seven days of nutrition hacks to shift your wellness: day 6

Today’s aim is to bring more dark leafy greens and bitter foods into your diet in an effort to help your body detoxify harmful toxins. 

What are Dark Leafy Greens?

Dark leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses full of micronutrients and essential vitamins such as vitamin A, C, and K. Leafy greens are naturally bitter, and help trigger enzyme and bile production which improves digestion. Some examples of bitters and leafy greens are:

• Okra (or lady’s finger)
• Chicory
• Radicchio
• Watercress
• Rocket
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Nettle
• Endive
• Angustoura
• Swedish Bitters

Modern diets have largely eliminated bitter foods and drinks in favor of salty and sweet flavors. Traditional diets contained far more of these vital health-enhancing plants.

Why Bitter Foods?

We live in an environment full of man-made chemicals that our bodies were not designed to process. In an effort to improve our body’s health, it’s in our interest to optimize our body’s ability to rid itself of these toxins.

If your body’s detoxification channels aren’t optimized, waste can build up and create an internal environment conducive to the development of illness and disease. Bitters support the health and function of our liver and bowel. Leafy greens stimulate digestive enzyme production and bile flow, helping us digest fats and detoxify our bodies.

The release of bile is one of the main routes by which our body’s get rid of harmful waste products, fats and toxins. Eating bitter greens provides your body with the support it needs to clear out toxins that make their way into your system.

How to Eat More Dark Leafy Greens:

Since dark leafy greens are naturally bitter, one way to incorporate more into your diet is to balance the bitter taste with a naturally sweet food such as fruit. However, as you incorporate more of them into your diet you will find you become more accustomed to their flavor and even start to enjoy the bitterness! Try some of these ideas to start detoxing your body with greens:

• Drink a green smoothie or juice with watercress, apple, carrot, cucumber, or celery.
• Make a bitter green salad with rocket and radicchio. Make a lemon juice, olive oil, and pecorino cheese dressing.
• Try an Indian veggie curry with okra
• Bake kale crisps and chips by putting kale in the oven and drizzling olive oil and salt over the kale.
• Drink soda water with angoustura bitters

As you start to eat more bitter leafy greens you should notice your digestion improves. Many people find their abdominal bloating decreases and sugar cravings may also diminish.

Now that you are improving your digestive health, it’s time to focus on slowing down your ageing process.

Day 7 will teach you how natural herbs and spices can keep you looking and feeling youthful and healthy for years to come. Want to learn about the rest of my nutritional hacks to live your optimal healthy life? Check out days 1-6! Day 1: boost your energy levels through mindful eating Day 2: sharpen your memory and boost your mood by balancing your essential fatty acid intake Day 3: strengthen your immune system with fermented pro-biotic foods Day 4: balance your hormones by upping your zinc intake Day 5: reduce your body fat by detoxing your kitchen