#plantPOWER Day 5: Green!

How’s it going, plant lovers? Today is day five of the #plantPOWER challenge and today’s theme is green! 

Greens are so important for us. Dark leafy greens (kale (!!!), spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, etc.) are the best foods for us to eat because they are nutrient dense, meaning they contain a ton of vitamins and minerals, and are great sources of the macronutrients we know as protein and carbohydrates.

Fun fact: Calorie for calorie, broccoli has more  protein than steak. Per 100 calorie serving, broccoli offers 11 grams of protein while steak has 5.4 grams of protein. Yes, you have to eat a larger serving of broccoli (about 3 cups) to get to that 11 grams of protein but that’s the point! the more you eat, the more bang you get for your buck, i.e. more calcium, vitamins C and K, folate, and fiber. 

Workout

Since I kicked my booty yesterday with a #ZWOW, I honored my bod pod and took it easy this morning. Before work, I completed a bunch of Tara Stiles‘ yoga videos. Her YouTube channel and videos for LivestrongWoman are fantastic. I made my own makeshift playlist and hit the yoga mat for an hour. It felt amazing to stretch and tone my body, and it also cleared my mind for a productive shift at the clinic.

Lunch

When I arrived home from work, I got busy in the kitchen and made a green-alicious lunch. A smoky tofu scramble was calling my name, so I listened.

In honor of our green day (no, not the band), I added broccoli and an extra, large handful of spinach to the skillet. My final sweet potato from Monday’s grocery shop was getting a little soft, so I sliced it into wedges and popped it into the oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. Talk about a #plantPOWER meal, huh?

A few of you have asked which kind of tofu I use. I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s organic sprouted tofu. It’s only $1.99 and, unlike most non-organic soy, is free of GMOs. To read my abridged views on soy, click here.

See the Green

While green vegetables are super important, so is the green around us! The trees that root below our feet and extend above our heads, the grass that is a cushion beneath us, the flowers that make us crack a smile – it all has green, and there is so much beauty in that! Before work this morning, I stopped and stared at the greenery that surrounded me and I couldn’t help but be thankful. The sun was inching its way through the trees and the daisies surrounding the mailbox were begging to be appreciated.

Without nature, we wouldn’t be able to fuel our bodies with green plants in the first place. Take a moment to #jadorelavie … to appreciate the moments you have been blessed with to simply look at nature and observe its beauty working for you every day. There are no chance encounters, and every encounter that we have with nature is nothing short of a miracle. It is a privilege and a true reminder that we’re here to spread the word of love. Especialy #plantPOWER love.

Make sure you check out my girl Kasey’s green post, featuring a kale pesto (!!!) recipe from Felicia. It’s a must-make!

Stay lovely,
Heather