By Phillip Tomlinson
Personal Trainer in New York City

“It’s not easy being green, having to spend each day the color of the leaves.”

No, siree, Kermit the frog was hardly thrilled about being green.  But, after all, if only he knew about the star-power leaves held at the local green grocer, he might have realized that’s no way to talk about being green.

How about you? 

If the power of leaves – vegetables in particular — have escaped you, it’s time to commit to aligning yourself with these powerhouses that are better than any man-made substitutes.

In fact, many experts believe greens are the number one foods we can eat to boost our health.  The darker green the selection, the more fiber and nutrients. 

Dark, leafy vegetables are seen as powerhouses.  Their high antioxidant content also make them potent anti-aging fighters, especially in your quest to secure that high-performance hard body.

That’s because they are your defensive shields against free radicals, those nasty little marauders that invade your body during times of stress, like an intense session at the gym.

Kale, for example, assigned top billing by experts, and believed to improve blood flow as well as eye function, contains numerous phytonutrients and is an excellent source of the minerals manganese, iron and copper, as well as vitamins A, C and K.

And if eating your veggies still isn’t appealing, go ahead and drink them by combining a handful of leafy greens in a juicer along with some carrots and a few cubes of beets – shown to be a great pre- and post-workout supplement.