Boost your HRV with Salad Greens… RECIPE

green salad

We all know that one of the most important things you can do for your health is to eat more leafy greens. But did you know they could boost your heart rate variability (HRV)?

If you don’t know what heart rate variability (HRV) is, it’s important that you do.

HRV is your most comprehensive biomarker of health, longevity and performance. This measurement can be used to see how well your nervous system is adapting to stress… in short, your capacity to heal!

It can be easily measured on phone apps & is NOT EXPENSIVE.

Our HRV Adapt-ability Webinar is available online and is currently free (normally $65).

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed that leafy greens can improve HRV. Interestingly, researchers discovered that while a person’s intake of fruit, fish, and other healthy foods didn’t influence HRV, people who consumed lots of leafy greens – namely spinach (cooked or raw), kale, mustard greens, and lettuces – had healthier HRV scores.

Scan Pinterest to find new recipes you can incorporate into your meal-prep repertoire.

Which are the best leafy green vegetables?

‘Dark leafy greens’ are amongst the healthiest because a rich/deep green colour indicates a high level of antioxidants. While there isn’t necessarily just one type of green veggie that is best, some of the richest in nutrients include:

  1. Watercress
  2. Kale
  3. Swiss chard
  4. Microgreens (like broccoli, kale and cabbage sprouts)
  5. Spinach
  6. Mustard greens
  7. Dandelion greens
  8. Collard greens
  9. Turnip greens
  10. Beet greens
  11. Bok choy

The French green salad or ‘Provencal Mesclun’ (which just means ‘assorted salad leaves’, originating in Provence, France) includes lettuce, fine curled endive, rocket and chervil. The traditional recipe calls for one part rocket, two parts chervil, one part curly endive, and four parts lettuce. It is made up entirely of leaves, mild tasting or zesty.

We are so used to monotone salad greens with very little flavour. It’s so important to add some leaves with slight bitterness to stimulate digestion.  It also makes the salad more interesting when you add different textures. I love adding edible flowers as well; they look great and will add another element of nutritional value.  And don’t forget, most herbs are superfoods – packed with far more nutritional value that normal greens. We usually have parsley, dill, mint, thyme, rosemary and sage on hand.

It’s recommended that we consume around 3 cups of vegetables per day.

I tend to make a salad from whatever greens we have available in the garden at any given time.

Like many people, I struggle buying those little plastic containers with herbs in them, and the bags of  salad, alot of which end up rotting in your fridge.

When we were planning our veggie/herb garden, I set out to have an EASY to manage garden that would cover our basic herb and salad requirements. I’ve found it really is quite achievable to grow enough for your family, for a daily salad (and more), all year round.

We designed a raised horseshoe garden bed with seating that doubles as a courtyard and all-round beautiful place to hang out. it’s located directly off our kitchen (we replaced a window with a doorway for easy access), and every lunch I pop out to the garden to pick my salad. Some days I sit and ponder the various stages of growth and plan my next garden session; it’s a great thing to do for your mental health as well.

A garden doesn’t require a lot of space. A raised bed like a small pod, can easily generate enough salad.  It’s possible to find pods that also have a cover which keeps the possums and other pests out. I’m strangely lucky that possums don’t graze on our garden. They are around but don’t bother us – I think they travel to the nearby nature reserve on the other side of the road! We definitely get hit with bugs at certain times of the year, but not possums.

The advantage of growing the right salad and herb greens is, once they appear, you just pick what you need. Very little turnover of new plants is required, and you don’t have bunches of salad taking up room in your fridge, needing to be eaten straight away.

In Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate, the best herbs and salad greens to plant around your house are – rocket (arugula), sorrell, salad Burnet, cucumber, cress, beet leaves, perpetual spinach. Parsley and mint are so easy to grow…..they literally grow like weeds in Queensland.

Basic Apple & Cucumber Salad

An apple and cucumber salad is always a hit in summer, so refreshing!

  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/3 cup chopped apple
  • Small Cos lettuce
  • Handful of walnuts
  • 1 cup or a few handfuls of leafy greens like sorrell, cress, beet leaves, perpetual spinach, parsley and mint.
  • Edible flowers (optional)

In a medium size bowl, toss salad leaves through honey mustand dressing (see below), then arrange leaves on a serving platter.

Toss cucumber and apple in remaining dressing and add to top of salad leaves. Sprinkle with walnuts and edible flowers.

Healthy honey mustard dressing

An easy and healthy dressing is this honey and mustard dressing. It includes apple cider vinegar which has tons of health benefits.

  • 3 teaspoons (15mls) apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 40mls extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ garlic clove, or garlic chives

Mix apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard  and honey together in a jar, then whisk in olive oil.

Pour dressing over salad and lightly coat… Enjoy!

Basic Apple & Cucumber Salad

An apple and cucumber salad is always a hit in summer, so refreshing!

  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/3 cup chopped apple
  • Small Cos lettuce
  • Handful of walnuts
  • 1 cup or a few handfuls of leafy greens like sorrell, cress, beet leaves, perpetual spinach, parsley and mint.
  • Edible flowers (optional)

In a medium size bowl, toss salad leaves through honey mustand dressing (see below), then arrange leaves on a serving platter.

Toss cucumber and apple in remaining dressing and add to top of salad leaves. Sprinkle with walnuts and edible flowers.

Healthy honey mustard dressing

An easy and healthy dressing is this honey and mustard dressing. It includes apple cider vinegar which has tons of health benefits.

  • 3 teaspoons (15mls) apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 40mls extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ garlic clove, or garlic chives

Mix apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard  and honey together in a jar, then whisk in olive oil.

Pour dressing over salad and lightly coat… Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: All content is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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