Find out the amazing weight loss benefits of Swiss chard, how to best prepare it and how much you should eat to get the maximum benefit from Swiss chard, one of the amazing natural fat burning foods.

The vegetable known as chard has a flavor similar to that of beets or spinach. Along with collard greens, collard greens, and mustard greens, it’s a leafy green vegetable that’s commonly referred to simply as “greens.” It can be purchased throughout the year, but its peak harvest season begins in June and ends in August.

This leafy green vegetable has a wide, crisp stem that is white, red, or yellow in color. The leaves are dark green, very broad and spread out in the shape of a fan. You can eat both the stem and the leafy parts.

Fat Burning Benefits of Swiss Chard

It contains anthocyanins and fiber that give it special protection against cancer of the digestive system, especially colon cancer. There is recent scientific evidence that suggests that chard can protect the kidneys of diabetic patients, because the serum levels of urea and creatinine are reduced.

It is also very high in the following substances: vitamin A, C, E and K, dietary fiber, magnesium, manganese, iron and potassium.

This vegetable also contains reliable amounts of vitamins B-1, B-2, and B-6, as well as folic acid, biotin, niacin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, zinc, phosphorous, and copper, as well as protein.

The vitamin K content helps maintain healthy bones.

Beta-carotene is a cancer-fighting nutrient and is also an antioxidant. Beta-carotene belongs to the carotenoid family and may protect the body against skin and other cancers.

Vitamin A is helpful in reducing the negative effects that cigarette smoke has on the body, plus it helps protect the body against emphysema.

Magnesium is helpful in regulating the nerve and muscle tone of the body by regulating the effect of calcium in the body.

Vitamin C helps fight inflammation as an antioxidant that dissolves in water. It provides the energy needed to speed up your body’s metabolism in order to burn excess fat. Swiss chard contains vitamin C, which is helpful in preventing free radical damage to cells, as well as providing additional protection against colon cancer. Vitamin C is also very helpful in maintaining a healthy immune system, warding off colds, and helping to cure infections.

It also contains potassium, which is helpful in lowering blood levels as well as cholesterol levels.

The iron content of the vegetable is helpful in producing the body’s energy and also makes hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body.

This vegetable contains manganese, a trace element that is useful for producing energy from proteins and carbohydrates, as well as for synthesizing fatty acids. Additionally, manganese protects the body against free radical damage that occurs when energy is produced.

Correct way to prepare Swiss chard

Look for fresh Swiss chard in the produce section of your supermarket; this section is one of the refrigerated areas of the store. Find the most vibrant green leaf products, without yellowing or discolored leaves. Be sure to choose crisp stems and crisp leaves that contain no visible blemishes.

You can refrigerate unwashed Swiss chard leaves in a plastic bag for a few days. Blanched Swiss chard leaves can be frozen for future meals. Before cooking the Swiss chard, rinse it very carefully to remove all dirt and sand. Submerge the leaves and stems in a container filled with cold water, shake them, and then finish cleaning them by rinsing them under cold running water. Trim off the bottom ends of the vegetable. If the fibers are too abundant, you can remove them the same way you remove excess fibers from celery stalks.

Do not cook this vegetable in an aluminum pot, because the aluminum will cause your chard to lose its green color. It is best to quickly boil Swiss chard rather than steam it, as the rapid boiling method releases the oxalic acids found in the leaves and helps keep it from tasting as bitter.

Substitute Swiss chard in place of spinach when cooking vegetarian lasagna. Substitute cabbage when preparing stuffed vegetable dishes. You can use the sheets as a sandwich wrap, stuffing them with your favorite tuna, chicken, or turkey fillings. You can also add this cooked vegetable to a penne pasta dish, with the addition of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and minced garlic cloves. Try adding some steamed Swiss chard to a frittata or omelet.

The amount to eat

The recommended serving size of chard is the equivalent of one cup.