Thursday, September 19, 2013

Dark Leafy Greens for Eye Health



If your idea of salad is a few leaves of iceberg lettuce in an ocean of thousand island dressing, it’s time for change. While light colored lettuce is a nutritional lightweight, dark leafy greens are packed with vitamins and high in calcium and magnesium. They’re also a great source of lutein, a nutrient that appears to protect the eyes against macular degeneration, a common cause of blindness among the elderly. Perhaps most important, they’re among the strongest in levels of antioxidant activity
Choose fresh looking bunches. When shopping for kale and collard greens, the stemmed ends should be clean, with no dark patches, and the leaves should be bright, without any wilting or yellowing.
Spinach, endive and romaine lettuce are great in salads; just dress with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. Other greens, such as collard greens and kale, may taste too bitter, so sauté them in a little olive oil with fresh garlic.

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