Green Lemonade

As many of you beauties know, I don’t enjoy spending money on expensive superfoods and supplements. I like to try and do my best to get my nutrition through a variety of whole foods including fresh produce along with whole grains and organic meats in moderation. However, I am considering investing in spirulina. The buzz from friends and family about how wonderful they feel with this superfood is growing increasingly hard to ignore. If you love it, I’d love to hear more about why. And if you’re just tuning into the topic, here’s a little more info to catch you up on the latest buzz.

What is spirulina?

Spirulina is a tiny fresh water blue-green algae. It is considered a whole-food (not an extract), a superfood (thanks to its nutrient density) and a complete vegetarian source of protein.

Health benefits of spirulina

These are some of the most frequently repeated benefits I hear from beauties about why they regularly consume and enjoy spirulina.

• “It’s a complete vegetarian protein”

  Vegetarian beauties are always looking for ways to dial up their protein intake through plant-based foods. Spirulina is considered a complete vegetarian protein powder, free from additives and preservatives (if you invest in a good one not made in China). One tablespoon offers ~3-6 grams of protein for ~25 calories. And while that doesn’t sound like an absurd amount, cleansing divas tout the fact that you can’t overeat spirulina, and in fact, the more you eat of this superfood, the more “alkaline” benefits you give your body. Alkaline rich foods, help offset stress and poor diets that can contribute to an acidic body. An acidic body can ultimately make you tired and prone to health issues. Vegetarian friends tell me in addition to a great complexion, their hair and nails have never been stronger and they attribute this in large part to a healthy intake of nutrient rich spirulina.

• “It’s great for detoxifying”

  Spirulina is rich in chlorophyll, a natural detox agent. Cleansing divas believe chlorophyll has the power to rejuvenate and cleanse your body at the most basic, cellular level by neutralizing or removing poisonous substances. Chlorophyll rich foods (including dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach) promote good circulation and healthy digestion. Chlorophyll also increases the number of red blood cells in your body. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen to your vital organs and all throughout your body. Many beauties I know take a spirulina supplement daily to boost their body’s natural detoxification work.

• “It gives me tremendous energy”

  Spirulina is rich in iron and B vitamins – which are themselves believed to be synonymous with high energy. Lovelies I speak with say that after taking a spirulina supplement for a few weeks, they notice a significant improvement in their daily energy levels. Some have given up their morning coffee as a result.

• “I love how it helps control my appetite”

  Many beauties have found that a daily spirulina supplement also helps keep their appetite in check. Cleansing divas believe this is due to the fact that spirulina is one of the most nutritionally dense foods helping to compensate for nutritional deficiencies in your body that often cause overeating. It’s even been researched by and embraced by NASA as a nutritionally dense food. A few beauties I know who are attempting to migrate toward a less processed diet have found a daily spirulina supplement helpful.

Best spirulina to buy

There are two popular brands of spirulina embraced by health beauties for their quality – one comes in a powdered form and is made by Healthforce Nutritionals. The other comes in a supplement form and is made by Now Foods. Some beauties don’t like the taste of spirulina in a powdered form, so they take spirulina in a supplement form instead. The price for the supplements begins at $20 for 500 tablets. The price for the spirulina powder starts at $30 for 16 ounces.

How to use spirulina

The powdered form of spirulina is most popular in smoothies (try adding a tablespoon to this classic green banana smoothie) and mixed into a pudding like this simple chia seed pudding. The spirulina supplements can be taken daily.

Learn more

I enjoyed these articles on spirulina, you might too.

• Robyn Youkilis Explains Spirulina (And Why We Should All Be Taking It)
• New to spirulina?
• All about spirulina powder

Image source: Healthforce Nutritionals