Movement is probably one of the best things you can do to stay young. It tones your muscles, stimulates your lymphatic system (which only works through movement), cleans your pours and skin, helps your repertory system (breathing), and aids digestion and elimination. All that from something so fun!
Best of all, dancing will make you feel young and gets you smiling and laughing, which hare known to have beneficial effects on your well being…and two and three…and turn…and…
September 27th, 2008
Before you make breakfast and drink that morning coffee, try making yourself a green drink smoothie. Choose your favorite green drink and mix with fresh berries, rice or almond milk and a little maple syrup. You may find that you aren’t even hungry for breakfast. And the nutrition you’ll get is far better than any traditional breakfast you might have eaten.
Try the same idea again in the afternoon. Instead of making a cup of coffee or a snack between lunch and dinner, try mixing a green drink smoothie instead. You’ll get more energy than you would have from a cup of coffee or sweets.
September 27th, 2008
For ages, Arruda, also known as Rue and Herb of Grace (scientific name Ruta graveolens) has been used to purify environments, repel parasites, and clear the mind of negative thoughts and energies. Arruda as it’s known in my homeland of Brazil, is originally from the Mediterranean region and grows well in dry environments. It thrives in direct sunlight. In my country, it’s commonly used as an anti-parasitic and many people place a sprig of it in the closet or dresser drawer to keep the bugs away.
The Romans and Greeks commonly used Rue to remove negative energies and to treat a variety of health issues. You know the classic image of a Greek male with a sprig of leaves in his hair? Well, that was probably Rue in his hair…there to keep the lice away. Even Shakespeare referred to Rue as the “sacred herb of sundays” (Hamlet). It was commonly dipped in water and shaken at the faithful to clear them of negative spirits. Some cultures use Rue in cooking, as it’s rich in vitamin C. Its leaves and seeds are used in salads and sauces while its leaves are also dried and used in tea. In Europe, it was often infused into wine and stronger alcoholic drinks, such as Grappa, to aid in digestion.
Rue is from the Rutaceae family, rich in salicylic acid, alcaloides, flavonoids, rutin, quercetin, fenols, and many other substances useful in pharmaceuticals. A plant with similar properties in my homeland of Brazil, known as Jamborandi, is used widely in the pharmaceutical business, including medicines to fight glaucoma.
Besides all this, it can also be used to counter Belladona poisoning and for bad breath.
In natural health circles, Rue is used to support the kidneys, bladder, intestines and inner ear. It can also be used for infections of the eyes, constipation, sciatica, asthma, headaches, dermatitis, and strokes. However, it must be used in moderation, as too much Rue can be toxic; pregnant women or those desiring to get pregnant should stay away from Rue, as it has abortive properties.
You can grow Rue yourself in the backyard. It’s a hardy plant the requires direct sunlight. It can be found under the names Arruda, Common Rue, Herb of Grace, Ruta, Golden Rue, Herbygrass, Somalata, Weinraute, Sadab and German Rue. If you’re not up for growing your own, you can also find it in herbal mixtures of all kinds.
September 21st, 2008
Although ProGreens was formulated for use by doctors who need specific information about ingredients for their patients with food allergies and other issues, its formulation is utlimately quite comparable to several others. The approach is to offer a variety of greens for nutrition, along with a collection of botanical herbs for overall health and immune support.
The greens consist largely of spirulina and a variety of grasses with some wheat sprout, beet juice and spinach powders to round out the mix. It does not have much fruit (just acerola berry juice powder), but makes up for that with a host of anti-oxidant-rich botanicals (green tea extract, billberry extract, milk thistle, astragalus). Other key ingredients include plenty of bee pollen and royal jelly (two of my favorite superfoods), ginko and Echinacea. The fillers include lecithin, apple pectin and flaxseed meal (3000mg total, which is higher than I like to see). Overall, the formulation is decent, but not spectacular…and the price is on the high side at $4.85 per ounce, but this may be offset by the security you get from knowing the exact amount of each ingredient in the formulation (not many products provide this).
Compare with Delicious Greens 8000 and Green Vibrance.
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September 21st, 2008
This formulation is a lot like many others: fairly robust with a variety of greens (barley grass, spirulina, chlorella), followed by filler (oat betaglucen, apple fiber, brown rice, lecithin), and then antioxidant herbs and fruits (carrot, green tea, blueberry, plum, and other fruits and veggies). The rest is a collection of veggie powders and herbs. This particular formulation is pretty heavy in the fillers with almost 4 grams of it (I look for under 2 grams of filler in a good formulation). This product’s label, like so many others, call their fillers a “Fiber Blend” to give it a purpose in the formulation. And while it’s true that many of these fillers add fiber, I look for a more substantial reason for the filler to call it anything but “filler.” The rest is really nothing special…a few herbs and not enough kelp to even warrant mention (a token amount). At $4.22 per ounce, I think this is a bit pricey for the quality of the blend.
