In honor of St. Patty’s Day on Monday, March 17th, EAT SOMETHING GREEN!!!

And no, I am not talking about the “green” in a McDonald’s Shamrock shake. I am talking about NATURALLY green foods…such as kiwi, spinach, green peppers, kale, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, green apples, lime, honeydew, pears, olives, asparagus, brussel sprouts, leafy greens.

Why? I’ll tell you.

Phytochemicals (chemical compounds naturally found in plants) and vitamins such as lutein, indoles, and folic acid can be found in deep colored fruits and vegetables. Luteins and indoles are phytochemicals that may be important for eye health and may reduce the risk of some cancers. Folic acid is a vitamin that helps decrease the risk of women having a child with brain or spinal cord defects.

How to get more GREEN into your day:

-lime water: wash and slice a lime and squeeze the juice into your water for some added flavor. You can even drop the slices right into the water and let it sit overnight! [You can do this with cucumber and mint too.]

-kale chips: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/

-green smoothie: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-green-drink

-ants on a log: celery and peanut butter with raisins or almonds on top for a mid-afternoon snack

-veggies and hummus: slice up some green peppers, cucumbers and other veggies and eat with your favorite hummus [If you haven’t tried hummus, you should! Comes in a variety of kinds: roasted red pepper, spinach and artichoke, garlic, etc. Can be found in the produce section.]

-steamed veggies: if you don’t like raw broccoli, try it steamed! Add some seasoning  for an extra kick.

-apple slices and yogurt: another tasty snack!

Happy St. Patty’s Day!