The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

The Best Foods for Breast Cancer Prevention

by | Nov 9, 2018 | Book Insights, Super Immunity

“Breast cancer, almost unheard of 100 years ago, now affects 1 in 8 women over their life time…[however] research from the field of nutritional medicine has shown us that there is a clear way to improve and sustain our health and fight off illnesses in all its forms. ” – Dr. Joel Furhman (5)

“What doctors call early detection is actually late detection… A woman is considered healthy until she shows signs of breast cancer, but if she’s been harboring a malignancy for 2 decades, can she truly be considered healthy? People who do the right thing by improving their diets in hopes of preventing cancer, may in fact be successfully treating it as well.” – Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die (1)

As I shared in last week’s post on how to prevent cancer (and most other diseases), diets that revolve around whole plant foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds) significantly lower the risk of most cancers, and other diseases as well. This recommendation comes from the American Institute for Cancer Research, as well as many leading integrative oncologists, wellness experts and nutritionists.

In this post I want to talk about some specific food recommendations, based on the latest research, for the prevention of breast cancer.

One study following ~30,000 postmenopausal women (over 7 years) with no history of breast cancer showed the incredible power of food and lifestyle choices in the prevention of breast cancer. Women who followed just 3 out of the 10 recommendations by the American Institute for Cancer Research (limiting alcohol, eating mostly plant foods, and maintaining a normal body weight) had a 62% lower risk of breast cancer on average.

Another study of ~1500 women diagnosed with breast cancer showed that making simple behavioral changes such as eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and walking for 30 minutes, 6 days per week, was associated with a significant survival advantage. (1)

Meat and Breast Cancer Risk:

When muscle meat (beef, pork, fish and poultry) is cooked using high temperature cooking methods (roasting, baking, pan frying, grilling) it increases your risk of cancer. Boiling meat is safest. Also, eating meat that never goes above 212 degrees F is less DNA damaging compared to meat dry cooked at higher temperatures.

Baking chicken for as little as 15 minutes at 350 degrees F leads to heterocyclic amine (HCA) production which is a carcinogen. The longer meat is cooked, the more HCAs form. This explains why eating well-done meat is associated with increased risk of cancers of the breast, colon, esophagus, lung, prostate, pancreas and stomach.

The Long Island Breast Cancer Study reported in 2007 that women who eat more grilled, BBQed or smoked meats over their lifetime, may have as much as 47% higher odds of breast cancer.

And the Iowa Women’s Health Study found that women who ate their meat very well-done had nearly 5 times the odds of getting breast cancer compared with women who preferred their meats served rare or medium.

These carcinogens (HCAs) can also be found in fried eggs so you should also cook your eggs at low temperature, or boil/poach them.

Luckily, your body can rapidly rid itself of their toxins once exposure ceases (within 24 hours), but when you are constantly consuming meat meal after meal, your body is constantly being exposed and over time this can lead to cancer. So even if you don’t want to give up meat, limit your consumption to a few small servings per week, and choose low temperature and quick cooking methods most of the time such as boiling or a quick wok stir-fry.

Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk:

In 2010 the WHO formerly upgraded its classification of alcohol to a definitive breast carcinogen.

But you’re probably thinking, what about wine?

Well, interestingly, while the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study found that even less than one drink a day may be associated with a small increase in breast cancer risk, drinking only red wine was NOT associated with breast cancer risk.

Why? According to the study, a compound in red wine (that comes from the skin of dark purple grapes) appears to suppress the activity of an enzyme called estrogen synthase, which breast cancers can use to create estrogen to fuel their own growth. So red wine appears to cancer out the elevated breast cancer risk associated with alcohol intake (when consumed in moderation).

And of course, you can reap the benefits of red wine without the risks associated with alcohol by simply drinking red grape juice (without added sugar) or eating the purple grapes themselves, preferably ones with seeds as they appear to be most effective at suppressing estrogen synthase.

