Learning Center > Green Power - Healing Green Foods

Green foods heal! Green plants contain essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids that our bodies require to function.

Just a few of the many ways that green foods can heal our bodies:

• Correct digestion and digestive difficulties; rich in enzymes for optimal digestion and absorption; rich in fiber for regular bowel movements, intestinal health and lower cholesterol
• Remove chemicals from the body
• Reduce yeasts; prevent infections
• Weight loss
• Acidic conditions - restore the acid-alkaline balance in the body
  Inflammation and repair functions; Wound and tissue healing
  Correct hormonal imbalances; assist with PMS, menopause, and hormonal difficulties
• Strengthen and repairs bones
• Correct electrolyte imbalances
• Enhance immunity and energy: reduce fatigue, fight infections and chronic illnesses
• Skin conditions: help clear skin and create healthy glow

Green Power and Solar Power
Green foods contain the power of the sun, literally. All green plants absorb energy from the sun, and store it as Chlorophyll, the green pigment created in plants during the process photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is “liquid sunlight”; humans and animals consume this solar power when eating plants, and our bodies utilize the energy to function. Chlorophyll also happens to be nearly identical to hemoglobin, the red pigment in human blood. The red blood pigment is composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms grouped around a single atom of iron. Chlorphyll is made up with the same atoms, except that in the center is a single atom of magnesium.

Popular Greens
There are many different types of grasses, vegetables, sea vegetables and phytonutrients that are highly regarded for their healing properties:

• Wheat Grass /Kamut: Highly alkaline. Can decrease cholesterol levels, lead to weight loss and add protein to the diet. Wheatgrass contains
  20 percent protein, (Meat has %17 and eggs have %12). Protein in grass is in the form of poly peptides, shorter and simpler chains of amino acids which are deposited more efficiently into the bloodstream and blood tissues. Protein is essential to build and repair tissues, and is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartlidge, skin, and blood.
• Alfalfa Sprouts: Also helps to lower cholesterol, shift weight, and is also a source of protein and folate
• Barley Grass: Barley Grass is one of the richest food sources on earth, containing ultra high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, chlorophyll and vegetable protein for optimal health.
• Broccoli: Strong anti-cancer ingredient. Also helps to cleanse and strengthen the blood, boost the immune system and improve digestion. Broccoli helps to lower cholesterol and adds vitamins c, a, b6 and b2, and the minerals folate, iron, potassium and magnesium! One of the most alkaline vegetables known to man, and even more potent in a concentrated powder form.
• Dandelion Greens: Excellent at warding off cancer, strengthens the immune system and also helps with weight loss and cholesterol levels. Great source of iron and calcium.
• Kale: Also anti-cancer, strengthens blood, strengthens immunity, lowers cholesterol, contributes to weight loss and contains Vitamin C, A, Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium.
• Sea Vegetables: Nori, dulce, and kelp are three of the most readily available sea vegetables. vegetables are one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Seaweed–compared to land vegetables–is one of the best vegetable sources of calcium, which is fantastic for muscle and bone development, strength and growth. Kelp strengthens the blood and immune systems while lowering cholesterol! Importantly, also assists in breakdown of protein and regeneration of blood cells. Also a source of folate, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Iodine.
• Spirulina: contains the widest variety of beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other phyto chemical compounds including essential fatty acids, trace minerals, chlorophyll, nucleic acids, and phyco-cyan.

Getting Your Daily Greens: Blending, Juicing, Supplements
Getting greens into our daily diets is now easier and better-tasting than ever. Thanks to the modern marvels of juicers, blenders and dehydrators, we can both eat and drink greens at our convenience.

There are four basic ways to include greens in our diets:
-Eating Greens
-Blending
-Juicing
-Green Supplements

Eating Greens: Eating raw (living, uncooked, unprocessed) organic fruits and vegetables is important to our health. Cooking vegetables and greens reduces the nutritional value, though it is still a great way to consume fiber. However, with the state of our mineral-deficient soil these days, most vegetables are lacking in minerals. We would have to eat bushels of greens to really reap the benefits, and most of us do not have time (or taste) for that.

Juicing: Juicing extracts the nutrients from the fibers of the food. Many times the nutrients in the fibers are flushed through the digestive tract without being absorbed. Juicing does not include drinking bottled juices from the store – these juices are dead – all of the living nutrients have been damaged during processing. Using a good juicer to create fresh, living juice is better.

Blending: Blending is the BEST way to get greens in our diets. Blending allows us to eat the whole food – fiber and all. When using the correct type of blender (VERY important) the cell walls of the plant material are broken down, and the nutrients become more accessible for easy digestion and assimilation. This takes the digestive burden off the body, and allows it to redirect that energy toward healing. Blending five or six portions of fresh fruit and vegetables is a delicious way to consume more green foods than would be possible by just making salads or eating vegetables individually. Many also feel that blending is the most convenient way to incorporate greens into the diet; everything is added to the blender and then consumed, with minimal waste and less clean-up afterwards, which makes it more realistic to do it daily, for life.

Green Supplements: Green supplements are powders made by dehydrating green vegetables, then pulverizing them into a fine powder. These powders can be added to water, juice, or blended drinks. Since many of us don’t get enough living, fresh green foods, taking a green powder supplement is a wonderful addition to most diets. Some powders are made from one type of green (like wheat grass powder) while others contain multiple ingredients (multi-green powders.) Green powders also give us access to many high-energy ingredients that may be difficult to find fresh or locally, like kelp and spirulina.