you don’t find a way to vary your preparation methods for kale you might also feel really tired of eating it. But just as likely, you might have begun to desire kale.

Dark green leafy vegetables are one of the most concentrated forms of nutrition. They are full of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, vitamins B, C, E, and K along with carotenoids and other phytonutrients - not to mention fiber! A wonderful thing about the body that we often forget is that our bodies will want what’s good for us if we are listening to it and feeding it wisely. Of course, junk foods and sugar can be addicting and if we eat these foods over time we start to crave them. We’re not talking about craving - we’re talking about listening to what our bodies really want.

People who exercise regularly usually enjoy the feeling it produces. If they have to miss their regular routine their body sends them a message to exercise. It feels good to do it. But if you haven’t exercised in a long time it will take awhile before your body sends you this signal. You may have to force yourself to exercise for quite some time before you wake up to the deeper wisdom of your movements.

Exercise is nourishment, after all. Just like dark green leafy vegetables are nourishment. Neither one are likely to produce a “rush” in a short time but used over a longer period they build up what is depleted in us and give us what we really want and need - good health.

Another way to get deep green nourishment is by drinking infusions that contain large amounts of nettle leaf. Many of Maude’s infusions use nettle leaf as a primary ingredient. Keep it Simple, Ginger Pie, Chill Out, I am Woman, and Summer Lift all provide a full dose of nettle nourishment.

Whether you buy one of Maude’s pre-made infusions or make one of your own, nettles are a great way to nourish your body. Food is always more digestible for our bodies than supplements and always a more effective way for nutrients to enter our systems. Whether you enjoy your nourishment cooked (or raw) - like your dark green leafy vegetables - or as a nourishing nettle infusion, you can be sure that if you make habit of nourishing yourself in this way that your body will remind you to keep it up.

Here’s a power house nourishing green recipe comes from the classic cookbook, Laurel’s Kitchen. It’s one of Maude’s favorites!

Old Favorite Green Soup:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 Tablespoon oil

6 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup green split peas, rinsed
1 bay leaf

6 cups diced zucchini
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

1 pound spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Saute the onion and celery in oil until soft. Add 4 cups of stock, split peas, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; then cover loosely and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes.

Add zucchini, remaining stock, and seasonings. Cook for another 10 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Puree soup, return to the soup pot and stir in the spinach and parsley. Cook over medium heat for several minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Makes 7 to 8 cups.

This actually tastes much better than it sounds. At Maude’s house you can always find a supply of Old Favorite Green Soup in individual containers in the freezer. It’s food first aid for when colds start coming on. It’s just a blast of nourishment that your body will literally thank you. When we’re too sick to cook we simply thaw a bowl full of soup and curl up with a blanket and book or just take a nap. The results have been amazing.

Fortunately, there are tons of other places to find good ideas on how to prepare your nourishment and enjoy maximum tastiness. At your fingertips is something for absolutely everyone. Some of Maude’s favorites are Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, Post Punk Kitchen, and Get Sconed. If none of those strike your fancy go over to vegblogs.com and you will find more dark green leafy trouble than you’ll know what to do with.

If you’re a food artist at heart go ahead and wander into the kitchen and create. Ask your body what kind of nourishment it really wants. If you learn how to listen, it will definitely tell you.

And if you keep asking and listening, you may just be surprised at how good it feels to be really, truly nourished.

2 Comments

Lee

January 28th, 2009 at 7:43 am    


Nice post! I LOVE kale, just love it. Should give you my Beans and Greens soup recipe. I am going to try out your Old Favorite Green Soup recipe. Yum.

Johnna

January 28th, 2009 at 9:56 am    


Thanks Maude. I love your dedication to listening to what bodies NEED, not what the brains attached to them WANT. Just ate a bunch of kale myself and went for a long walk - my body is happy!

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