Strawberries, pomegranates, and plain white mushrooms may also suppress the potentially cancer promoting enzyme. (1)

Plants to Eat for Breast Cancer Prevention:

According to Dr. Joel Furhman, to have what he calls “super immunity” you should try to include G-BOMBS in your daily diet: Greens (including cruciferous greens), Berries (& pomegranates), Onions, Mushrooms, Beans, and Seeds.

  • Consuming lots of leafy greens can actually make your DNA less susceptible to changes that can lead to cancer. And in particular cruciferous greens have even more potent anti-cancer fighting properties.
  • The entire allium family, onions, leeks, garlic, and chives, have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds. Increased consumption of allium family vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer at all common sites by detoxifying carcinogens in your body and they also have angiogenesis inhibiting effects that can stop cancer cell growth (5). As for seeds, flax and sesame seeds have the most powerful anti-cancer effect due to their lignan content but its good to eat a variety of seeds, as well as nuts, as they each have different nutritional qualities. The red onion is especially powerful – it can kill up to 75% more cancer cells than other varieties. (6)
  • Mushrooms have also been shown to be particularly effective at preventing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women. Eating just 10 grams a day (one small white mushroom), can give women a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer, according to one study. And even lower risk was shown with women that also consumed green tea daily (82-89% reduced risk). (5)
  • In terms of beans and seeds, Dr. Furhman suggests consuming 1/2 cup of beans daily, and a handful of seeds.

Inadequate fiber consumption has also been shown to be a key risk factor for breast cancer. A minimum of 25 grams of fiber is needed to reduce breast cancer risk. This is not difficult to achieve if you’re eating a mostly whole foods plant-based diet.

In particular, flax seeds have been shown to be particularly effective at preventing, and even treating, breast and prostate cancers. Just one tablespoon of ground flax seeds per day (3) And the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed that those women who ate the most beans had the lowest incidence of breast cancer.

Eating even just one apple a day (with the peel) could lower your odds of breast cancer by 24%, and lower odds of other types of cancers. Apple anti-oxidants are concentrated in the peel so make sure to eat the whole apple, preferably organic as apples are high on the Dirty Dozen list. But if the choice is between eating a conventional apple or no apple at all, eat the conventional apple, as the benefits from eating the whole fruit have been shown to outweigh the risks associated with pesticide contamination (2).

What about soy?

Eating non-GMO soy can also help prevent and treat breast cancer.
Soy has gotten a bad rap because it contains phytoestrogens and the fear is that these act like estrogen in the body and would bind to estrogen receptors in the body. However, in reality they can actually have an anti-cancer effect.

From one of the latest studies on soy and breast cancer (funded by the NCI) including 6,000 patients from U.S. and Canada – results showed that there was a 21% reduction in the risk of death from breast cancer in those women who consumed the most soy.

However, you should only consume the less processed versions of soy (i.e. tempeh, miso, edamame, tofu, and soy milk in moderation), and only organic and non-GMO soy.

Good news for meat eaters…

A study showed that eating a heaping side of broccoli or Brussel sprouts could decrease carcinogen exposure from eating cooked meat, and eating such veggies days or weeks before a BBQ can even be defensive against the carcinogens in the meat.

Broccoli and Brussel sprouts are members of the cruciferous vegetable family – the most potent cancer-fighting family of veggies – presumably eating any cruciferous vegetables would have the same effect. See my blog post about cruciferous vegetables to make sure you’re cooking them the right way to get the maximum cancer-fighting benefits.

