Healthy Village

Can you name the most nutritious vegetables that begin with the letter "C"? Do you know why they should be part of your nutritious eating plan to lose pounds for life?

Check out these delicious "C" vegetables and make them a regular part of your vegan lifestyle.

Here are links to the first two parts of our series on the most nutritious "A" blog.lose-weight-for-life.com/blog/healthy-village/0/0/most-nutritious-vegetables-that-begin-with-a and "B" vegetables, blog.lose-weight-for-life.com/blog/healthy-village/0/0/most-nutritious-vegetables-that-begin-with-b.

Collards

Collards, also called collard greens, are among the most nutritious vegetables. They have received an undeserved bad reputation because of the traditional way of cooking them in bacon grease. Obviously if you are on the quest to lose weight for life, you don't have bacon grease or any animal fats in your house.

Collards are grouped with the most nutritious foods because they contain high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber.

To cook them, sautee in a little olive oil and garlic. You won't miss the bacon grease!

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables. It lacks the green chlorophyll found in other members of the cruciferous family of vegetables like broccoli and kale because the leaves of the plant shield the florets from the sun as they grow.

Like the other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower contains a phytochemical, called indoles, which may stimulate enzymes that block cancer growth. Cauliflower also has a unique combination of vitamins like A, B complex, and C that make it a detox agent for the blood and liver.  So purify your body, supercharge your immune system, and lose weight with cauliflower.

Carrots

We've all heard that carrots are beneficial for eyesight. The same form of Vitamin A and beta-carotene is also a powerful anti-oxidant that fights cancer. Carrots have lots of fiber.

Carrots also contain another anti-oxident called alpha-carotene. One study concluded that men who consume high amounts of alpha carotene have a lower incidence lung cancer.

Raw carrots are a portable, healthy snack. But cooking carrots actually increases the nutritional benefits by making the beta-carotene easier for our bodies to assimilate. Try lightly steaming the carrots with a little orange juice and brown sugar for a healthy treat.

Becoming healthy and losing weight permanently is all about exploring the most nutritious foods. A good place to start is to make these "C" vegetables a regular part of your nutritious eating plan.