Green for go! The vibrant colour of nature, freshness, growth and harmony…

It’s no secret that nature is our most accessible source of calm in this fast-paced society… so what is the significance of the colour synonymous with nature and how can we get more of it?

Shakespeare associated the colour green with pure joy in some of his writings; today we associate the colour and meaning of the word green to that of environmental awareness and active care.

Interestingly, however, more and more research is being conducted on the strong therapeutic value of green on mental health, as well as its well-known nutritional worth. A study conducted in 2013 and published by The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences found colour, particularly the colour green, to have a significant positive impact on memory encoding, storage and retrieval.  In a large literature review taken from electronic databases, peer-reviewed journals and grey literature by members of Deakin University, there was an overwhelming amount of information that supported exposure to nature, specifically to the colour of nature, having a profound therapeutic effect on mental health conditions including anxiety and depression.

So how can we get more of this fabulous colour in our life?

Going back to nature, Mother Earth, Gaia- whichever way we wish to call it – is key. This includes what we choose to fuel our bodies with each day.

Getting a healthy dose of greenery in our diets each day has a profound impact on how ‘oiled’ our body the ‘well-oiled machine’ is… Green leafy vegetables and nutrient-dense green fruits boast a plethora of benefits to our system.

As stated by Margaret Nearing of Readers Digest Best Health:

“As well as playing a key role in helping blood to clot, vitamin K is critical in preventing certain age-related conditions. Researchers in California found inadequate K can lead to cardiovascular disease, bone fragility, and arterial and kidney calcification. A one-cup (250-mL) raw serving of any of the leafy greens here has at least your daily requirement of K, with kale providing more than six times your needs, dandelion greens five times and Swiss chard about three and a half times”.

It’s as simple as incorporating a healthy juice regime each morning and ensuring we pause in nature as often as possible. Remember our bodies are glorious vessels of energy and require daily TLC.

Below is a recipe you can try, Zingy Tangy green juice for added get-up-and-go.

Zingy Tangy Green juice recipe:

Handful of greens 🍃– spinach, kale, rocket etc (or of your own choosing).

Juice of a lemon  

1/2 green apple 🍏 chopped

Juice of a thumb size knob of ginger, grated and squeezed. 

Hand size cucumber, chopped.

1 cup coconut water 🌴 💦

Handful of ice

Blend all ingredients and enjoy.