Collards: One serving has more calcium than a glass of milk. Contain anti-cancer properties and are full of K, C, lutein, potassium and A.

Spinach: Iron, calcium and tons of other vits including B2, B6, protein and omega 3 fatty acids (who knew?). Omega 3’s have anti-inflammatory benefits.

Brocolli Rabe (Rapini): Loaded with Vitamin C plus K, A, iron and calcium

Dandelion greens: Lots of nutrients and antioxidants plus they’re great for digestion and fighting viruses.

Cabbage: Cancer-fighting, great for digestion and your heart.

Turnip greens: Full of calcium and high in A, K and C. Also contain lutein lots of antioxidants.

Chard: A and C plus iron and lutein, minerals and protein!

Other good veggies…

Carrots: packed with fiber, K and luein which is great for our eyes and can also decrease our risk of heart disease.

Radicchio: Filled with K and lutein plus C and potassium

Pumpkin: K, C, potassium!

Avocado—makes things creamy and is a good fat! It also contains K, C, B5, B6 and E plus potassium and folate.

Toss in some superfoods…

Superfoods make great additions to your juices and smoothies. Fruits and vegetables grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today. Modern industrial agriculture depletes the soil. Organic farmers are more likely to alternate fields, and don’t use soil harming pesticides and fertiizers.

That’s why many of us turn to superfoods—they’re calorie sparse and nutrient and antioxidant dense. Here are some superfoods to consider:

• Wheat grass
• Barley grass
• Wild blue-green algae
• Spirulina
• Chlorella
• Green leafy veggies (see above)
• Seaweed
• Maca
• Goji berries

Give it a kick with herbs and spices!

These are spices we like to add and some of their benefits. 

• Cayenne pepper: Stimulates the circulatory system, aids digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar
• Turmeric: General immune system booster and anticancer agent
• Ginger: Helps digestion and boosts immunity
• Cinnamon: Powerful antimicrobial agent (found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria) and also has anti-inflammatory compounds.

Experiment! And be sure to buy non-irradiated spices, since this irradiation may negate the health benefits of spices.

And one last thing… minimize sugar!

Of course, we love to add fruit to our smoothies and juices! And if we’re doing that, there should be no need for added sugar… fruit contains plenty. You can also include high sugar content veggies like carrots and beets for sweetness.

Sugar adds to inflammation which is bad for our skin and more (weight gain, cavities, of course). Avoid packaged and processed foods to help reduce your sugar intake and read labels!

Eating too much sugar increases the risk of dying with heart disease. It may also stimulate the liver to dump more harmful fats into the bloodstream.

Keep in mind… women should consume less than 100 calories of added sugar a day (6 teaspoons), men 150 (9teaspoons). Guess what? One 12 ounce can of soda contains 9 teaspoons of sugar!

If you can’t stomach these without sugar, use real raw sure or, better yet, raw honey.

Here are a few of the exotic fruits we got to play with on Hawai’i Island…

and the recipes you’ve been waiting for!