During the Christmas period some of us might have fallen off the health wagon and therefore it is time for many of us now to resume a healthy and alkaline lifestyle!

A great starting point is the use of green drinks, which are highly nutritious and alkalising. This week our Alkaline Diet Expert and highly qualified nutritionist Gareth Edwards highlights the numerous health benefits of green drink!

The health benefits of green drinks
by Gareth Edwards

Whether you are looking to recover New Year detox plans that have gone astray or you are a seasoned alkaliser wanting to take things to the next level, drinking your greens is one of the most powerful, straightforward and sustainable ways to keep moving forward with your health goals. Drinking a mixture that looks a bit like pond water may not be the most obviously appealing way of looking after yourself, but the benefits are likely to help you overcome any reservations about the appearance, fairly rapidly! And guess what? It doesn’t taste that bad either!

Where do Green Drinks actually come from?

To understand why these increasingly ubiquitous Popeye powders have the potential to be energising, reduce pain, support weight loss, improve skin and digestive function we need to look at a bit of health food (and drink!) history.

In the 1950’s Ann Wigmore started something of a health revolution when she cured herself of colon cancer, largely using wheatgrass juice, green plant foods and sprouted seeds and beans. She had noticed that when cats became unwell, they would suck on grass, rather than dig in to another tin cat food! Wigmore started a health institute in Boston Massachusetts and a vital piece in a new health movement was formed.

Growing harvesting and juicing your own wheatgrass and other green vegetables and grasses is one of the most powerful health tonics on earth but …. It can be incredibly time consuming. Finding a twenty first century “scoop and go” version of these green healing regimes has rapidly become crucial for busy people who are serious about optimum health. Drying grasses, sprouted seeds and vegetables at low heats preserves many of their health giving properties in a portable form, with considerably more convenience.

Why Green?

Example

So why should grass or broccoli be better than say orange foods such as papaya or carrot? I am sure this is obvious to more experienced alkalisers, but the answer is of course sugar…. These green, nutrient dense, fibre rich “superfoods” do not contain fructose (the sugar found in fruit) or high levels of the starches that make root vegetables taste sweet.

In addition, what makes green vegetables and grasses green is the pigment and light harvesting molecule chlorophyll. Isolated (extracted) chlorophyll has been shown to improve digestive disorders and help reduce tumour growth in cancer patients. One of the remarkable factors about chlorophyll is its virtually identical chemical structure with that of haemoglobin (the oxygen carrying protein in blood). The only difference is that magnesium is the central atom of chlorophyll, compared with iron in haemoglobin (see diagram above).

What Are Green Drinks>

These convenient, powdered drinks are a combination of (depending on which brand you chose, we recommend Doc Broc from Dr Young) powdered grasses (wheatgrass, barley grass, kamut grass etc), vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale etc), low-sugar alkaline fruits (avocado, tomato, lemon etc) and sprouted grains (alfalfa, mung, radish etc).

These powders are prepared using extreme care and low heat dehydration (be sure to make sure your greens aren’t flash frozen) to retain the goodness and are a nutritional powerhouse.

pHion Balance have researched, tested and discovered that once scoop of green powder is the equivalent to 1lb of fresh raw vegetables. I’m sure you can imagine the effect you’d soon feel after using four scoops per day!

The Second Generation

So drinking a powdered grass and green vegetable powder mixed with water is likely to give you high levels of chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins and fibre wrapped up in a low sugar, stimulant free bundle.

American biochemist and dietary healing specialist Dr. Robert Young has however developed an advanced method of using these green powders to enhance health even further.

His research has found that adding drops of concentrated alkaline mineral salts to the water in which powdered greens were mixed gave the additional health benefit of helping us to further alkalise our body fluids and ultimately tissue. These pH boosting drops have now become extremely popular and are giving great benefits to thousands of people all over the world. His 2nd generation drops ‘PuripHy’ are scientifically much more advanced than any other on the market (see our video on pH drops here) and we thoroughly recommend these.

In addition to this Dr. Young has researched and hypothesised that by including sodium in the alkalising mineral mix, he would provide the molecular building block needed by the body to …….. turn chlorophyll into haemoglobin.

But what about the taste?

So there you have it, nutritious, genuinely healthy and potentially able to help you build healthy blood (your energy and health “currency”). What could be holding you back from drinking either litres of green juice or powdered greens with drops?

Most people who try greens (of any sort) for the first time, are pleasantly surprised to find that “actually it doesn’t taste too bad”. “Like cold tea” is what I’ve most commonly heard about powdered greens. The reality is that if you find them really unbearable, unfortunately you probably need them more than any body ….. Mycotoxic and other forms that love an acidic environment aren’t going to react too well to their nutritional grim reaper!

How and what

If you are struggling with the taste or experiencing de-tox type symptoms then build up your intake slowly. Make a very dilute mixture of powdered greens with a few drops and maybe start with one glass a day. Ultimately you want to aim for two to three litres (maybe more if you are big) of green powders or juices a day. Aim for about one scoop of powder per litre or follow manufacturer’s instructions. This should help “wash” any stored acids and those that we make in our bodies out. Put some nice pictures in your sight line at the toilet, so you don’t get bored!

Do remember to mix mineral drops containing sodium with the fluid as increased urination can reduce your mineral levels. Be sure that you are adding salt to your food too. Some people do experience headaches, colds or re-emergence of old symptoms as they start to “de-tox”. That shouldn’t be a cause for concern, but if you experience sustained discomfort, when you increase your intake of greens, you should consult a nutritionally qualified physician.

Which Green Drink:

There are now lots of green products available. Personally I use and recommend those that contain only grasses, vegetables, sprouts, low sugar fruits (avocado, tomato, etc.) and maybe minerals.

Our top three choices are:

1. Doc Broc: Dr Young’s 4th Generation Green Drink
2. MegaGreens: perfectlyhealthy’s green drink made from organic New Zealand grasses
3. Green Superfood: pHion Balance’s newly reformulated green drink

You can view all of our green drinks here.

Which pH Drops

I use and recommend Dr. Young’s puripHy or prime pH for alkalinity.

Here Is Your Action plan:

So if you are serious about your health and achieving your goals in 2010 you could do a lot worse than to start, increase or carry on drinking your greens.

Don’t forget that eating and drinking the “real” stuff has tremendous benefits, but if you’re rushing, travelling or just can’t face a plate of tomatoes, cumber and kale, then green powders with alkalising drops have a lot going for them.

You should aim for between 2-4 scoops of greens taken each time with one liter of good quality alkaline water.

General note: if you experience any adverse symptoms, you are advised to seek the guidance of a nutritionally informed physician.

About Ross Bridgeford

Ross is known as THE Alkaline Diet Expert...especially when it comes to implementation and making the alkaline diet REAL in your life. He has been living, learning, teaching, coaching and loving the alkaline lifestyle since 2004 and has written over 600 articles, alkaline recipes, videos and guides on how to live alkaline and stay alkaline for life. Ross loves life in Brisbane, Australia (although is a proud Englishman) and is healthily-obsessed with nutrition, fitness and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

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