Swiss chard

Friends!

I am getting ready for two charity health fairs.

One is in the Hindu temple in Navasota, their 2 nd one on the 12 th April 2014 .

The 2 nd is the 14 th year for the BAPS health fair.

Both places in the public education lectures I am making a presentation.

I cannot much emphasize the importance of Greens for good health.

Last year I demonstrated my call of the Kale smoothie.

Feedback from friends and patients tell me several people have changed breakfast habits to drinking the green smoothie.

I am using this year Swiss chard,banana,pineapple,lemon,water and ice for the green smoothie.

I have named the Swiss charm smoothie.

To make vitamix jar full, 

3 cups water

1 1/2

banana

3 cups pineapple cut up or frozen

4 big chard leaves.

Do not add ice if frozen pineapple is used.

Honey can be added to make it sweeter.

Add 1 to 2 tsf of flax meal?

 Enjoy.

1 cup of mango can be added to make it more tropical

I have to tell you all about health benefits of chard.

Scientific name is Beta vulgaris.

Used in Mediterranean cooking

Belongs to Chenopodiaceae family.

It is in the same species as beet root.

The other names of chard are,Swiss chard,silver beets,perpetual spinach,spinach beets crab beet.

In South Africa,chard is called spinach.

The Chard got its name from another Mediterranean vegetable called cardoon,which is a celery like plant with thick stalks and the French got confused and called them both "carde".

The different varieties of chard are Rhubarb chard with red stalks and green leaves.

Ruby chard has red leaves and stalks of crimson intensity of a cut beet root.

Rainbow chard comes with colored stems of yellow,orange,pink,red.

PHYTONUTRIENTS in Chard

Chard leaves contain atleast 13 different polyphenol antioxidants including Kaemferol which is also found in kale,broccoli,strawberries.

One of the primary flavonoid found in chard is SYRINGIC ACID.

It has blood sugar regulating properties.

It inhibits activity of enzymes called alphaglucosidase.

When this alphaglucosidase is inhibited fewer carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and blood sugar is more steady.

Like beet,it is a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains which have reddish purple and yellow pigments.

These pigments have antioxidant,antiinflammatoryeffects and provide detox support at phase 2 involving glutathione.swiss chard has oxalates.

When they get too concentrated in body fluids they can crystallize and form stones.

Boiling leaves for just 3 minutes reduces  the concentration of oxalic acid.

Chard has good supply of calcium, magnesium and vitamin K to provide bone support.

USDA National Nutrient Database