Green Superfoods

Published : June 07, 2015

Need Super Powers: Use Super Foods

Naturopath, Sarah Nielsen, explains more…

Proper nutrition is essential to maintain our nutritional artillery.

Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician, said ‘let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food’.

Our most important source of nutrition comes from our diet. The trend of medicine today is returning the focus to food and food’s powerful healing qualities - not only to prevent disease but also in treatment.

Green Super-foods (GSF)

Spirulina, wheat grass, barley grass and chlorella are so aptly named as green super-foods because of their superior nutritional concentration, and are considered as ‘complete’ foods.

Laboratory manufactured synthetic substitutes, substantially lack the synergistic blend of nutrients within the green super-foods that can only be found only in nature. This can make the GSF a far superior nutritional choice.

The history of these super-foods dates back thousands of years, being consumed by Aztec, Asian and African populations. The tribal women of Chad, Africa, have been collecting spirulina (blue green algae) from surrounding lakes as a mainstay in their diet for generations.

The GSF are bursting with vitamins and minerals, and most of the 102 minerals found in our soil are retained within these green foods. They are rich in phyto-nutrients, powerful antioxidants, enzymes, protein, beto-carotene, vitamins A, B12 and B-complex, C, E and K, and also essential fats and iron.

An important protein contained in the greens is Chlorophyll, which may help in deodorising the body, cleansing the blood and transporting oxygen.

Weight loss

Foods that are highly processed, also known as ‘convenience foods’, are termed commonly as ‘empty calories’. They lack in proper nutrition, which results in constant craving for food and thus over-eating, leading to weight gain.

When feeling tired our natural impulse is to eat. Most times we favour poor quality sources of energy, like sugar or caffeine, to obtain an immediate surge of energy that quickly fades, needing to repeat this cycle.

This highlights the importance of eating a well-balanced, high quality diet and including high quality, nourishing foods to maintain optimal nutrition, energy and vitality.

The more highly nutritious our diet, the less food our body requires. Not only will you feel more satisfied but your motivation to exercise will improve simply because you have more energy, vitality, stamina and endurance. Try adding some GSF to your favourite fresh juice or smoothie.

Cellular ageing

Accelerated cellular ageing occurs when optimal nutrition is reduced. Without proper nutrition, tissue breaks down at a faster rate then it can repair and, more importantly, rebuild. Commonly we feel diminished vitality and well-being. This process, untreated, leads to more progressed conditions of disease.

The process of cellular ageing can be reversed with improved nutrition. However, poor dietary practices coupled with the demands of modern living, can rapidly diminish important stores of life sustaining nutrients.

Where most foods only contain a few enzymes, the green super-foods contain up to 30. Enzymes aid in all areas of biological and chemical reactions within the body including the digestion of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Two important enzymes (Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cytrochrome oxidase) found in GSF are known to slow cellular ageing.

Cellular health and ageing can be monitored as part of any preventative health regime. Ask your naturopath if they can perform this simple test.

Cleansing

Green super-foods can help to facilitate one of the most fundamental processes within the body, that of elimination. The human body is in continual change between an acidic and alkaline state. Acid is a natural consequence of cellular metabolism; however, problems arise when these acidic waste products accumulate.

A change of PH within the body inhibits the correct transfer of nutrition and oxygen to our cells, certain cellular enzymatic processes halt and new cells cannot be made. This is cellular ageing.

Bloating, wind, candida and constipation are symptoms made worse by over-acidity after food has fermented and putrefied. The small and large bowel must maintain the correct PH for optimal assimilation, absorption of nutrients and to maintain friendly bacteria.

In addition to the digestive system, symptoms of toxic acidity include dryness, joint pain and stiffness, excess mucous, irritability, poor sleep.

GSF may help neutralize the acidic waste in our body neutralizing toxins and stimulating the organs of elimination.

GSF coupled with the following activities can assist in optimising the detoxification processes.

Exercise
Deep breathing
Skin brushing

Most fruit and vegetables, especially dark greens, are alkalising whereas processed foods and sugars along with alcohol, tea and coffee, form acids.

How to get it

Green super-foods can be taken in a variety of ways. Ask your naturopath to advise you of the formula that would best suit you, and the best dosages and times to take.

Wheatgrass can be grown from seed or home delivered to be juiced or added to your favourite fresh juice or smoothie or a quick shot on its own.

GSF are also available as either tablet or powder, and some formulas are combined to include all of the greens.