strong to the finish

I was thinking today about how awesome spinach is. high in fiber, low in calories, no fat, and pretty tasty. there's a bit of sodium, but nothing really too bad. it's great in salads, omelettes, sandwiches, pastas, and a myriad of other dishes.

however, I really don't understand why Popeye ate canned spinach to get strong. I mean, something like a protein bar or power smoothie would probably go a lot farther to actually making one stronger than a can of spinach. maybe they were just trying advocate healthy eating in a "kids, eat your greens" kind of way, but it's misleading. I mean, here, you see this already really buff dude slam a can of spinach and suddenly his already massive forearms almost double in girdth, right before your eyes! and if some kid tries spinach at home? nothing. tasty. nutritious. satisfying. but no huge bulking forearms. no wonder spinach has gotten such a bad rep.

and why spinach? why not lettuce? or celery? or collard greens? I mean, really, what's up with that?