Do You Really Need To Rotate Your Greens?

Are you stuck using only one type of green in your green smoothie everyday?

I know I was for a really long time.

So it stands to reason that including greens in your smoothie is better for your health than not including them at all.

But what if we just eat the same green every day?

Can that end up being unhealthy for us?  

So is it really all that important to rotate our greens?

The short answer, is that yes, you should try your very best to rotate your greens.  I will explain a bit more about this below.

Rotating your greens is important for optimize your nutrition but that’s not the only reason you should mix it up when it comes to greens.

Do you really need to rotate your greens?

It’s important to eat different greens but you don’t have to change them everyday.

I often eat spinach for a few weeks and then switch to kale or beet greens for a few weeks and then rotate to lettuce or bok choy for a short time.

It makes my smoothies more interesting as well as providing more nutrients.

All greens are different in their nutrient content and some are higher than others.

They also contain anti-nutrients that should not be consumed in too high amounts over a long period of time.

Greens are not harmful but it’s a good idea to vary these compounds so your body doesn’t become overwhelmed.

So what are the concerns with eating too many leafy greens?

Some people with hypothyroidism are concerned about goitrogens which are found in Brassicas such as kale.

And what about the high levels of oxalic acid that are found in spinach?  Should this limit the amount of spinach we eat?

After doing a lot of research and experiments myself and listening to others stories, I have come to the conclusion that the more leafy greens you eat, the better it is for health in general.

I myself was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and saw this improve after increasing the amount of leafy greens in my diet.

I try to eat at least two heads (about 2 pounds or 1kg) of greens everyday so it’s important for me to rotate them so I get the best nutrition possible.

That might sound like a lot of greens to you, but let me tell you that this is the difference between success and failure on pretty much any diet.  If you increase the amount of leafy greens in your diet, you will notice your energy shooting up, your cravings will decrease and you’ll be drawn to eat healthier food which will of course lead to weight loss.

Keep reading and below I’ll show you how you can easily eat this amount of leafy greens without having to chew them, which let’s face it – could be a daunting task for most of us.

So how do you rotate your greens?

How to rotate your greens

Rotating should be done by plant family.  Here is a list of some of the more common greens. I use one of two a day for a few weeks then I switch.

Brassicaceae and Cruciferae family

• Kale
• Collards/spring greens
• Arugula/rocket
• Turnip greens
• Cabbage
• Bok choy/pak choy
• Radish greens
• Mustard greens
• Broccoli
• Watercress

Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae family

• Spinach
• Chard
• Beet greens
• Lambsquarters/ wild spinach

Asteraceae

• Dandelion
• Leaf lettuce
• Romaine

Apiaceae family

• Cilantro
• Parsely
• Fennel leaves
• Carrot tops

Do you need to rotate all your food?

Rotating veggies and fruit isn’t as important because the anti-nutrients are usually found in the seeds and pits which we tend to remove before consuming.

It is still important to get a variety of nutrients though so I recommend trying different fruits and superfoods in your diet on a regular basis.

How important is it to eat organic?

It depends on the green you are using.

Kale, spinach and lettuce are among the highest pesticide sprayed foods on the market.  So if at all possible, try and find these organic or grow your own. (Learn how here)

And even if you don’t have a garden, you can STILL grow leafy greens indoors.  Microgreens are some of the most nutritionally dense foods on the planet.  Just a small amount packs a good nutritional punch.  (Find out how to grow microgreens on autopilot here)

The best leafy greens to eat if you can’t afford to eat organic is cabbage, because it is one of the least sprayed foods AND it tends to be really cheap for the amount of food you get.

What if I can’t get many varieties of leafy greens?

I totally get it, because for a long time, I couldn’t source more than two types of organic greens in my diet.  So what I did was to consume a lot of the organic greens, but also eat some of the conventional leafy greens in addition to this. I wanted the variety and trusted the extra nutrients in my diet would detox out the chemicals.

How to make your own green powder

One thing I also do is to consume a variety of green powders daily.  What I do is I buy about 10 different varieties of green powders and combine them in a massive jar.  I then take 2 teaspoons of this daily as it is very concentrated.

I don’t add this to my smoothie as it doesn’t taste nice, but I do mix it in a glass with a small amount of water and drink it quickly in one go.

Here are the green powders I add to my mix:

• Barley Grass Juice Powder
• Blue Spirulina Powder (Blue Majik)
• Spirulina
• Matcha Powder
• Wheat-grass powder
• Organic Barley Grass
• Organic Chlorella
• Maca powder
• Organic Rhodiola Rosea
• Organic Reishi Mushroom Powder
• Moringa
• Kelp powder

Here’s a photo of my big jar of ‘green’ powder before I shook it up.  Pretty aint it?

And here is the final product!

I love how this green powder is tailored to my preferences when it comes to green powders, with no nasties like fillers or sweeteners that aren’t needed.  

This way you get more bang for your buck!

Click here to get your own massive 1 gallon (4.5 liter) glass jar!

Of course, the green powder should be a supplement to your fresh foods diet, not a substitute.  Because your body will FEEL the difference on LIVE, FRESH leafy greens.

How to eat a large amount of greens without chewing them?

I have 2 options for you:

1. Juice them: Easy and fast, but you don’t get the fiber so they aren’t very filling and they can be very expensive.
2. Green smoothies: This is my favorite option because it doesn’t waste any of the precious greens.  Plus if you follow the right recipe, they can actually taste just like dessert.  You’ll actually look forward to drinking these, and kids love them too!  Keep reading for my free recipe book…

FREE Green Smoothie recipe book

Get 9 of my most gorgeous green smoothies in this FREE recipe book.  These recipes are delicious, take 2 minutes to make, they are filling AND they will help you lose weight.

Click here to get your FREE copy of 9 gorgeous green smoothies.

Are you struggling to lose weight and keep it off?

Are you feeling run down and are struggling with ever increasing health problems?

Green Thickies new 7 Day Detox will help you drop a dress size, improve your skin, your energy will soar and you are going to be so in control and proud of yourself.

You won't go hungry on this diet ... And better yet - it actually requires minimal time in the kitchen.

Get results like this...

I’m so excited to continue another week with this plan! Thankful Stephanie

Use this special voucher to get $10 off: WEBSITE (Add discount code WEBSITE at the checkout)

Click here to get started

• Author
• Recent Posts

Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies

Founder at Green Thickies

Katherine lost 56 pounds and recovered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Green Thickies.
Read Katherine's inspiring comeback story, From Fat and Fatigued To Lean and Loving Life In 4 Months.
Send Katherine a message on Instagram, Facebook, or email here.

Latest posts by Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies (see all)

• How To Use Bananas For Sleep (Bedtime Banana Elixir Recipe) - January 14, 2022
• Why You Can’t Eat Your 5 A Day (And The EASY SOLUTION) - November 29, 2021
• 10 Second Banana Ice Cream Recipe (Using Only Bananas) - November 1, 2020