Spirulina: 60% Complete Vegetable Protein Green Superfood

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Superfoods are getting more and more popular these days, and it can start to get overwhelming to decide which ones you need and what is most important to add to the diet. Without a doubt, spirulina is a superfood that I would definitely recommend because it has so many nutritional benefits, it’s easily available and it’s not that expensive. What more could you ask!

Spirulina Superfood

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that grows in fresh water. It is cultivated, dried and sold either in powder, tablet, capsule or even ‘crunchy’ form. You can easily add the powder to your daily smoothie, but if you prefer you can simply take one tablet daily.

Dr. Morton Walker in his book The Chelation Way, explains the nutritional benefits of spirulina:

‘This fresh water algae has the highest conversion rate to sunlight – 8% – as compared to other plants (3 to 5 percent). Thus, spirulina brings you the most potent form of nutritional benefits derived from photosynthesis of the sun’s light. It is a complete vegetable protein and is the source of practically all the vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, trace elements, cell salts and chlorophyll your body needs for almost perfect nutrition.

Essential minerals in spirulina include iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium and others. It also contain B complex, especially B-12, so that spirulina could be an important food supplement for vegetarians. One tablespoon has one and a half more niacin than a half-cup serving of brown rice. This plant is so packed with power, in fact, that the authority says you could actually live on just two to three tablespoons a day. It is concentrated nutrition.’

According to the nutritional information supplied by Spirulina Planet, ‘Spirulina has 60% easy-to-digest complete vegetable protein without the fat and cholesterol of meat. Spirulina is also the richest source of natural beta carotene, ten times more concentrated than in carrots. It is also the richest source of B-12, richer than beef liver!’

Spirulina is known to be an excellent source of iron. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also a very good source of chlorophyll, known to be a natural cleanser for the blood and a natural detoxifier.

If you are already making a daily fruit or green smoothie, it’s very easy to add 1-5 grams (1 Tbsp. is ok) to your smoothie. A simple recipe would be:

Green Smoothie with Spirulina

In a blender, blend:
2 cups water
1 handful fresh spinach
1 medium banana
3 fresh peaches or nectarines, cut into slices (no seeds)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. spirulina powder

Spirulina Crunch

One of my favorite ways to enjoy spirulina is in the ‘crunch’ form. You can find these at spirulinaplanet.com or online at different raw food websites. It is so delicious and the crunch doesn’t have any ‘pond scum’ taste.

My friend Anita Cheung at i-detox.com showed me how to make a great trail mix using the spirulina crunch. She mixes dried goji berries, raw pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs and spirulina crunch for a superfood snack extravaganza. My preference is to mix dried raisins, dried goji berries, raw pumpkin seeds and spirulina crunch. Yum! What a great snack to take on the road for the day or while traveling! Just a little bit fills you up too!

I also like to sprinkle some spirulina crunch to salads occasionally just for something different.

If you decide to use spirulina powder, you can add 1 Tbsp. to a sweet fruit smoothie and the taste is usually hidden. An example is 1 Tbsp. spirulina, 1 cup fresh pineapple, 1 banana, 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, 1 cup water, 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed blended in a blender.

You can even add spirulina to plants or home vegetable garden as a way to mineralize the soil and give more nutrients to the plant. Once a month, add 1 tsp. or 1 spirulina tablet to the soil near the base of the plant. Water the plant or garden normally.

Imagine all the good you are doing for your body just by adding this one superfood to your diet. Your body will thank you with more energy and power to get you through a healthy raw food day!

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Featured Superfood – Green Powder Blend Vitamineral Greens

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High-Quality Organic is a ‘must’ with Superfoods!

Did you know that low quality superfoods can legally use cheap ‘fillers’ and low quality ingredients? Especially when buying Superfoods, beware of low quality green food products. There is not currently a lot of regulation on these powders. Many superfood companies are taking advantage of that, offering high-priced products with lots of cheap fillers and very small amounts of pure ingredient. Watch for added fillers such as rice powder, bran, oats, apple pectin, barley malt, large amounts of lecithin or added sugar. This is an example of when 100% organic really does make a difference. Be sure your superfood is 100% certified organic!

Vitamineral Greens Powder Superfood

I recommend Health Force Nutritionals Vitamineral Green as an all-over high-mineral high-quality superfood to add to your Green Smoothies. The quality is superb – 100% TruGanic (beyond organic), 100% pure Super foods. Nothing added, No fillers, not Diluted. No synthetics. Just like we like it! You don’t have to be Raw or Vegan to experience the benefits of this product.

