Dandelion Greens and Root

You may have thought that dandelions were put on this earth only to aggravate lawn-mowing neighbors and would-be gardeners. But did you know that dandelions have many nutritional benefits? These greens are quickly becoming a popular addition to healthy diets everywhere. Dandelion root has long been used in health-balancing teas and the giant, tangley leaves are a great addition to salads and green juice.

Dandelions are detoxifying for the liver and have a diuretic effect on the body. If you're making green juice with the intent to detox these leaves make a great addition. Dandelion leaves and roots both stimulate digestion. Providing healthy support to the gall bladder, adding dandelion to your diet means better digestion and better assimilation of nutrients . Just one cup of dandelion greens have 10% of your daily calcium intake and are high in iron and antioxidants as well, they can even help to regulate healthy blood sugar levels.

There are so many easy ways to incorporate dandelion into your diet:

- Try mixing dandelion greens into your next salad. With a slightly bitter flavor, dandelion salads can benefit quite a bit from the addition of sweeter, healthy fats like avocado or olive oil.

- Use dandelion root tea. We love the tea from Traditional Medicinals. Soothing to digestion and perfect for boosting your next juice cleanse.

- Add to green smoothies. Mix dandelion leaves right in with the kale next time you make green juice or smoothies. Just remember to include a little pear or apple to balance out the extra-green flavor.