Verde, a word meaning green in Spanish, is part of common English language knowledge. (You know, particularly salsa verde? Yum!) The same word--same spelling--is also the Italian word for green. Along with the French vert as well as the Catalan verd, these words originated from the Latin adjective for green: viridis (masculine/feminine) viride (neuter) and the Latin verb vireo, virere, meaning "to sprout." (I apologize, but you know I wait for when I can hit you with the Latin, right?!)
And English derivatives, like verdant, mean just that--the type of green that is as a result of growing plants (or more abstractly, inexperience). So, here's why we should even consider making today a verde day...
Last year, I read and fell in love with Mark Bittman's Food Matters (2008). I highly recommend it if you want to know more about how to treat your body well with the food you eat, but also want an enjoyable read.
The website (above) states that Food Matters is "a plan for responsible eating that’s as good for the planet as it is for your weight and your health." In it, among other insights, science, statistics, and suggestions, Bittman describes how he is "vegan until 6." This may seem insane, but if you remember "you are what you eat" and you read his book, you might be convinced to give it a try yourself. On most days, I am vegan until 6, but sometimes, after a long day, the cheese drawer calls out to me upon my arrival home and I only make it to 4... Overall, I usually follow this plan and it helps me feel good.
Here are a few easy ways you could make today a verde day:
1. Start your day with a breakfast smoothie. Seriously. I know it may seem that I mention them more often than I don't, but it's because they are that good. Like life-changing good. Just try it, will you? A few days. You won't regret it. Here is our fruit & veggie smoothie recipe and here is our superfood add-ins list. If you're hesitant, use chocolate almond milk to sweeten the deal.
2. Brew up some green tea. Although it's not actually a vegetable, drinking green tea is believed to contain incredible health benefits. I started drinking green tea each morning years ago and I love it. It's relaxing, refreshing, and makes me feel great. Here is what I drink each morning (though not always in the china).
3. Juice your face off. Well, you can keep your face, but get juicing. If you've ever been tempted by the energy burst provided from energy drinks, you'll be surprised at how similarly energized you feel after drinking a juice. But instead of your heart thumping, your pits sweating, and your speech racing, all of your cells will rejoice for being showered with liquid goodness and love. I usually drink mine about 2:00, right before the afternoon slump could potentially hit. Click here for a beginner's guide to juicing.
4. [If you liked it then you should'a] Put a salad on it. Or at least on the side of it. I used to be anti-salad. Because I've always been "such a good eater," I had a hard time not being a "tough guy" when it came to the amount of food and types of food I could/would eat. That may seem silly, but I didn't like enjoying salads because I didn't like the idea of "diet food." Little did I know, I was missing out on all kinds of delicious combinations, additional nutrients, and extra fiber. Plus, not all salads actually are diet food. If you make your lunch into a salad or a lunch with a side salad, you'll feel better than you had previously. So, grab some fresh, crisp lettuce or bright, tasty spinach and go for it. And, please, don't be a tough guy.
5. Veg-ify your snacking. Choose snacks that are filling and refreshing, like carrot and celery sticks or green pepper slices. The crisp, delicious crunch of these will remind you why you are excited to make it a verde day.
Labels: Go Ahead--Try It!, May Wellness Challenge, Mindful Eating