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September 14th, 2008
This formulation is made with no spirulina, chlorella or sea vegetables because the manufacturer believes that these are acid-forming botanicals. In fact, these are not acid forming ingredients; they are simply not as alkaline as some other greens. So if you are going for an alkaline-enhancing formulation (which this formulator clearly is), you might choose to leave these water-based greens out. If you do, you’d better replace them with some pretty nutrient-dense veggie powders because you’re losing a lot of potent nutrients without these ingredients in your formulation. Does Mega Greens meet this challenge? Pretty much.
The formulation is high in barley grass, which is not super nutrient-dense, but it makes up for this with ingredients like beet root powder, broccoli powder, bilberry leaf, spinach, kale, and beat leaf powder. Other ingredients I like seeing include olive leaf (one of my top three botanicals), dandelion leaf (also very high on my list of healthy herbs), and watercress. There is absolutely no filler in this formulation, so this is pure vegetable and leaf powder with a focus on alkalinity. They add MSM to stand out from the crowd, but I think this formula stands on its own even without the MSM. And the price is more than fair at $3.87 per ounce.
Compare to Energy First Greenergy, which also has MSM and a more robust formulation of greens. Also compare to Vitamineral Green, which is similar in its concentrated formulation (no fillers and lots of veggie powders), but is not necessarily focused on alkalinity. Finally, compare to Phion Greens, which is a different formula focused on alkalinity.
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September 14th, 2008
Not everyone takes a green drink for the same reason. And to argue that there is only one formula or “set of criteria” that defines a good green drink is completely absurd. The fact is, there are many reasons for adding a green drink to your food choices and each has its advantages. Plus, a green drink is only one part of a healthy diet program — not the entire thing. So you need to COMBINE your green drink with the other supplements and food choices you make.
For example, I often say that it’s good to have both a green drink AND a red berry drink to give you the green superfood nutrition and the purple antioxidant berries that you need to get a rainbow of foods and their benefits. If you, in fact, get a lot of red antioxidants in your diet (from berries or berry juice drinks), then your green drink probably does not need to provide a lot of antioxidants; at least not from berries (perhaps from the non-berry antioxidants, such as those from green tea and herbs like milk thistle). This may affect which green drink you choose.
So here’s a quick review of the seven primary reasons for taking a green drink and what you should look for in a formulation to achieve each of these goals.
Better Nutrition
Nutrition from green leafy vegetables and other greens is a major part of taking green drinks. For some, it’s the only reason to drink green. If this is your primary motivation for adding green to your diet, then look for products that focus on spirulina, chlorella, kelp and other seaweed, grasses, and grass juices (including alfalfa and watercress if possible). The most nutrient-dense of these ingredients are the kelps and seaweeds with spirulina coming in close second. Other nutrient-rich ingredients include bee pollen and royal jelly.
Alkalizing Effect
There is a growing movement in enhancing the alkalinity of your blood pH. An alkaline blood pH is an unfriendly environment for disease and sickness, including cancer. In general, disease thrives on acid pH. Green leafy vegetables can help make your blood pH more alkaline. But not all of them. If alkalinity is your primary goal, then look for formulations that DON’T contain berries or fruits, green tea, and oils. The best ingredients for alkalinity are the veggie powders and leaf powders.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants come in many colors and types and they generally work together for best results. So if you’re looking for a green drink with a complete antioxidant formulation, then look for green tea powder, milk thistle, and berries of all colors. Of course, there are others, but these will get you most of the way there.
Weight Loss
Weight loss is a very popular reason for taking a green drink and some formulations are optimized for this purpose. In some ways, adding nutrition from green superfoods alone can help with weight loss, because feeding your body better nutrients will help to curb your appetite over the long run. However, there are other factors at work in a person’s eating habits, so if you want a green drink that helps you lose weight, then look for appetite curbing ingredients, such as artichoke powder and green tea powder (not extract); plus energy and metabolism enhancers, such as cayenne, ginger, ginseng, astragalus. Finally, certain bulking ingredients also help with elimination and weight control. These include lecithin, quinoa, and guar gum.
Immune Support
Really, good nutrition and alkalinity are already immune supporting conditions. But if you want to focus even more on immune support, then look for green drinks with plenty of antioxidants and special herbs like pine bark extract, milk thistle, Echinacea, olive leaf extract, and dandelion leaf or juice. Exotic mushrooms also help the immune system, but not too many green drinks include them (sadly, due to their high prices).
