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 Go
for the Green… “Green Food” that is.
By Jordan Rubin & Garden of Life
In an ideal world we’d all be eating the recommended
5-6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables to maintain optimal
health. But this isn’t so. The Standard American Diet is woefully
lacking in dark, green leafy, raw and fermented vegetables and fruits.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than 9% of
American adults consume the recommended servings. To fill the gap,
it’s a good idea to go for the green, supplement that is.
“One of the keys to health and longevity is getting
the proper amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet,” says
board-certified gastroenterologist, Dr. Joseph Brasco, co-author of
“Restoring Your Digestive Health” book. http://www.transformyourhealth.com/books/coloncarebooks.htm
“Super green foods are a wonderful way for people who aren’t consuming
5 or 6 servings a day to get those nutrients. They are good for all
the reasons vegetables are good for you.” Green foods are brimming
with important nutrients the body needs.
Rich Source of Nutrients
Green foods include young cereal grasses such as
wheat, barley, oats and alfalfa. Interestingly, cereal grasses have
the look, smell, feel, taste, nutrient and chemical makeup of green
leafy vegetables. “Young cereal grasses are a rich source of
nutrients,” says Dr. Brasco. Indeed. Cereal grasses are a concentrated
food source of beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, iron and vitamin K and
are a good food source of protein, vitamin C, vitamin B-12, folic
acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), and other trace minerals. Cereal
grasses are often used in laboratories as a medium to support the
growth of lactobacilli, the “healthy flora” bacteria that inhabit the
digestive tract. (Note from Christine: Cereal grass juices are gluten
free, including wheat grass. The grasses are harvested and juiced
before the formation of grains, which then contain gluten).
The chlorophyll found in green foods is also very
important. “It’s a nutrient that seems to have detoxification value,”
says Dr. Brasco. “You’ll also find very high concentrations of
chlorophyll in green foods like spirulina, chlorella, kelp and other
blue-green algae.”
Keeping a pH Balance
The potassium and magnesium found in vegetables and
green foods are crucial to help maintain acid base balance in the
body, making it more alkaline. “It’s one of the biggest reasons to
supplement with green foods in addition to just a multivitamin,” says
Dr. Brasco. “Potassium and magnesium have incredible health benefits.
The alkaline state seems to be more of the ideal pH, where metabolic
processes are optimized to the fullest. Acid base balance goes a long
way in terms of everything from recovery from illness to bone health
to overall health. It’s through the alkalization of the blood and
urine that you prevent the leaching of calcium from the bones. Calcium
is great but if you really want to protect your bones, eat green
food.”
Pick Your Greens!
Perfect Food Super Green Formula powder can supplement your
servings of fruits and vegetables. This award-winning, #1 selling
green food* contains over 8 grams of greens per serving - more than
other leading green food formulas.
Perfect Food Super Green Formula powder contains 40 whole food
active ingredients and organic nutrient rich grass juices. Unlike many
other green food formulas that contain the weaker grass leaf powder,
Perfect Food contains concentrated cereal grass juice powder and over
30 vegetables, legumes and sprouts and soluble rice bran. Cereal
grasses and algae provide a natural source of alkalizing minerals to
help maintain the acid base balance in the body.
Each serving of
Perfect Food Super Green Formula powder provides 100% Daily
Value of Vitamin A (as beta-carotene), 83% vitamin C from natural
sources, and over 15% of calcium from natural sources. It also
contains spirulina that supports healthy immune function. What’s
equally important it what it doesn’t contain: herbs, white or orange
vegetables, grains, fiber and other 'non' greens as fillers. The
select ingredients in Perfect Food Super Green Formula are produced
through the
Garden of Life proprietary Poten-Zyme fermentation process
which makes nutrients more bio-available to the body. Probiotics that
result from fermentation also aid assimilation and digestion.
Easy to Use
Perfect Food is available in two easy-to-use forms:
the #1 selling Green Food in several sizes of
caplets or
powder. It’s great for those who want the benefits of juicing
but don’t have the time to juice fresh greens. You can mix Perfect
Food Powder in a blender with your favorite juice for a deliciously
healthy shake or smoothie. Or add it to your yogurt or soup. Get
creative! Also see Garden of Life’s
Perfect Food Berry and
Perfect Food Original Powder.
Just Do It
Need more motivation to go for the greens? “No other
type of food source provides the nutritional benefit of green foods,”
says Dr. Brasco. “It’s a convenient way for people, who otherwise
aren’t getting their fruits and vegetables, of getting nutrients that
are crucial for overall health.”
For more information about
Garden of Life, click here.
*According to SPINS Data 9.9.06
Seibold, Ronald L. Cereal Grass: What’s in it
for you! The importance of wheat grass, barley grass and other green
vegetables in the human diet. PINES International, Inc. 1990. (Page
11, Figure1.1)
Hamilton, E., Whitney, E., and Sizer, F. 1988. Nutrition: Concepts and
Controversies (4th Edition). West Publishing Co. St. Paul, Minn.
This information is intended for educational and
informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an
individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your
health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine
diagnosis or course of treatment. |