A green powder blend is a great addition to any diet because it helps you to build your mineral reserve, increases the variety of green you are getting on a daily basis, provides extra chlorophyll in the diet, adds a good source of vegan protein and helps to maintain a healthy alkaline pH.

Some people even claim to have a reduction in sugar cravings when adding high-mineral green powder blend to their diet. Read this testimonial:

‘I have used this product with great results. After one week using 1 tablespoon per day, I noticed a huge drop in cravings. I didn’t crave sweets or junk. I was just simply not hungry. This can probably be attributed to high mineral content within the product. I have read that constant food cravings are related to mineral deficiencies. Maybe its mind over matter. Either way it works.’

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Raw Food Breakfast: A healthy start = a healthy, harmonious day!

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Here’s a yummy raw food breakfast recipe I made recently:

Raw Food Breakfast Bliss!

Ingredients:

  • 1 chopped apple
  • 1 chopped pear
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped pineapple
  • 1 orange peeled and chopped

Directions:

  1. Put all fruit in a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle ground flax seed and ground hemp powder on top.
  3. Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice.
  4. Add soaked goji berries (can soak overnight or for 1 hour minimum). Drizzle the goji berry water onto the mixture as well.
  5. Top with 1 chopped strawberry.
  6. Give love and gratitude to your food during preparation.
  7. Sit and eat consciously.

Watch and experience as a beautiful, energized day unfolds!

Be creative with your breakfast and get out of the Western ideas of what breakfast foods are and aren’t. Un-teach your body away from the unhealthy, poorly food-combined standards of fried eggs, toast and bacon and learn a new way with a new high vibration of raw foods for your body’s inner harmony and joy.

Chopping your fruit and eating it with a spoon makes it feel like a meal and can be much more enjoyable than eating fruits from hand-to-mouth. Take the time to chop into small pieces so that it is easy to eat. Try different combinations and use different superfoods to bring variety into your diet.

Have several ideas for breakfast so you don’t get bored. Try a fruit salad, green smoothie, fruit smoothie or even a raw vegetable salad. Why not?

Variety in your diet will exercise your colon. Having different color vibrations in your food balances out the chakra energies inside. Many reasons not to have cooked, de-vitalized, low vibration white toast. What can your body do with that besides go back to sleep!

Affirmation: ‘I am putting effort and love into my breakfast giving my body the best possible start to every day.’

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Raw Food and Green Smoothie Classes in Seoul, Korea

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Jennifer Thompson in Seoul, Korea

Certified Iridologist, Healthy Living & Raw Food Coach Jennifer Thompson’s talks and workshops!

Detox and Raw Foods Explained
Saturday, April 16, 2011 – 5:30pm. Free Talk!
Have you wondered about the detox craze – what it is, do you need it, and how to do it? Are you ‘raw curious,’ wanting to know more about the raw food diet and how eating more raw foods might benefit you? Learn the basics and hear some amazing success stories on weight loss, natural healing and more!

Superfoods – What they are, how to eat them, do you need them?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 – 7:30pm. Free Talk!
Gain an understanding of the most popular Superfoods such as Acai powder, Goji Berries, Spirulina, Maca Powder, Cacao, Coconut Oil, Flax Seed, Hemp Seed, Green Powder, Kelp, Dulse and more!

What About (dot dot dot)….?
Friday, April 22, 2011 – 7:30pm and
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 – 10:00am. Free Talk!
Jennifer answers all the common questions and breaks down barriers, showing you how to make the best choices for your health with where you are in your life. Get answers to your concerns about…bread, coffee, white sugar, white rice, alcohol, meat, dairy, soy milk, tofu, sushi and more.

Truth in Food Labeling – Fast Ways to Read Labels and know what is in Your Food
Monday, April 25, 2011 – 7:30pm. Free Talk!
A few simple lessons will help you start to understand the tricks that manufacturers use to sell so-called healthy food. It’s time to know what is really in your food. You can make better choices. Jennifer will show you how.

How to be Healthy in Asia
Thursday, April 28, 2011 (day) and
Saturday, May 7, 2011 5:30pm. Free Talk!
Wherever you are in the world, staying healthy can be a challenge, but especially in Asia. When you are living in a foreign place, where do you begin? Jennifer has lived and traveled in SE Asia for 10 years and can teach you some simple techniques for travel, eating out, making better choices for your family & understanding foreign food labels. Prepare yourself now for a healthy path for the rest of your life!

Power of the Green Smoothies – Preparation and Information Class
Sunday April 17, 24 & 1 May 2011. 4:30pm – 6pm.

