The Power of Greens - by Richard Beevers

‘No pudding unless you finish your greens!’ A phrase I’m sure we’re all familiar with, still rings in my ears whenever I eat vegetables, but it’s not just sprouts and cabbage that you should be eating.

Eating traditional vegetables is an essential component of a well rounded diet and should not be overlooked. They ensure your body receives a good amount of vitamins, minerals and fibre which are essential for keeping fit and staying healthy. However, there are less well known ‘super foods’ which are scientifically proven to significantly improve your health. Including some of these ‘super foods’ into your diet can help to lower blood pressure, detox your body and even help to prevent cancer.


Barley Grass

This super food is perfect for athletes and sportsmen alike. Why? Let’s start with what Barley Grass contains. Firstly, it contains a huge eighteen amino acids! Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle and with all eight of the essential amino acids found in this number Barley Grass is great for muscle growth and tissue repair. Barley Grass is also a great source of dietary fibre which helps to keep the colon healthy. As colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women in Britain, eating Barley Grass would be an excellent way of helping to prevent this.

Barley Grass Powder is available from Myprotein.com from £5.99


Wheatgrass

Another super food linked with helping to prevent cancer is Wheatgrass. A further attribute of Wheatgrass is that it can help to lower blood pressure. As Wheatgrass is a natural product it does not have the side effects of medically prescribed drugs such as diuretics and beta blockers, which include weight gain and depression. With the amount of people in the UK with high blood pressure increasing, using Wheatgrass is a great way of helping to prevent and treat individuals with high blood pressure. From a purely vain perspective, Wheatgrass is a brilliant for skin, improving your complexion and can be used to help treat acne.

Wheatgrass Powder is avalable from myprotein.com from £12.99


Chlorella

Chlorella is great for our blood. Like Wheatgrass it can help to lower blood pressure and with its high alkaline ph value it helps to regulate blood keeping it at a neutral level. Blood can become too acidic from eating lots of processed foods which are full of sugars, additives and preservatives. When this happens our blood flow becomes less efficient resulting in lower energy levels. As we know stress is detrimental to our health, increasing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Well don’t worry, chlorella has a high magnesium value which is nature’s own anti depressant; helping you to relax and also sleep better.


Organic Chlorealla Powder is available from Myprotein.com for £34.99

Spirulina

Feeling low in energy? Get some Spriulina down you! This fresh water plant incredibly contains six times the amount of protein found in eggs and three times more iron than beef, two of the ingredients necessary for producing energy. It has even been studied by NASA as a food source that is suitable to be taken by astronauts, as it is an incredibly compact source of nutrition. In fact, 1kg of Spirulina contains the same nutritional value of 1000kg of vegetables. Spirulina is also a rich source of GLA essential fatty acid. This omega 6 fatty acid is essential for growth and development as well as brain function. In short, if it’s good enough for NASA then it’s good enough for us!

Organic Spirulina is available from Myprotein.com for £28.99


Alfalfa

A plant, literally teeming with vitamins and minerals, used in China as a herbal remedy for centuries. It has many health benefits because of its high volume of trace minerals, one of which is stronger, healthier bones. Alfalfa can also help to reduce cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels which can help to eliminate the risks of diabetes. Diabetes is on the increase in the UK with the amount of people diagnosed with it continually rising. This can be attributed in part to a rise in inactivity and an increase in obesity levels, so exercise and a healthy diet are essential to avoid diabetes. However, by lowering your blood sugar levels you are going that extra yard to prevent this condition. Alfalfa is also recognised as a remedy for curing kidney stones and keeping the kidneys healthy.

Organic Alfalfa Powder is available from Myprotein.com for £19.99.


Going green is easier than you think

So Popeye was strong to the finish because he ate can after can of spinach, but if he had known about some of these super foods who knows how big his forearms would have been! By including just some of these super foods into your diet you will see a significant improvement in your all round health; better skin condition, an increase in energy and the ability to recover quicker. You might be thinking that including your greens in your diet might not be that easy, well, all of these wonder foods are now available in powders which can be added to smoothies or shakes for your convenience.

So there are no excuses left, eating your greens (or drinking them) and getting a huge amount of high value vitamins into your system couldn’t be easier.



Richard Beevers is currently studying for an MA in history at the University of Manchester and working at the BBC as a runner. He has trained for and competed in 10k runs and tough guy challenges. This year he is preparing to compete in sprint triathlons as well as a half marathon. Although he favours endurance events he regularly utilises strength training in his programmes.


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