Discover the incredible weight loss benefits of swiss chard, how to best prepare it and how much you should eat to get maximum benefit from swiss chard – one of nature’s amazing fat burning foods.
The veggie known as swiss chard resembles beets or spinach in taste. Along with kale, collard and mustard greens, it is a leafy green vegetable that is commonly referred to simply as “greens”. You can purchase it throughout the year, but its peak harvest time starts in June and ends in August.
This leafy green veggie has a wide, crunchy stalk colored white, red or yellow. The leaves are a dark green color, very wide, and are spread out in the shape of a fan. You can eat the stalk as well as the leafy parts.
Fat Burning Benefits of Swiss Chard
It contains anthocyans and fiber that give special protection against cancer of the digestive tract, especially cancer of the colon. There is recent scientific evidence suggesting that Swiss chard may protect the kidneys of diabetic patients, because the serum urea and creatinine levels are reduced.
It is also very high in the following substances: Vitamin A, C, E and K, dietary fiber, magnesium, manganese, iron and potassium.
This vegetable additionally contains reliable amounts of Vitamins B-1, B-2 and B-6, plus folic acid, biotin, niacin, Pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and copper, as well as protein.
The vitamin K content helps to keep your bones healthy.
Beta carotene is a cancer-fighting nutrient that is also an antioxidant. Beta carotene belongs to the carotenoid family, and might be able to protect the body against skin cancer and various other kinds of cancer.
Vitamin A is helpful in the reduction of negative effects cigarette smoke has on the body, plus it helps to guard the body against emphysema.
Magnesium is helpful in regulating the body’s nerve and muscle tone by regulating the effect of calcium on the body.
Vitamin C helps fight inflammation as an antioxidant that dissolves in water. It provides the energy needed to raise the metabolism of your body in order to burn off excess fat. Swiss chard contains Vitamin C, which is helpful in the prevention of free radical damage to cells, plus it provides additional protection against cancer of the colon. Vitamin C is also very helpful in maintaining a healthy immune system, fending off colds and helping to cure infections.
It also contains potassium, which is helpful in lowering blood levels, as well as cholesterol levels.
The iron content of the vegetable is helpful in producing the body’s energy and also manufactures hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen everywhere in the body.
This vegetable contains manganese, a trace mineral that is helpful in producing energy that comes from proteins and carbohydrates, as well as synthesizing fatty acids. In addition, manganese protects the body against free radical damage that occurs when energy is produced.
Proper Way to Prepare Swiss Chard
Look for fresh Swiss chard in your supermarket’s fresh produce section; this section is one of the store’s refrigerated areas. Find the most vibrant green leafy produce, without yellowed or discolored leaves. Be certain that you pick out crisp stalks and crispy leaves that do not contain any visible spots.
You can refrigerate unwashed Swiss chard leaves in a plastic bag for a few days. Blanched Swiss chard leaves may be frozen for future meals. Before cooking the Swiss chard, rinse it off very carefully in order to remove all of the dirt and sand. Immerse the leaves and stalks in a container filled with cold water, swoosh them around, then finish cleaning by rinsing them in cold, running water. Trim off the bottom ends of the vegetable. If the fibers are too plentiful, you can peel them off in the same manner that you peel off excess fibers from celery stalks.
Do not cook this vegetable in an aluminum pot, because the aluminum will, cause your Swiss chard to lose its green color. It is better to quick boil your Swiss chard, as opposed to steaming it, since the quick boil method frees the oxalic acids found in the leaves, and helps it to not taste quite as bitter.
Substitute Swiss chard in lieu of spinach when you cook a vegetarian lasagna. Substitute it for cabbage when preparing stuffed veggie dishes. You can use the leaves as a sandwich wrap, stuffing them with your favorite tuna fish, chicken or turkey fillings. You can also add cooked this vegetable to a penne pasta dish, with the addition of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice and chopped garlic cloves. Try adding some steamed Swiss chard to a frittata or an omelet.
The Amount to Eat
The recommended portion size of Swiss chard is the equivalent of one cup.
