Popeye Was The Man
If you watched cartoons like I did as a kid, you probably watched Popeye, and when it was time to put up a fight and rescue Olive Oil, or save sinking ship, what was the first thing Popeye did? He grabbed a can of spinach and slurped it down, with gusto I might add. My favorite was when he used his pipe to suck it up like a straw. All of a sudden his biceps would bulge, his chest would heave and he’s have the strength and energy of 100 sailors. Popeye was a buff stud that all us boys wanted to be. I’m not sure that watching Popeye eat canned spinach helped me to overcome my fear of all things green at that age, but it did get me to try it every time my Mom made her spinach concoction (more on that later).
But why is Spinach so good for you? Can it really make you super-strong like Popeye?
Yes!
It’s a super food, of course it can.
7 Reasons To Eat Spinach Every Day
1) Spinach contains vitamin A , and vitamin A strengthens your immune system. Vitamin A is an important part of maintaining the right level of lymphocytes in your body which fight infection and disease. It is also vital in bone health, reproductive health, and maintaining the strength of your mucous membranes to fight off viruses and bacteria.
2) Spinach is nutrient dense, but low in calories. 1 cup of Spinach only contain 7 calories and 1g of carbs.
3) One portion of spinch is packed with fiber, and vitamins A & K. It is also loaded with magnesium, protein, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, potassium and selenium.
4) Spinach has a huge amount of neoxanthin, a carotenoid found in plant leaves that when we eat it helps to fight inflammation throughout your body.
5) The lipoic acid in spinach helps to regulate your blood sugar, preventing fatigue and sugar cravings throughout the day.
6) Spinach contains large volumes of iron which is essential for the building of red blood cells to keep your body oxygenated.
7) Eating spinach helps improve your vision because of the phytochemicals such as lutein that it contains. Lutein has been found to prevent macular degeneration. And the beta carotene found in spinach helps prevent cataracts.
You can see why spinach is a super food. It’s crazy how so much good stuff is packed into those little green leaves.
Spinach is a great addition to salad greens, scrambled into your eggs, blended into your protein smoothie, or stirred into your curry. 1 cup a day and you are set for super food greatness.
But what about my Mom’s spinach concoction? It was interesting to say the least, but in retrospect, quite good and goof for me. She steamed spinach then blended it with eggs, flour, nutmeg, and a little water to make a thick soup like sauce. It was then served over peeled, boiled potatoes. It was pretty good, not paleo or primal, but could easily be made to be. I’ll try working on it and see what I can come up with.