The Bottom Line:

Consuming a diversified, mostly whole foods, plant-based diet is best for preventing breast cancer, along with most other cancers and disease. Different foods provide different benefits which is why you want to also vary the types of fruits and vegetables your consume and not just eat broccoli as your only vegetable every day. For example, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green onions, leeks and garlic abolished breast cancer growth completely in one study, while other vegetables did nothing or only halved cancer growth. And radish did nothing for pancreatic cancer cells but was 100% effective at stopping the growth of stomach cancer cells. (1)

Here’s a summary of the recommendations I shared in this post:

  • Eat G-BOMBS on a daily basis, or as often as possible, to optimize your immune system:
    • Greens (esp. cruciferous greens such as kale, arugula, cabbage, Brussel sprouts & broccoli),
    • Berries & pomegranates,
    • Onions, leeks & garlic,
    • Mushrooms (even just 1 white mushroom a day can give you up to a 64% reduced risk of breast cancer),
    • Beans (at least 1/2 cup a day), and
    • Seeds (at least a small handful a day).
  • Consuming flax seeds can have a significant effect in the reduction and treatment of both breast and prostate cancers. Consume at least 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds daily. See my
  • Drinking green tea daily can reduce breast (and prostate) cancer risk.
  • Avoid or minimize alcohol consumption, and if you do choose to drink, have red wine.
  • Minimize your meat consumption to a few small servings per week and choose low heat cooking methods (such as boiling) over high heat cooking methods (such as BBQing). Also, the longer the meat is cooked at high temperatures the more carcinogens will be formed so opt for your meat rare or medium over well-done. And only consume meat from animals raised in a natural way.
  • Try to always include a big serving of cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, etc.) and/or onions/garlic when eating barbecued or roasted meat and fish, to combat against the carcinogens formed when cooking. It doesn’t have to be consumed during the same meal, but having at least a 1/2 cup serving of cruciferous veggies each day and a 1/2 cup of onions can significantly reduce the risk of breast and other cancers.

References:

  1. Dr. Michel Greger. How Not to Die, 2017.
  2. https://nutritionfacts.org/2013/06/25/apple-peels-turn-on-anticancer-genes/
  3. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-flax-seeds-help-prevent-breast-cancer/
  4. Interview with Dr. Keith I. Block on “Modern Breakthroughs in Cancer Recovery” as part of the Hay House World Cancer Summit, 2018.
  5. Dr. Joel Furhman. Super Immunity, 2011.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh9IcNoineM 
The Importance of Soaking Nuts and Seeds (& How)

The Importance of Soaking Nuts and Seeds (& How)

by | Oct 6, 2018 | Book Insights, Energy Practices, Healthy Eating, Recipes

Have you even felt bloated after eating a lot of nuts, or felt your energy and focus just plummet? This could be because your body was having a difficult time digesting those nuts. But rather than cutting nuts out of your diet, you just need to start soaking them!

Nuts and seeds are one of my FAVORITE foods to add to all my meals because they are such a versatile ingredient in meal prep, taste amazing, and they’re packed with nutrition — good-for-you fats, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals. They are definitely an essential food to include in your daily diet to  improve overall health and longevity, and are especially helpful for preventing heart disease.

However, I know many people also fear eating too many of them because of their high fat content. If that’s you, then let me first debunk the myth of fat making you fat (healthy fats that is). Then I’ll get into talking about the importance of soaking and how to do it properly.

Why you shouldn’t worry about the fat in nuts making you fat

Let me first tell you – eating fat does not make you fat. I won’t get into all the details in this post because we’re talking about soaking nuts and seeds, but you should be more concerned about the sugar and refined carbohydrates in your diet than healthy fats such as nuts.

Numerous studies have shown that the addition of a handful or two of nuts a day will not lead to weight gain. (6)

One study in 2012 even had people add over a hundred pistachios to their daily diets for three months and they didn’t gain a pound! (6)

Eating more nuts and seeds can actually help you to lose weight because you’ll likely eat less unhealthy foods when you start eating more nuts and seeds.

The problem with nuts usually comes from eating too many roasted/salted nuts, especially those that have been cooked at high heat in some sort of processed, highly inflammatory oil such as soybean oil.

So when I talk about nuts being a super healthy food, I’m talking about raw, pre-soaked (aka activated) nuts and seeds.

