Sometimes I find myself munching on raw veggies like a freaking bunny- and I am so impressed with my very nutritious choices. Other times I coat large pieces of kale in olive oil, sea salt and pepper to then throw them into the oven until they crisp up- these beauties are called kale chips and they are amazing. But one day I was curious about the nutrients in veggies and how, if you prepared them a certain way, those nutrients lasted… I’ve had friends that are vegans, the hardcore kind that eat RAW only and I recalled them boasting about how they were able to take in so many more vitamins and nutrients then those who cooked their food in some form, and I refused to believe them then- mainly because I don’t trust people who don’t eat meat, but that’s a different story…(sorry, laughing to myself). Anyway, after some research I found that veggies in fact, do change their nutrient composition when cooked, however it isn’t always for the bad. Sometimes boiling, steaming, sauting, and baking assist in a change that is actually good for us. With that said, the answer is this- as long as you regularly eat your veggies (not just one meal a day, but throughout the day), and in a variation of ways, you are most likely attaining exactly what your body needs to function on that “most awesome” mode. Surprisingly, you can usually get the most nutrient carrying veggies out of the frozen food section since there is limited amount of time that it had on shelf before being frozen, unlike the ones that have been picked, boxed, shipped, unloaded and waiting for you to pick up. However, I understand there is a time and place for frozen veggies, and they don’t always sound very appealing and that would bring me to my last point. The spring will be here before we know it, and there is something rewarding about growing food of your own- maybe with the idea of fresh and nutrient rich in mind, you may want to give your own garden of veggies you love a whirl. But if that doesn’t take, we have lots of local farmstands that can show us the love of fresh vegetables.
Workout of the Day
30-20-10
Hang Power Clean 135/95
Push Jerk