Energy Enhancement
If you want more energy, a green drink can be a wonderful substitute for a caffeine-loaded energy drink. Look for formulations that include green tea powder, Acai, cayenne, ginger, ginseng, pure cocoa, and/or loads of kelp and spirulina.
Substitute for Meals
A substitute for meals is a lot like “Better Nutrition” but with more of a focus on variety of nutrients, plus calories and protein. Look for green drinks that have protein sources, such as chick peas, hemp powder, brown rice and broccoli. Also look for calories from seeds, nuts, and grains.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several reasons for taking a green drink and each one changes the way you shop for and compare these products. Here at greendrinkreviews.com, we try to take a neutral and balanced approach to the subject — and help people choose what’s right for them. Like we humans, not all green drinks are created equal.
August 24th, 2008
If you want your green drink to provide high levels of antioxidants, then you should consider this formula. The antioxidants in this formula come from a wide variety of sources, including numerous fruits (blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, bilberry, cherry, lemon, apple, peach, elderberry, pomegranate, blackberry, Acerola, Apple, Pomegranate, Mangosteen, and Acai) plus herbs like green and white tea (I love that they include the expensive white tea, which is higher in antioxidants than green tea), pine bark extract (this is one of the most expensive and most powerful botanicals you can get — I’ve never seen this in a green drink before), cinnamon and marigold. The greens are mostly barley grass juice and chlorella, but they include some salina, kelp, spinach, kale, and broccoli. They bulk up this potent formula with rice bran, oat beta glucan, and lecithin. Overall, this is a very nice formula, even if the price is a bit high at $5.17 per ounce.
Compare to Antioxidant Greens, which has a slightly more broad spectrum formula.
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August 24th, 2008
Udo is doing something special here. His formulation is made to provide green nutrition and omega-3 fatty acids, while offering some special herbs that help cleanse and rejuvenate the body. His formula is part of a diet and weight loss plan, so it is optimized for this, but it’s a worthwhile formulation to consider, even if your ultimate goal is not weight loss.
Continue Reading August 24th, 2008
UPDATED August 24, 2008
In this third installment on green superfood powders, I’ve prepared a handy comparison chart that shows the ingredients of several products side-by-side. This makes it easier to compare and contrast the different products. Although this completes my series on green superfood powders for the time being, I will update these various comparisons and listings as needed, so check back from time to time to see the new additions and updates.
As for the chart, you can view it in pdf format (Adobe Reader required) or download it using this link: Green Superfood Comparison Chart or the link in the right column at the bottom of the list of green drinks.
I’ve also created a quick-view Green Drink Price Comparison Chart. When viewing this chart, remember that this only shows the price and does not compare the quality. You can see this chart using the link: Green Drink Price Comparison Chart. More to come.
Send me your comments and additional information about green drinks you want added to the chart (use the response form on the About page).
August 24th, 2008
I like the formulation of this product and feel it’s an excellent value for the price. It has very little filler, which consists mostly of apple fiber and pectin, flaxseed meal, and rice bran (not the worst type of fillers if you have to include some). The bulk of this formula is made up of greens and fruits with some great herbs to complete the anti-oxidant blend. The greens are varied and consist of grasses, veggie powders, spirulina and chlorella. There is also some parsley and watercress to boot (I love to see watercress in these formulations). The fruits are also varied and include acerola, blueberry, orange, pineapple and raspberry. The herbal extras include green tea, grape seed extract, tumeric and rose hips. Plus, they include some exotic ingredients, such as bamboo, cinnamon, horsetail herb, ginseng, ginger, suma, astragalus, and royal jelly. This is a quality blend at a very good price of $4.30 per ounce.
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August 10th, 2008
The bulk of the ingredients in this mixture are fillers, such as barley malt extract and brown rice syrup solids (filler and taste) and the greens are primarily spirulina and grasses, but they also have a bit of alfalfa leaf in there. There are two other types of spirulina listed on the label, including the AFA spirulina from Klamath Lake (the one known as “blue green algae”). These are included in smaller amounts than the traditional spirulina, which is grown in controlled environments. There are very few fruits in this mixture, which is not a huge problem in my book, since I believe in taking a fruit drink (purple or red berry juice) in addition to your green drink. Finally, EnergyFirst has added some herbal ingredients that are often found in green drink formulas, including green tea, Echinacea, and ginko biloba. I applaud the addition of MSM in this mixture, as this is a supplement that most of us need and few of us get.
