Genius Food #7

Dark Leafy Greens

Vegetables are your brain’s best friend. There are no ifs,
ands, or buts about it, especially when we’re talking about
the nonstarchy varieties including spinach and romaine
lettuce, and the cruciferous veggies cabbage, kale, mustard
greens, arugula, and bok choy. These dark leafy greens are
low in sugar and packed with vitamins, minerals, and other
phytonutrients that the brain desperately needs to function
properly.
One of the nutrients that dark leafy greens are full of is
the vitamin folate. In fact, the word folate comes from the
Latin word for “foliage,” making it pretty easy to remember
how to get more of it: eat leaves! Known mostly for its
ability to prevent neural tube birth defects, folate is an
essential ingredient in your body’s methylation cycle. This
cycle occurs on a constant basis throughout the body and is
critical for both detoxification and getting your genes to do
their proper jobs.
Another important nutrient found in greens is
magnesium. Magnesium is known as a “macromineral,”
because we need to get a relatively large amount of it from
our food for optimal health and performance (other
macrominerals include sodium, potassium, and calcium).
Nearly three hundred enzymes rely on magnesium, making