Swiss Chard & Hippocrates

Finally got the computer back after getting rid of a pesky virus!!

So where were we...oh yea swiss chard...

Swiss chard is not native to Switzerland.  It's actual homeland lies further south in the Mediterranean region; in fact the Greek philosopher Aristotle, wrote about chard in the fourth century b.c.
This is not suprising given the fact that the ancient Greeks and later the Romans honored chard for its medicinal porperties.

Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile with a flavor that is bitter, pungent, and slightly salty.  Swiss chard has an impressive list of health promoting nutrients.

The amazing variety of phytonutrients in chard is quickly recognizable in its vibrant colors, including the rich dark greens in its leaves and the rainbow reds, purples and yellows in its stalks and veins.  Virtually all of these phytonutrients provide antioxidant benefits, anti-inflammatory benefits, or both.  Other benefits of the phytonutrients in chard are their ability to help our body's blood sugar regulatory system.   If that wasn't enough, with its very good supply of calcium, its excellent supply of magnesium and the vitamin K, chard provides stand out bone support.
After learning the above, it's a perfect time to quote Hippocrates:

"LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE, AND LET THY MEDICINE BE FOOD." 

We seemed to have lost this truth.  Let us remember, become aware and honor our bodies through eating good, nutritious food...