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| Spirulina Lemonade |
INGREDIENTS
- 30 oz distilled water or alkaline water or spring water
- 1 large lemon (peel removed)
- 1 tbsp spirulina powder
- 2 tbsp raw organic honey (or raw blue agave)
Makes 30 ozs
Blend all the ingredients in your Vitamix. This is a great refreshing lemonade, that is full of vitamins and minerals...and loaded with your complex b vitamins. Usually spirulina is a bit "fishy" tasting to me...but this is a great way to mix it up and not even taste its there...you see its there, but you don't taste it! What an awesome dinner I just had! I hope you enjoy this drink too. I'll be making this often.
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Some Health Benefits
Spirulina: Spirulina is the common name given to a family of blue-green algae produced by a class of cyano-bacteria called “Arthospira”.
It is abundant in both fresh and sea water. Spirulina benefits come
mostly nowadays as a
type of dietary supplement that comes from a type of microscopic alga,
which is shaped like a spiral coil. Spirulina is cultivated from all
around the world and is used as a dietary supplement as well as a whole
food available in tablet, flake and powder form. One of the most
important
of all spirulina benefits is that it has an unusually high amount of
protein, which is an almost complete protein that contains 18 of the 22
amino acids the body needs. It is of a
superior quality when compared to plant protein. It is also rich with
several different types of essential fatty acid, and contains Vitamin
B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Vitamin E. It is
also a source of such minerals as potassium, calcium, chromium, copper,
iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium (selenium benefits),
sodium, and zinc. The most important and popular spirulina health
benefit that comes
with regular supplementation is undoubtedly weight loss. Spirulina
weight loss has become quite a popular diet food; it is natural, it has
all the major vitamins, amino acids and nutrients required by the human
body and it has a very high protein content (60-70% of its body weight
is pure protein). It is also free of carbohydrates and sugar. As a
result, it acts as a potent appetite suppressant reducing body weight
over time. Of course, if you are using spirulina weight loss as a magic
pill remedy it will not work by itself but it should help you in
diminishing your hunger while eating a completely natural food. It has
also been shown to help correct anemia for undernourished
children, it also be effective against melanosis and keratosis caused by
chronic arsenic poisoning. Spirulina is also found to protect against
hay fever, reduce
inflammation caused by arthritis. Also, another one of the spirulina
benefits is that it is a rare source of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) which
is otherwise only present in mother’s milk. This particular amino acid
helps reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. It
also improves cardiovascular health in general. Spirulina is known to
help contain the effects of type 2 diabetes.
Regular Spirulina supplementation is known to lower blood sugar levels.
It also improves the antioxidant potential in people, which decreases
muscle breakdown and exhaustion after exercising and improves overall
health. However despite all these benefits their are a few (mostly
minor) spirulina side effects you might want to learn more about in my
other post. However, the only real side effect you probably have to
worry about is that spirulina also contains an amino
acid called, phenylalanine, which should be avoided by people with
phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder, which prevents the body from
metabolizing this particular amino acid, making it to build up in the
brain causing damage. And although very rare it may sometimes contain a
type of toxin called microcystins, which can cause liver diseases,
including cancer. Unfortunately, as of yet no standard exists to
regulate its safety,
however as mentioned it is an extremely rare toxin, so as long as
properly tested there is no need for an alarm. As you can see theirs
definitely a lot of benefits linked to spirulina so it might be a
supplement you want to add to your diet when looking for the best
multivitamin that can compliment your eating habits!
LEMON: The lemon is one powerful little fruit!
Aside from the fact that its a great tool for fat burning and weight
loss, It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol,
but is rich in dietary fiber (7.36% of RDA). Its acidic taste is due to citric acid. Citric
acid is present in up to 8% of its juice. Citric acid is a natural
preservative, aids digestion. Studies found that citric acid help
dissolve kidney stones. Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are
excellent source of ascorbic
acid (provides about 88% of DRI). Ascorbic
acid or vitamin-C is a powerful water soluble
natural
anti-oxidant. This vitamin is helpful in preventing scurvy. Besides,
consumption
of foods rich in vitamin-C helps body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free
radicals from the blood. Lemons like oranges contain a variety of
phytochemicals. Hesperetin
and naringenin are
flavonoid glycosides
commonly found in citrus fruits. Naringenin is found to have a
bio-active effect on human health as antioxidant, free radical
scavenger, anti-inflammatory, and immune system modulator. This
substance has also been shown to reduce oxidant injury to DNA in the
cells in-vitro studies. They also contain small level of vitamin A,
and other flavonoid anti-oxidants such as α and B-carotenes,
beta-cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lutein. These compounds are known
to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A also required for maintaining
healthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for vision.
Consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps body to protect
from lung and oral cavity cancers. They also a good
source of B-complex
vitamins such as pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and folates. These
vitamins are
essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to
replenish. They contain healthy amount
of minerals like iron, copper, potassium, and calcium.
Potassium in an important
component of cell and body fluids helps control heart rate and blood
pressure.
RAW ORGANIC HONEY: While
honey is sweet, the vitamins
present in honey are B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and
certain amino acids. The minerals found in honey include calcium, copper, iron,
magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. On top of all of
this “raw organic” honey is an alkaline-forming food, this type of honey
contains ingredients similar to those found in fruits, which become alkaline in
the digestive system. Because it
contains antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids, it doesn't ferment in the
stomach and it can be used to counteract acid indigestion. Raw honey is also
anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. Last but not least, it contains a
mineral called selenium, which is necessary for the
proper support of immune system health. It is a vital mineral antioxidant
found in the tissues of your body and assists in supporting an optimal balance
of cardio-protective benefits as well.
RAW BLUE AGAVE: According to Dr Ray Sahelian, bestselling author of, Mind Boosters and The Stevia Cookbook,
there are several hundred species of the agave plant. Agave has been
cultivated for centuries, first by the Native American population and
then in Europe, when agave plants were brought back by the Spaniards and
Portugese in the 17th century. Agave contains saponins and fructans. According to Dr. Sahelian,
saponins, which are found on quinoa and many plant roots, including
ginseng, have anti-inflammatory and immune system-boosting properties,
including antimicrobial capability. In fact, the Aztecs used agave syrup
to treat wounds because of its antibacterial properties. Inulin is a type of fructan or fiber that has many health benefits.
Studies suggest that inulin can be effective in weight loss because of
its low impact on blood sugar (that's right! this is a great sugar substitute for those with diabetes) and its ability to increase satiety and
decrease appetite. Inulin is also associated with lowering cholesterol,
reducing the risk of certain cancers, and increasing the absorption of
nutrients, such as isoflavones, calcium and magnesium. In addition, Dr Sahelian says fructans are not destroyed in the stomach
and may be a delivery system for drugs to treat colon diseases such as
ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease.
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