Superfoods
Green Powders
Green powders are concentrated blends of perfection. They are delicious tasting powders that mix well with juice, smoothies, water or your favorite beverage. A good quality powder will offer a full spectrum of alkalizing green superfoods, antioxidant rich fruits, and supportive herbs.
• Green foods often contain chlorella and other powerful phytonutrients that boost the immune system, detoxify the body, and purify the blood.
• They also contain potent amounts of antioxidants such as vitamin C, and E and beta-cartotene that help prevent the ravages of age-accelerating oxidation.
• Green foods and chlorophyl boost immunity against disease and have been shown to assist in preventing cancer.
• They contain alkaline-forming minerals: sodium, potassium, magnesium, which help prevent the body from becoming acidic. (Remember: An acidic environment promotes diseases, particularly of inflammation, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, digestive issues, and respiratory disorders.)
• Green drink powder also aids digestion and decreases inflammation.
• Most contain probiotics and enzymes that aid digestion and absorption, as well as improve overall digestive health and immunity.
The most potent greens to include in your diet are:
- Micro-algae eg. blue-green algae
- Sea Vegetables eg. spirulina and seaweeds
- Cereal grasses eg. wheat grass, barley grass, kamut
- Green Tea which contains cancer-fighting polyphenols
- Dark green vegetables and their juices eg. spinach and broccoli
Coconut Water
Coconut water is the clear liquid inside young coconuts (fruits of the Coconut Palm). As the fruit matures, the coconut water is gradually replaced by the coconut meat and air. A very young coconut has very little meat; the meat that it has is very tender, almost a gel. Coconut water has long been a popular drink in the tropics, especially in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Caribbean, where it is available fresh, canned, or bottled.
Coconuts for drinking are carefully packaged and sold in many places. These are typically Asian coconuts whose outer green husk has been removed, and the remainder wrapped in plastic. Throughout the tropics they can be found sold by street vendors, often cut in front of customers to ensure the coconut water’s freshness. Coconut water can also be found in ordinary cans, tetra paks, or plastic bottles (sometimes with coconut pulp or coconut jelly included). Bottled coconut water has a shelf life of 24 months.
In recent years, coconut water has been marketed as a natural energy or sports drink due to its high potassium and mineral content. Marketers have also promoted coconut water for having no fat and very low amounts of carbohydrates, calories, and sodium.
Coconut Water is a Great Source of Potassium
Coconut water contains a very good amount of electrolyte potassium. 3.5 oz of water has 250 mg of potassium. Potassium ions are necessary for the function of all living cells. Potassium ion diffusion is a key mechanism in nerve transmission, and potassium depletion in animals, including humans, results in various cardiac dysfunctions. Potassium is found in especially high concentrations within plant cells, and in a mixed diet, it is mostly concentrated in fruits.
Energy for Athletes
Coconut water is a great natural energy drink. It is used abundantly by sports people, athletes and keen exercisers. Here are the reasons why:
- It has the same amount of electrolytes as human blood. In fact it is a universal donor, identical to human plasma.
- It contains more potassium than most energy and sports drinks.
- It has less sodium than sports and energy drinks. Less sodium means less heart problems and less dehydration.
- It has natural sugars and flavors instead of processed sugars.
Kidney Stones
Natural health practitioners believe that coconut water helps dissolve kidney stones. Potassium plays a key role in alkalizing urine and prevents kidney stones from forming.
Coconut Water for Weight Loss
Coconut water is nutritious with only 50 calories per cup and it also has a low glycemic load. Since it is a natural isotonic beverage, it helps increase your metabolism. It also helps to detoxify your body, which helps you lose weight.
Coconut Water Builds and Cleanses the Blood
Cconut water is an isotonic beverage. Surprisingly, this water has the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. That’s why people often refer to it as the fluid of life. In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut – to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.
Coconut Water Helps Reduce Blood Pressure
One of the most compelling reasons to drink coconut water is the fact that it can reduce blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infraction, heart failure, and much more. Beyond that, it is a leading cause of chronic kidney failure. Instead of taking pharmaceutical drugs riddled with side effects, coconut water presents itself as a powerful hypertension solution without the harsh side effects.
Summary: Coconut Water is a natural isotonic beverage filled with immune boosting vitamins and nutrients. It is high in electrolytes (potassium, calcium, and magnesium) and is a perfect alternative to sugary sports drinks. Coconut water balances body ph, helps detoxification, fights viruses, increases metabolism and weight loss, improves intestinal health, increases energy, improves circulation, flushes the kidneys, prevents hypertension, and controls diabetes. Young coconuts are available in almost every supermarket, and are very easy to get into with a cleaver.
Nut Butters
Cashew: The smooth butter forms after about 2 minutes of processing. It is ideal for sandwiches. Try it with avocado and other vegetables in a pita, or substitute it for tahini when you make hummus.
Almond: Roasted whole almonds have skins that will fleck the butter. When the almonds start to come away from the sides of the food processor, the butter is ready. Slivered, toasted almonds take about 3 1/2 minutes to form a butter, but roasted whole almonds have additional oil and will be ready in just 2 1/2 minutes. This mild, sweet butter is adaptable in sweet and savory dishes. Try almond butter on a sandwich with apples and brie or Gouda cheese.
Macadamia: Hands down, this is our favorite nut butter―we actually licked the spoon. Because of macadamias’ high fat content, the nuts grind into a butter too thin for spreading on bread in just 2 minutes. Chill to thicken it. Its buttery flavor is great for desserts.
Hazelnut: This grainy, thick butter with brown specks is fruity and naturally sweet. Processing it takes about 2 1/2 minutes. Bags of chopped nuts have few skins, so don’t worry about removing them. If nuts are whole, toast them in a 400° oven for 5 minutes or until they start to look shiny and the skins begin to loosen. Rub them in a dishtowel to remove skins. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of chocolate syrup and hazelnut butter for a delicious spread that’s great on toasted honey wheat bread with bananas or on apple wedges.
Pecan: With a rich, hearty flavor that stands up well, pecan butter is great over meats. Pecans process into butter in about a minute. The loose paste spreads easily, but skins give it a slightly bitter aftertaste, so it’s best for recipes.
Peanut: Use plain roasted peanuts, rather than dry-roasted peanuts, which are seasoned with paprika, garlic, and onion powder. This smooth nut butter has distinctive fresh peanut flavor and the nuts take about 2 minutes to process. It is lighter in color than commercial peanut butters and is grainier than commercial hydrogenated brands.
Pistachio: A very dry, crumbly butter, it’s best combined with something else, like softened cream cheese. Cream cheese―pistachio spread is nice on French or egg bread. It takes about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes to grind into butter. It tends to clump during processing.
Walnut: Like pecan butter, this soft, oily butter is ready in about a minute. It, too, has a bitter aftertaste from the skins, making it good for recipes but not on sandwiches. Walnut halves are expensive, so look for pieces.