Extraordinary Health 28 | Page 49

GREENER GREENS High-quality greens such as broccoli, spinach and kale are amazing green superfoods and are certainly greener greens, but there are other green superfoods, such as cereal grasses and sea veggies. Cereal grasses are the young green plants of cereal grains. All cereal grasses, including the green leaves of wheat, barley, rye, oat and kamut, are nutrient-dense foods—high in chlorophyll, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and a good plant source of complete protein. (Chlorophyll, by the way, gives plants their green appearance and converts the sun’s energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.) Wheatgrass is a favorite green of many—often in the form of wheatgrass shots. Each shot is equivalent to some the most nutritious leafy green vegetables imaginable—all honed into a small amount of concentrated juice made from young, tender shoots of wheat plants, which are just like green, leafy veggies. Wheat grass juice shots are deep green in color, due to its nearly 70 percent chlorophyll content. There’s no doubt that the aforementioned green superfoods are packed with nutrients and more, but the green juices of those green superfoods contain an abundance of chlorophyll, enzymes, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, provitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamins C, E and K plus other nutrients. Also, because they’re juiced, they can be concentrated or even more nutritional bang for your buck! By being concentrated, they give you the most greens per serving possible. Now for other attributes to consider when seeking the greenest greens available. Wheat grass juice also provides protein, including all essential amino acids, which are those that must come from one’s diet; beta-carotene; folate; vitamins C, E, K and B12; other B vitamins; calcium; phosphorus; magnesium, iron, zinc and potassium. Along with getting the most greens per serving possible, make sure your greens are Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and RAW. Additionally, wheat grass juice supports the growth of Lactobacilli, the healthy bacteria which grows naturally in the human digestive tract, and is teeming with enzymes—that is, if it’s not overprocessed or overheated, which can destroy most enzymes. That’s why it’s good to have it—and other greens—raw. pesticides, GMOs or other toxins can harm health, and some greens—unless they’re organic—are loaded with pesticides. For example, 70 percent of conventional broccoli and 74 percent of conventional fresh lettuce have systemic pesticide residues, while 48 different pesticides were found on conventionally grown spinach. Sea veggies, namely spirulina and chlorella, are among the richest sources of chlorophyll. They’re one-celled, water-dwelling plants that have been on earth for a very long time. They reproduce by cellular division, which keeps them in a continual rate of expansion and growth, allowing them to store incredible energy and extremely high nutrient content. Among their nutrients are protein, all the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, trace minerals, amino acids, omega-3s and GLA fatty acids—fatty acids that produce prostaglandin 1, which provides an array of health benefits. Sea veggies are also natural detoxifiers, abundant in beta-carotene and the nucleic acids ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which are known for their benefits to cellular health. WHY ORGANIC? Greens grown or produced with You also don’t want to miss out on precious enzymes that can be lost from overcooking or over-processing foods, including greens. One other note: while concentrating the juices of CLEAN greens can have huge benefits, juicing greens grown conventionally can also concentrate their toxins. Yuck! So, make sure you’re getting exactly what you bargained for in your greens—high-quality, nutrient-packed RAW greens juiced and concentrated from nutrient-dense greens that are Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. They’re the CLEANEST, GREENEST greens around! Greenest Greens from Nutrient-Dense, CLEAN, RAW, Juiced, Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified Greens Vol 28 • Extraordinary Health ™ 47