Kale Crazy

Has everyone heard of this SUPERFOOD called kale?

The first time I heard it was about a year ago, watching a sitcom with CJ. And then we kept joking about it. We’re meat eaters, see. Carnivores. I like the occasional salad, and the repolyo in my mom’s nilagang baka, and even the talong in pakbet, but that’s it pansit. So CJ and I try grossing each other out sometimes and just say “Kale!” to each other.

Kale is a cabbage. A wild leafy cabbage. Although these days, with farms hopping on to the healthy living bandwagon, kale is now grown and sold commercially. In Filipino, it is called Kina.

People (well, health conscious people) are going crazy over kale apparently because it is the KING of superfoods. Reading about it already makes me feel like I’m being healthy. According to some articles I’ve read, these are the vitamins and minerlas you can get from eating about 80g of kale:

• Vitamin A:206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene).
• Vitamin K:684% of the RDA.
• Vitamin C:134% of the RDA.
• Vitamin B6:9% of the RDA.
• Manganese:26% of the RDA.
• Calcium:9% of the RDA.
• Copper:10% of the RDA.
• Potassium:9% of the RDA.
• Magnesium:6% of the RDA.
• Then it contains 3% or more of the RDA for Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Iron and Phosphorus.

Wow diba??

It also has high levels of anti-oxidants, which I read as NATURAL ANTI-AGING REMEDY. Yes, eto ang totoong pampabata.

For those who are concerned about their hearts, just steam your kale or juice it to increase its heart disease fighting capacity. It will dramatically lower (bad) cholesterol and increase (good) cholesterol. This is possibly a good alternative to those maintenance pills that my dad takes, so I shall supply him with kale for sure.

It can even prevent osteoporosis because it has tons of Vitamin K!

Some say that it can even help battle and prevent certain types of cancers, but this is still under study by medical experts.

For your eyes, it has high levels of beta-carotene, the anti-oxidant that turns into Vitamin A inside your body! It also contains nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoid antioxidants, that help prevent the formation of cataracts and failing eyesight caused by aging.

Low calories… filling… and therefore can help me lose weight. Champion!

There are different varieties of kale that you can find. Try to get some that are organically farmed. Different types of kale taste slightly different too. So you should try all of it.

Photo: www.melissas.com

Lacinato Kale

www.planbuycook.com.au

Green Curly Kale

montecitourbanfarms.com

 Red Russian Kale

In most farmers’ markets you can find kale and if you’re lucky several different varieties. Others go all the way up to Baguio to get bundles of superpowers.

If you’re buying in the grocery stores like Rustan’s and some high end markets, it will probably cost you about Php 80/100g. Some of my couple friends get about 200g to 300g which would last them a whole week if they just eat it between the 2 of them. Madaming dahon na ang 200g believe me. But for families, it might be wiser to get more, especially if you plan to juice and to cook it with your other food. The cheapest retail I have found is in Legaspi Market, which is at Php 60/100g, but all they have are the regular green kale. I have a source for Php50/100g and delivers for free in Salcedo Village in Makati and they have Lacinato, Red Russion, Green Curly and Regular Curly all freshly picked from Baguio!

Just for a little bit of dahon, there can be so much benefits! Let’s be healthy mga titas (and titos)!