Photo by Clea Christakos-Gee
Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to notice some changes in my body. My skin was breaking out for the first time in months, and I have been feeling kind of blah. Whenever this happens, I like to take inventory of my daily habits to see what might be up. This is a practice I do seasonally (luckily, equinox was right around the corner!) and with clients in my 1:1 practice. It’s extremely helpful to get granular on your day to day when you are looking to make a change, or get to the root of what’s holding you back. While working through this exercise, a few things came up that I was already actively working on: sleep hygiene - going to sleep and waking up at the same time, limiting alcohol intake (I’ve whittled it down to 1-2 days a week, but could still work on the amount that i’m drinking when I do imbibe..), and keeping my phone on airplane mode in the mornings which is a forever challenge. But, the most telling thing was that I wasn’t getting many leafy greens in my diet on the daily, and once I took a minute to think about it, I realized that this has been the case since the end of August. Yipes! No wonder I’m not feeling my best.
First, let’s cover why greens are so important to include in our diets, cause if we don’t know, why would we bother? Leafy greens are rich in chlorophyll, the green colour of plants that helps to cleanse and build the blood (hello skin!). Chlorophyll inhibits bacterial growth and anaerobic yeasts and fungi in the digestive tract, purifying the body of toxins. It is anti-inflammatory and helps to renew cells and support a healthy gut microbiome, and it also helps to regulate calcium absorption. Greens are full of fiber, great for the liver, and colon, and are an energizing food important to people who experience chronic fatigue, adrenal dysregulation, depression, fibromyalgia, and IBS.
It may come as a surprise to hear that as a nutritionist, my intake of greens can also fall to the wayside, but just like meditation, nutrition and mindful eating is a practice. And, the thing about practice, is that we never really reach a final destination, it’s something that keeps going, changing slowly over time; at many points in our life, we will need to re-group, and begin again. So here I am, admitting to you all, that I too fall off, and I know from speaking with friends and clients that getting greens in can be a struggle so, let me share some strategies and a recipe that will make this easier for all of us!
Make a side salad: maybe obvious? But pairing a nice crunchy green salad to have with a meal that is predominantly composed of simple carbohydrates like pasta, pizza, or grilled cheese, slows down glucose absorption in the bloodstream, and helps our digestive tract function optimally. My go-to is a big head of lettuce like red leaf or romain, thinly sliced shallot macerated in some vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Smoothie It: a great hack for getting in greens. I’m not a huge smoothie person in the fall or winter, since my body craves warm food during cooler mornings, but, they are a top recommendation for those who struggle to make breakfast happen. Throw a big handful of greens in your smoothie and you’re good to go! Also, you don’t have to just use spinach or kale, I personally love to play with sprouts in my smoothies which are nutrient dense and full of digestive enzymes.
Throw them in everything: the perfect low impact strategy. There aren’t many soups, stews, or curries that wouldn’t benefit from chopped up kale, cabbage, chard, spinach, or collard greens thrown in. Greens are pretty good chameleons as they take on flavours very well. You’ll barely notice ‘em.
Garnish with green: herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill, basil, and mint count as greens! They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, many of which are detoxifying and cleansing. I am herb crazy and top pretty much everything I make with a huge handful of chopped whatever. I also love to make zippy green sauces to have with steak, roasted chicken, and root vegetables. ALSO, they are amazing in a fresh green juice.
Cook ‘em down: my mum just got me onto her method for cooked greens and I will basically never look back. I’ve been getting in the habit of making these as a side dish or component to whatever I’m eating for that extra green boost (plus I have so much chard in my garden, it would be a crime not to) but they are especially good at breakfast with eggs. The method goes as follows: de-stemm if necessary, chop, and rinse a small bunch of greens - no need to dry, the moisture will help the cooking process. Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan over medium and add the greens. Toss everything around, season with some salt, pepper, and grate in a clove of garlic. Cook until everything is nice and soft and wilted. You could add a squeeze of lemon, but I think they are perfect as is - thanks mum!
Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks, Beans, and Greens
Here is a delicious weeknight friendly dinner recipe that is perfectly balanced with fibre, fat, protein and greens, and most importantly, is incredibly tasty. This dish will leave you satiated and satisfied while being properly nourished - a big win in my world! Most importantly, you will get your greens in.
4 Bone in skin-on chicken thighs
2 leeks
1 can cannelini or navy beans, drained
1 cup white wine (or chicken/vegetebale broth with the juice of half a lemon)
1 bunch swiss chard or kale
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and leave at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. When the time is up, pat the chicken skin dry with a kitchen or paper towel. Heat a skillet over medium high, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and put the thighs in skin side down. Cook until browned about 15 minutes - be very patient, and no peeking!
To distract yourself, thinly slice and wash the leeks; de-stem, slice, wash the greens, and pre-heat the oven to 375. When your chicken has browned, set aside skin side up. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the leeks in the chicken fat, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Cook down until the leeks are caramelizing. Once they are nice and deep in colour, add in the drained beans, and stir to coat, seasoning again with salt and pepper. Then, pour in the wine, stir and let it bubble for a bit. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook for about 30 minutes. Once the chicken is looking close to done, and the wine has mostly evaporated, remove the chicken from the pan, place on a sheet pan and throw in the oven.
Now, add your greens to the bean and leek mixture, and cover, cooking until the greens are well cooked down - about 10 minutes, then take off heat keeping it covered. Once you are happy with the state of your vegetables, check that the chicken is done by pricking to see if the juices run clear. Once it’s done, put your broiler on high for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the skin. When the chicken is finished, place the thighs back on top of the beans and greens to serve.