Maximize Your Nutrition, Part II

This is Part 2 to last week's blog regarding "eating for health and beauty".

"Whole-Food Supplements"

Along with a whole-foods diet, nutritional supplements also have their benefits towards your well being. No matter how balanced you think your diet is, virtually everyone has a deficiency or low-intake of one nutrient or another. Supplements help fill in the nutritional gaps so that you look and feel your best - giving you the appearance of youth (or actually prolonging your youth) from the inside out.

While many professionals believe differently, I believe that the most effective supplements are derived from whole, real foods (as opposed to being entirely synthetic). I take my three favorite supplements on a daily basis - a green drink blend, OPC's, and a mix of raw sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Combined, they contain all of the specific nutrients that help combat aging, nourish skin, hair, and nails, and promote well-being.

This week, I'll discuss my Green Drink Blend and next week I'll conclude this three-part series with a discussion of my other two favorite supplements. Every morning, I toss a handful of frozen raspberries, strawberries, mango chunks, or a frozen banana into the blender, then add a cup or more of freshly-made almond milk, raw skim cow's milk, or unsweetened soy milk, a dollop of raw goat or cow's milk yogurt, and two tablespoons of an organically-produced, green plant powder. The powder I use contains "powerhouse plants" including chlorella, a single-celled green algae; blue-green algae; barley grass; wheat grass; and alfalfa.

When cloosing a green-plant powder blend, make sure the product label states that the ingredients were organically grown and were processed rapidly, immediately after harvesting to preserve the live enzymes and vitamins they contain. The grasses taste the way a freshly mowed lawn smells - sweet and green. The blend is also available in easy-to-swallow capsules.

Green drink blends are ideal for those of you with with digestive difficulties in that the live enzymes aid digestion and enable proper assimilation of vital nutrients. Here's to your health.

(Note: Portions of this article are adapted from the book, "Organic Body Care Recipes" by Stephanie Tourles, copyright 2007, Storey Publishing. The author disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information and recommends that the reader use their common sense. This information is for education purposes only.)