All Hail Kale!

In my quest to eat healthier, I know I need to eat more leafy greens. So at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday, I picked up some kale. No idea what to do with it, so it sat in my fridge until today when I made Kale Chips. They are so good! And talk about easy. Just wash the kale, pull the leaves off the stiff stalk and tear into chip size. Drizzle some olive oil on them and lay them on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled seasoned salt on them. Bake them for like 10-15 minutes at 350 and viola - Kale Chips. They tasted great and are good for you.


A little info on Kale (from http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/kale.html):


Health benefits of Kale (borecole)

Versatile, sweet Kale is widely recognized as an incredibly nutritious vegetable for its low fat, no cholesterol and powerful anti-oxidant properties.

Kale, like other members of the brassica family, contains health promoting phytochemicals, sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol that are appears to protect against prostate and colon cancers.

Di-indolyl-methane (DIM), a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol has been found to be an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral agent through its action of potentiating "Interferon-Gamma" receptors.

Borecole is very rich source of ß-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. These flavonoids have strong anti-oxidant and anti-cancer activities. Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.

Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. Thus, it helps prevent retinal detachment and offers protection against "age related macular degeneration disease" (ARMD) in the elderly.

It is very rich in vitamin A, 100 g leaves provide 512% of RDA. Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for vision. Foods rich in this vitamin offer protection against lung and oral cavity cancers.

It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 700% of recommended intake. Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet helps limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

This leafy vegetable is notably good in many B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vit.B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body.

It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for cellular oxidation and red blood cell formation.

Kale provides rich nutrition ingredients that offer protection from vitamin A deficiency, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anaemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and, colon and prostate cancers.