'Greens' good for healthier bones and hair

Jul 10, 2017

Leafy vegetables like doodo have a high mineral concentration.

(Credit: Sauda Nabantanzi)

HEALTHY LIVING


Leafy vegetables. Many locals simply call them "greens".

Growing up, Madina Nalukwago, now in her 60s, says 'greens' were often eaten as a main sauce unlike today where people think of them as a mere side dish.

"Most people, especially the young, think it's a diet for the elderly and sick while others think they are some type of bitter grass, overlooking their medicinal values," she says.

The most common leafy vegetables on the local market are nakati, jobyo and doodo, as there are known locally.

Although many people tend to ignore them, these 'greens' have a high nutritional value that helps to improve the immune system in a number of ways, according to Joseph Waggwa, a nutritionist in Bunga, Kampala.

Doodo, most especially, has a high mineral concentration, including calcium which helps in boosting strength and development of bones in the human body.

Waggwa advises anyone with weight loss goals that leafy vegetables should be a regular feature on their plates. They contain an element that suppresses appetite, preventing one from snacking between meals.

Good for your hair

Meanwhile, Fridaus Ibrahim, a beautician in Kabalagala, says for healthy and good looking hair, you can squeeze the juice from the leaves and apply it to your hair after shampooing to strengthen your hair more and prevent hair loss.

Doodo contains a rare amino acid called lysine that the body cannot produce naturally. This increases the calcium intake that prevents hair from falling off, strengthening follicles plus avoiding male pattern baldness.

Preparation

Nalukwago says 'greens' need to be prepared in a proper way otherwise one can easily miss out on the nutritional values.

Before any preparation, you should thoroughly wash them in running water and not in a dish to avoid recontamination.

For jobyo and nakati, pluck off only the leafy part and place them in a banana leaf and steam it on top of food (matooke).

You can even cut the leafy part into small pieces, add a little oil then fry them.

To spice it up a bit, sprinkle a little salt when almost ready.

At most city markets, the price for greens ranges between sh500 and sh1,000 depending on the preferred qauntity.

 

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