Jennifer explains the importance of dark, leafy greens in the diet, explains why it is the missing link to good health, then demonstrates recipes and combinations of various Green Smoothies so you have a complete toolbox of information to take home and start Going Green!
35,000 KRW per person.

Iridology Assessments
Private 1-hour consultations will be offered at the Mind Body Seoul Studio from 18 April, 2011 to 10 May, 2011 by Jennifer Thompson.

During an Iridology session, Jennifer makes personalized recommendations for improvement, taking into account your current diet and lifestyle and whatever other factors may be presently involved in your condition. After the reading, you will have a better understand of your body and health and feel empowered and motivated to begin making positive change.
100,000 KRW per consult.

Contact us to reserve your space or make an appointment!

For more information, you can also go to the Mind, Body, Seoul website.

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Raw Food Classes and Restaurants in Los Angeles

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Los Angeles, California is the place for sun, beauty, beach, stars and fun….but did you also know it’s a great place to find raw food classes and eateries? On my recent trip to LA, I was amazed at the interest and enthusiasm over raw cuisine.

Raw Food Class

Raw Food Vegan Chef Blythe Metz is all over the LA scene offering FREE classes at various Whole Foods Markets – check out the Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks locations for more details.

My friend and I joined the class one Saturday after yard-saling around LA, and we had so much fun! At the class, Blythe shows each recipe and then of course we get to taste the results 🙂

Our Raw Food Class featured:

Kale Salad and Kale Chips
Butternut Squash Soup (recipe below)
Raw Chili Chocolate Treats
Coconut Smoothie

Raw Cacao Treats

Eventually, we were ready for a proper meal. In the afternoon, we went to Juliano’s Raw Food restaurant in Santa Monica called Planet Raw. I recommend order several dishes and sharing – that way you get to enjoy even more! Planet Raw claims to be the only raw food vegan restaurant in Los Angeles which is also all organic. Maybe that explains the high prices 🙂 But it’s a treat and you’re worth it! My personal favorite was the Green Junkie Salad and the Mint Chocolate Shake for dessert – o.m.g. – it is so good!!!

There are plenty of other raw food eateries to explore in the LA area such as Leaf Organic, Mooi, Good Earth, Elf Cafe and Cru…and there seem to be more popping up all the time, and they need our business to stay in business…so let’s support the raw food vegan community – yeah!

Living Butternut Rosemary Soup Recipe

from Raw Food Class at WholeFoods in LA with Blythe Metz

2 young green coconuts – water and flesh
1 cup cubed fresh butternut squash
1 Tbsp. raw agave (or 4 dates)
½ inch fresh ginger
¼ tsp. whole cloves
dash sea salt (to taste)
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

Can also add fresh rosemary, chives or nutmeg. Blend all ingredients.

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Raw Food for De-Stressing – The Natural Way!

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Top 5 Raw Food Superfoods or Herbal Supplements for De-Stressing:

Raw Cacao - Food of the Gods

Raw Cacao – High in magnesium, anandamide and tryptophan, the raw cacao bean is know to enhance one’s mood and induce a feeling of well-being and happiness. You can use it in powder form to add to a smoothie or try the raw cacao beans on their own.

Maca Powder – Maca is a root that comes from South America and has a taste like chicory, similar to coffee. But unlike coffee, it doesn’t contain caffeine. It is known to regulate the hypothalamus gland’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Maca is also well known to be a potent aphrodisiac…and for that alone can relieve stress!

Yerba Mate – This Superfood is brewed as a tea and is known to produce clarity of mind and provide smooth and sustained energy. It is a great healthier alternative to coffee. Improvement in mood, especially in cases of depression, often follows drinking this tea.

Kava Kava – Kava is a native to the Pacific Islands and is known to be the best natural plant for relieving anxiety (with the exception of opium). It has natural relaxing qualities as well as mood-elevating and pain-relieving effects. I personally use Kava Kava for long-haul flights; it gives me a nice happy feeling and is a much healthier alternative to alcohol!

Dark, Leafy Greens – Edible greens such as kale, spinach, bok choy and watercress can also help reduce stress. The natural green color in these foods helps to balance the heart chakra. Remember that natural color vibrations have a healing effect on the body too! Greens are also high in Vitamin C which is a natural anti-oxidant. Did you have your Green Smoothie today?

I now offer one-on-one Raw Food Coaching for Raw Food Success. Contact me today!

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How to Make Green Smoothies: Recipe with Superfoods

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Yes, I know, me and my green smoothies! But I’ve added some great ingredients to my smoothies in recent months, so I have to share my latest recipes. First let me explain that a green smoothie is blended in a blender, not juiced through a juicer. So as long as you have a blended, you are good to go. Then all you need is about 5 minutes of preparation time and you’re ready to enjoy!

