Green Drinks Guide - What is the Alkaline Diet and Whose Greens Are Best For Me?

by Ross Bridgeford

An Overview to the Health Benefits of Green Drinks - the Newest Nutritional Supplement on the Block!

There are many green drinks on the market each offering the nutritional benefits of the green plants and vegetables that are ofter lacking in our diets. Green drinks contain many different alkalising ingredients, and the regular consumption of Green Drinks certainly helps to create an alkaline environment in our bodies and boosts energy levels.

Why Use Green Drinks

Each and every person living in the UK is facing a myriad of health and lifestyle challenges every day.

We are constantly being fed new information about what is healthy and what is unhealthy while thousands of us try to deal with problems ranging from obesity to fatigue to life threatening diseases.

The alkalarian approach to diet offers a simple, basic understanding of what causes the body to become ‘out of balance’. Through what has become the typical Western diet largely based around meat, dairy, sugars, alcohol, saturated fats and caffeine, millions of us have created a hostile, acidic environment within our bodies.

The pH level of our internal fluids affects every living cell in our bodies and the effect that over-acidification can have upon the health of our bodies is immense, with a chronically over acidic pH creating an extremely negative environment which affects all cellular functions from the beatings of the heart to the neural workings of the brain.

When our pH level is unbalanced, almost any area of our bodies can be negatively affected creating results such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, weight problems, allergies, fatigue and premature aging as well as problems with our nervous system, cardiovascular system and muscles.

Green drinks contain grasses, sprouted grains, and green vegetables which infuse your body with easily absorbed vitamins , minerals, and amino acids.

Typical Green Drinks Ingredients

The following shows the ingredients of most green drinks and highlights some of the benefits of each element:

Kamut Grass - Highly alkaline. Can decrease cholesterol levels, lead to weight loss and add protein to the diet.

Alfalfa Sprouts - Also helps to lower cholesterol, shift weight, and is also a source of protein and folate.

Broccoli - Strong anti-cancer ingredient. Also helps to cleanse and strengthen the blood, boost the immune system and improve digestion. Broccoli helps to lower cholesterol and adds vitamins c, a, b6 and b2, and the minerals folate, iron, potassium and magnesium! One of the most alkaline vegetables known to man, and even more potent in a concentrated powder form.

Dandelion Greens - Excellent at warding off cancer, strengthens the immune system and also helps with weight loss and cholesterol levels. Great source of iron and calcium.

Kale - Also anti-cancer, strengthens blood, strengthens immunity, lowers cholesterol, contributes to weight loss and contains Vitamin C, A, Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium.

Kelp - Strengthens the blood and immune systems while lowering cholesterol! Importantly, also assists in breakdown of protein and regeneration of blood cells. Also a source of folate, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Iodine.

This is only six of the many ingredients! Some green drinks such as Supergreens or Udo's Beyond Greens can contain up to 40 different grasses, vegetables and phytonutrients. Try to pick a green drink which has the best mix of alkaline ingredients.

How to Take Green Drinks

Each green drink varies slightly, but generally, greens should be consumed up to four times daily, mixed with approximately one litre of clean, pure water each time.

Each serving size (or scoop) is approximately one heaped teaspoon. As green drinks are pure supplements made from sprouted herbs and vegetables, one should begin by taking a half dose mixed into each litre of water.

To increase the benefits of the green drinks, the alkalinity of the water can be improved by using distilled water and by adding a pH boosting supplement (such as the Alkalive pH Booster, or Prime pH) into the water. These drops act as a catalyst, which release oxygen into the bloodstream, effectively increasing the nourishment and cleansing of the blood and cells. They also structure and cluster the water for optimal absorption.

After one week increase the green drink dose to the full amount and always shake the bottle before drinking.

For many people, the thought of drinking four litres every day is quite daunting. At first, start with a smaller target of perhaps one and a half litres and work up slowly to three litres. Once you feel ready, then move onto four.

One of the most common problems in attempting to consume this volume of water daily is simply remembering to keep on drinking! Having a litre-sized water bottle can help with this immensely as it allows to you measure your intake more effectively and prevents you from having to constantly refill your glass!

What Effects Should I Expect?

Green drinks will help to instantly create an alkaline environment your body by neutralising the excess acids that a modern Western diet commonly includes. You may feel a massive increase in energy, and may no longer feel the urge to snack or reach for sugary/ caffeine based pick-me-ups!

Many people also report feeling wide awake upon rising and are able to get up far more early in the morning.

Green drinks can help ward off illness, reduce the amount of infections and dramatically reduce the amount of yeasts, and toxins in the body.

Green drinks have also been endorsed by many athletes such as Stu Mittleman (ultra-marathon champion) and are also starting to recieve some celebrity endorsements (Jemma Kidd and Natalie Imbruglia!).

There are many more benefits to taking green drinks ranging from those mentioned above, to its use in the treatment of cancers, cadiovascular diseases and mental illnesses. As ever, please satisfy yourself to the potential benefits to taking green drinks and discuss any dietary changes with your doctor or a trained physician before embarking on a new lifestyle.

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