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This Nutrition Power Hitter is Better Home-Grown – but get it in any way you can!

on Aug 17, 2017 in General Wellness, Nutrition

Better Home Grown!

Kale is definitely a nutrition power hitter. Kale belongs to a family of vegetables that include broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Just one cup provides as much vitamin C as an orange, calcium equal to 1 cup of milk, 684% the RDA for vitamin K, and 206% the RDA for vitamin A, and is a significantly good source of protein, iron, the healthy omega-3 fats. Additionally Kale, the powerhouse of leafy greens, contains several different powerful anti-inflammatory phyto-nutrients that have been linked to aiding DNA repair, slowing of cancer cell growth, protecting you from colon and prostate cancers, and benefiting your stomach, liver, and immune system.

So why should you grow it? Unfortunately kale tends to accumulate toxins in the soil, which routinely lands it on The Food and Drug Administration’s top 15 dirty list for foods with highest pesticide residue. Typically you can avoid pesticides by buying organic, but in the case of kale studies have shown that even organic kale may contain some pesticide so if you can grow it on your own – the better!

The good news is that Kale is super easy to grow. A hardy and forgiving plant, kale will survive both under and over watering, poor soil, and abuse (you can step all over it and it springs right back up.) Kale also happens to be beautiful as a potted plant and can be grown in any yard, patio, or window shelf.

Plant some kale and harvest leaves as needed for baked chips or smoothies.

 

Plant some kale and harvest leaves as needed for baked chips or smoothies.