Just so you understand, the main ingredients of a green smoothies are dark leafy greens, fruit and water. Generally speaking people do not add any dairy, but that is entirely up to you! Keep reading for more details…

Why green smoothies you might ask? Well there has been a lot of research to show that when the fibers of the dark leafy greens are blended into very small pieces, the body is able to absorb more nutrition from them. Also green smoothies provide a fantastic source of fiber in general and are very easily digested by the body. Finally, they are fast, easy and fun and very easily added to a busy day. You can sip them on the go, take them to work, make them for friends and enjoy so much variety of live foods – what a great treat for your body! I also think they are great way to add nutritional supplements to your diet – you simply throw them in and blend (see recipe below).

Even if you change NOTHING else to your diet and simply add one green smoothie a day, you can FEEL better and your body can start to CLEANSE and HEAL.

Many experts agree that the main nutritional component lacking in the Standard American Diet (SAD) today are dark leafy greens. They are very high in minerals, full of fiber and chlorophyll, and a great source of protein as well. Where do you think the cow, giraffe, buffalo, ape, elephant and moose get their protein? From the power of greens!!!

So I share with you now my latest DaVinci of the green smoothie world:

Dark Leafy Greens Kale, boy choy, beet leaves, celery leaves, dandelion leaf, parsley, mint, pumpkin vines – whatever! Get creative. Try to add variety to your greens, so rotate what you buy every week, or even better, buy fresh every day! I would normally add about 3-4 large leaves of kale and 1/2 bunch of parsley, just as an average.

Fresh Sprouts This is my new secret ingredient that I absolutely LOVE! How many people know that sprouts are good for you, but just don’t like the taste and texture of them? Well now you can put them in your smoothie, blend, and presto – you don’t even know they are there! But what a great source of enzymes and life force energy!! If you are interested in making your own sprouts at home, see my previous entry for instructions. Usually I add about 1/2 cup. Sometimes more, just depends.

Fruit I prefer to use sweet fruits in my smoothies, but you can also use savory fruits such as cucumber, tomato, or zucchini. At the moment I am enjoying dragon fruit and banana. I generally will add 1 whole dragon fruit plus about 2-3 bananas. Again, get creative, and bring variety in. Passion fruit are GREAT in a smoothie!

Cold water About 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how thick you like your smoothies. If you don’t add water, you can eat the smoothie like a soup, many people do that. The cold water adds a nice overall temperature to the smoothie; if everything is at room temperature it can taste less refreshing to me. Ice makes the smoothie too cold and is not generally recommended for good digestion. Dairy products would be optional as a replacement here, but the smoothie is so good as is, why add mucous-forming dairy?

Hemp Protein This is a powdered supplement which I am really enjoying in my smoothies these days. Adds great fiber to the bowel and protein for the body. I use about 1 tbsp.

Ground flax seeds An incredible source of fiber and full of omegas. Best way to grind them is buy the flax seeds and then grind them in your coffee grinder or food processor. Once ground, they must be keep refrigerated; otherwise the oils opened up from the grinding will turn rancid. So make a batch and keep it in a jar in the fridge. About 1 tbsp.

Whole flax seeds I personally like the texture of them in the smoothie, but you will absorb a lot more nutrition from the ground seeds. To me the smoothies tastes more filling with some whole flax. About 1 tbsp.

Spirulina Powder I personally think spirulina powder tastes disgusting so I have always found it hard to fit into my diet, but the beauty of the green smoothies is that you can’t taste it!! The taste of the fruit generally overpowers the overall taste. Spirulina is a great source of minerals. About 1 tsp.

Probiotics I add my probiotics (or natural bacterial supplements) to my smoothie by opening up the capsule and dumping the powder right in. So easy!

Oils Usually I add coconut oil to my drink, but I also rotate between hemp oil and flax seed oil. These oils are all fantastic sources of essential fatty acids and also very good for proper bowel function. Despite what the media and mass marketed diet programs have told us, we DO need good fats in our diet! I usually add about 2-3 tbsp. Use variety and have fun!

 

I hope you see all the value added to your diet from just this basic, simple smoothie recipe!! The beauty of it is that you can try different combinations and even try different ingredients, like bee pollen, honey, agave or other super green powders. Whatever works for you!

Now available! My Green Smoothie DVD and Green Smoothie eBooks,including 200 recipes and a Quick Start Guide, so you can learn at home at your own pace. You can become the next Green Smoothie success story!

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