Mediterranean Wonder Plant Right in My Own Garden!

  The gardens are planted with their spring seeds and are doing fine. The rains tonight should set things on their way to a new growth spurt. Early this morning, I was out doing a bit of weeding when I noticed how large the Swiss Chard has gotten.  This plant should have gone the wayside like the rest of the winter garden but it just keeps on producing.  I am beginning to wonder if there will ever be an end to these leafy greens!   The broccoli, mustard greens and now even the cabbages have either gone to seed or seen better days but the chard just seems to be getting better and better.  This got me to wondering about all of the fine attributes of the plant.  Is it as healthy as what the claims are about, say, kale?  You know that wonder food that has been around forever but just recently came into is own.  Can chard stand up to all of the hype about that plant?

  It seems that in its own right, Swiss Chard is a pretty miraculous plant to have in the garden and, better yet, on the table.  Besides all of the usual good points of most greens, chard packs a pretty powerful punch in one area.  It seems that eating about a half cup a day of the boiled (for just three minutes)  leaves and stems can do wonders in regulating your blood sugar.  Well, now!  That is exciting news since my own blood sugar takes a dive now and again.  I should really eat more of this stuff! Swiss Chard also lends a good bit of use to the body as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and a detoxification support.  It is also a wonderful source of calcium, vitamin K and magnesium..all which are needed for bone health.

  The only "bad" thing that I could find about the plant is the fact that it does indeed contain oxalates but, then again, so does spinach and we never think twice about munching on that!  Oxalates can cause problems in folks that have existing or untreated gallbladder or kidney disease so do not eat a ton of chard if you have either of these problems.  Still, in most folks at least, including Swiss Chard in the diet is a good thing.

  Now a bit about the name.  Swiss Chard, contrary to common belief, is not from Switzerland at all but rather comes from the Mediterranean Region.  Come to think about it, a lot of healthy foods come from that area.  Perhaps we should all take note!