Saturday, April 24, 2010

Spring Cleansing







The following is a brief summary of the most popular super foods and their benefits. The focus is on the super foods that are high in protein and are highly recommended during and after cleansing.

Nutrient-dense super foods can have a profound therapeutic effect on health and are recommended during and after cleansing. One of the advantages of using super foods is that you can get the benefit of multiple servings of vegetables in a single serving. Christine Dreher recommends at least five servings of vegetables a day.

Super Green Foods: Algae
Algae are one of nature's most primitive foods--they're millions of years old. The most common types include spirulina, chlorella and blue green algae. Wheat grass and other cereal grasses are also included in this category. Christine Dreher prefers a powdered or capsule form because of the high-heat process used to make most (not all) tablets can oxidize some of the nutrients. Super Green Foods (including the algae types) can be cleansing to the body, so Christine Dreher suggests starting in moderation and building slowly to ensure that cleansing reactions do not occur.

Super Green Foods are high in antioxidants, carotenoids, selenium, zinc and some vitamin C. Because they are whole foods, they are much more easily absorbed by the body (more bio-available) than isolated vitamins or supplements. Their protein is 95% assimilable, gram for gram, with all the essential amino acids in balance. Super Green Foods have a higher biological value (a measure that determines how well nutrients, especially protein, are absorbed in the body) than any other source of vegetable protein. They also contain more than 2,000 enzymes and are also very good for help in to balance pH levels in the body.

.Spirulina and blue green algae can enhance the immune system by stimulating greater B-Cell production. (B-Cells are white blood cells in the bone marrow that are the parents of five classes of antibodies made in the body). Spirulina and blue green algae boost the overall function of the immune system, help increase the production of macrophages that eat pathogens in the body, and help increase the production of "NK" cells (natural killer cells) that kill bad cells in the body (cytoxins), especially cancer cells.

Spirulina is a Super Green Food that is grown in both ocean and alkaline waters. It is a complete protein that is highly digestible and works well with the pancreas. It is a recommended food for hypoglycemia and chronic fatigue.

.Blue green algae is a phyto-plankton with high amounts of digestible protein and enzymes. It is rich in vitamin B-12 and other B0Complex vitamins and has an abundance of beta carotene, fiber, chlorophyll and chelated minerals. It also has the highest amount of vitamin E of the algae family. It is a good source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that has been sown to have a beneficial effect in the treatment off cardiovascular disease and PMS. Blue green algae has a positive effect on the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands. The only commercial source for blue green algae is Klamath Lake, which is very alkaline and contains volcanic ash (a mineral-rich soil).

.Chlorella is the most alkaline of the algae family. Chlorella is a one-celled algae, grown as a super food. It is a complete protein, high in amino acids, beta carotene, minerals and all of the B vitamins. It also contains one of the highest concentrations of chlorophyll in the plant kingdom (other than wheat grass). Chlorella has an extremely beneficial effect on the health of the bowel and an stimulate peristaltic activity, help detoxify the colon, and promote the growth of helpful bacteria.
.Barley grass contains powerful antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, carotenoids, selenium and SOD (an antioxidant produced internally by the body). It is helpful in restoring the liver and is an excellent food for those with anemia.
.Wheat grass contains 24% protein, is very bio-available for the body and has a balanced amino acid profile. People who are allergic to wheat can use wheat grass because it does not contain gluten. It helps pull lead and cadmium out of the body and helps pull toxins out of the lymph nodes. It is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll (containing up to 70% chlorophyll). It is an overall cleanser and rebuilder for the body.

The Cleanse Cookbook by Christine Dreher, C,C,N., C.C.H.

1 comment:

  1. You are most welcome. Any suggestions for postings? Please let me know.

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