Green Beer Day is rapidly approaching and the excitement in good ol’ Ox continues to grow as the countdown continues to shrink. Time feels like it’s crawling and the Green Beer Day gods are playing some sick trick on the students of Miami University, but before the festivities begin, here are nine green foods you should really look into. Think of it as healthy training for March 17th’s marathon!
1. Spinach
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This first lovely green machine is low in fat and very low in cholesterol. It is also a source of key vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Translated, it is jam packed with good things for every square inch of your body! Another major key, studies have shown that spinach helps with brain function, memory and mental clarity, three things we could all use an extra dose of before March 17th!
2. Kale
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Just like our first superfood, kale is full of so many good things for you. It’s got some Vitamin C, so it’s great during the end of the cold & flu season and boosts your immunity. Bonus: it also boosts your metabolism, the magic word that means easier weight loss. Gotta make sure we look our best for all the green pics with our besties!
3. Avocado
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We all shamelessly splurge on avocado in our salads, sandwiches, and our beloved Chipotle orders and we are always looking for new ways to fit it into our diet, but not to worry: it really should be a shameless splurge! Avocado has more potassium than bananas, its full of the healthy fats we need (heart-healthy monounsaturated fats), and can make that salad worth it by helping your body absorb nutrients from plant based foods.
4. Broccoli
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Broccoli is the perfect detox food. Broccoli is the super food you should def eat before GBD, and probably after too. The vegetable helps with activation, neutralization and elimination of unwanted chemicals in the body. It really is good for you all around contrary to what 6-year-old you believed.
5. Celery
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Oh celery, one of the magical, negative calorie foods we love. Yes, celery is one of those amazing foods that requires burning more calories to digest it than the calories it costs to eat it. Think of it this way, you burn calories if you eat some celery. It also has a lot of amazing vitamins and minerals. Trust us, you want to pick some up the next time you’re at the market!
6. Cucumber
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Cucumbers are fantastic. First off, it is low in calories, has no fat, and no cholesterol and is packed with antioxidants. They are also great hangover cures. Yes. I will repeat myself, they are great hangover cures. If you eat a few slices of cucumbers before going to sleep, the sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes will help battle a hangover headache and will help you feel more refreshed in the morning ( depending on how your GBD is going to go, you may need some good ‘ol H20 also to fight that hangover). Leaving two slices on your eyelids for 10 minutes will also work wonders: relieving puffiness by hydrating skin and cooling down blood vessels. We have all seen The Princess Diaries and even though paleo says, “The cucumber does nothing,” he’s clearly mistaken.
7. Green Peppers
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In the long run, green peppers will reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, but for the short term, they are great for weight loss. Eating it makes you feel full without costing you much at all. Like all these other veggies, it is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and will help you look and feel your best before GBD!
So there are your seven options, tips, commandments if you will, to prepare for Green Beer Day! Detox your body with these foods to prepare it for Miami’s biggest day. Of course, it goes without saying we could use these power foods all the time, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here’s to another GBD soon to hit the books.
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