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August 10th, 2008
This product, like so many others in this price range (under $4 per oz), is very heavy in grasses, which are great for some basic nutrients, but they are not the most nutrient-rich of the botanical ingredients available for green formulas. The mint leaves have some excellent qualities, but they are mostly for flavor (covering up the grassy taste of all those grasses). The aloe and dandelion are excellent additions and should be higher on the list (more of them). The other interesting ingredient in this mixture is the clay, which is usually used for cleansing and detoxing. Clay pulls the toxins out of your intestinal tract as it passes through (it has no nutritional value in itself). Some would argue that you should not mix clay with nutritional ingredients, as the clay pulls the nutrients out along with the toxins. There is some debate over that, but most likely, at lease some of the nutrients get digested before the clay starts drawing elements out. Still, this is a strange formula, if well priced at $3.75 per ounce.
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July 26th, 2008
This formulation is quite interesting. It is designed to curb the appetite (with artichoke powder, green tea and other ingredients) while giving you some protein (from peas mostly) and nutrients from a variety of green botanicals. The greens are heavy in spirulina with a few grasses thrown in too. It has the ratio of spirulina to grass that I like — meaning it’s mostly spirulina. Other greens and herbs of note include spinach powder, ginseng, rosehips, astragalus, milk thistle, rosemary extract and mushroom extract. Plus, there is a hefty dose of apple powder, which is very good for digestion and liver cleansing (plus it tastes good). I’ve never seen a mixture with this much apple powder in it. The only drawback is the large amount of bulking ingredients (all of which have some function in the mix, but they are mostly bulking). These include the pea protein, lecithin, and some flaxseed meal. Overall, this is a high-end formulation for a very reasonable price of $4.36 per ounce.
Compare with Berry Green for a different formulation at a slightly higher price.
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July 25th, 2008
Like many of the green drinks, Perfect Food is heavy on the grasses, which I’ve often mentioned are good ingredients, but not necessarily the best. Thankfully, this product also contains a significant amount of spirulina and sea veggies to make it a bit more robust than some of the other grass-heavy green products. The veggie juices included (beet, carrot, broccoli, etc.) are not in huge quantities, but it’s nice that they are included. The filler in this product is the rice bran solubles, which is not a super nutritious choice, but better than some products, like guar gum. At $4.24 per ounce, it’s not a bad value, but compare with Delicious Greens, which is in the same price range, but a different formula, or Green Vibrance, which has a similar (but more robust) formula and a better price tag.
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July 19th, 2008
This is terrific formulation by one of the industry’s best formulators, Dr. Jameth Sheridan. This particular formulation is almost identical to Sheridan’s own product Vitamineral Green but is a bit more expensive. Actually, almost twice the price. It’s a great product, both in the quality of the formulation (no fillers!) and in the quality of the ingredients.
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July 19th, 2008
Amazing Grass is not one of the most robust formulas on the market. It consists mostly of grasses, which are good, but should not dominate a green drink mixture because they don’t offer as much nutrition as some other botanicals. In other words, they are among the less expensive green ingredients that formulators use. Maca, which is also in this mixture, is a good botanical, but also not one of the most rich in nutrients and provides some bulking for the buck. On the positive side, the product does include spinach powder, spirulina and chlorella in lesser quantities to improve the nutrient value of the product. It’s not a bad mixture, and the price is consistent with its quality at only $2.82 per ounce, which makes it one of the least expensive green drinks on the market. Compare this with Dr. Shultze’s Green Super Food and decide which is best for you. Personally, I would lean toward Shultze’s formulation.
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July 19th, 2008
A good mixture with healthy amounts of greens (spirulina, chlorella and barley grass), vegetable powders (carrot, broccoli, spinach and others), and anti-oxidants (fruits, beet root, milk thistle, pomegranate, green tea and more). The formula is very similar to Antioxidant Natural Greens (see link and compare), which has more flax meal and is, consequently, less expensive. The flax provides Omega-3 fatty acids, but also creates more bulk in the mixture, which lowers the manufacturing cost. Overall, this is a good mixture, but it seems a bit expensive for what you get.
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July 12th, 2008
This formulation is different than most others, in that it’s focus is on both nutrition and amino acids. Hence, the formula contains some greens (mostly from spirulina and grasses), but also includes a great number of aminos from various sources (nuts, beans, molasses, alfalfa seeds, etc.). These types of ingredients are more expensive, hence the hefty price tag. You need to decide if the mixture is worthwhile for you, or if you’d be better off purchasing nuts and molasses and adding them to a more cost-effective formulation.
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July 12th, 2008
This is essentially a gluten-free version of Prime Directive, which is formulated for nutrition and amino acids. Like the other product, this one is quite expensive and you might find it a better option to purchase a good gluten-free green drink and add your own nuts and amino acids. This requires a bit more work, so it’s for each person to decide.
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July 12th, 2008
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