How many nuts and seeds should you eat a day for good health?

Your lifespan could be increased by up to 2 years simply by eating just a handful of nuts 5 or more days a week.

Dr. Greger, as part of his daily dozen for good health and longevity, recommends consuming at least a ¼ cup (30 grams, or 1 ounce) of nuts and/or seeds each day, or 2 tablespoons nut/seed butter.

For example, about 23 almonds would be a ¼ cup (which also gives you 6 grams of protein!).

In Dr. Greger’s book, How Not to Die he shares:

“The Global Burden of Disease Study calculated that not eating enough nuts and seeds was the third leading dietary risk factor for death and disability in the world, killing more people than processed meat consumption. Insufficient nut and seed intake is thought to lead to the deaths of millions of people every year.” (1)

So, as long as you’re consuming sufficient fruits and vegetables (see my post on how many veggies and greens you really need to eat each day) and other high-quality sources of protein, you really don’t need to worry about how many you’re consuming – as long as you’re also being mindful when eating them. This means that you aren’t chomping down on nuts and seeds while watching TV or driving.

When you eat mindfully you’ll naturally stop eating when your body has had enough. When you eat while distracted, or eat too quickly, you’ll overeat before your mind sends the signal to stop because you’ve had enough to satisfy your body’s needs.

Why soaked nuts and seeds are better for you

While nuts and seeds are full of good nutrients, this doesn’t mean your body will absorb the full amount of those nutrients (as with all foods).

 

You are not simply what you eat. You are what you digest and absorb!

 

You can ingest nutrients, but your body may not be absorbing and assimilating them if digestion is impaired – which means you’re actually getting less of the vitamins, minerals and protein from foods that are hard for your body to digest.

Additionally, when your body is able to more easily digest nuts and seeds (and any other food), you’ll avoid stomach discomfort, bloating, gas, AND avoid an energy crash (assuming the rest of your meal was not taxing on your digestive system, as hard to digest foods, or just eating TOO MUCH food at once will require a lot of energy to be broken down — thus leaving you feeling zapped of energy for other functions like moving and focusing on work).

Here are more details (if you’re interested) on why soaking nuts and seeks is so important. (2, 3, 4)

–       Soaking neutralizes enzyme inhibitors. Enzymes in raw foods usually help us better digest our food; however, raw nuts and seeds have enzyme inhibitors to keep them from sprouting until they have the right conditions. This prevents the seed from sprouting prematurely but can cause potential problems in humans by binding to nutrients in the body and contributing to nutrient deficiencies and digestive system irritation. When you soak and rinse nuts and seeds, you remove the enzyme inhibitors and allow the enzymes to be activated. After soaking, the seeds become living food which is easier to digest. This equals more energy and better nourishment.  

–       Soaking removes anti-nutrients like phytates, tannins and goitrogens. For example, brown peel of almonds contains tannin that can prevent absorption of nutrients. As you soak the almonds, the skin will come off easily and allow the nut to release its nutrients effortlessly. And while all plants contain some amount of phytic acid, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds usually contain the highest levels. A small amount is fine because your body can naturally neutralize it during digestion, but large doses can create problems with nutrient absorption because phytic acid binds with minerals in your body and prevents absorption, and reduces the digestibility of those foods – thus leading to bloating and fatigue as well.  

–       Soaking makes proteins more readily available, and thus your body absorbs more of it. According to Dr. James Costello, “Pre-sprouted nuts and seeds are the best source of living energy and protein for the body. When you pre-sprout the nuts and seeds, the protein conversion rate of these particular foods is twice any kind of protein-based foods.” Protein conversion rate refers to the rate your body assimilates and converts the food source into protein for its use. (5)

How to soak your nuts & seeds

For firm nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecan, pistachios, hazelnuts, etc. its best to soak overnight (or at least 7 hours) with some sea salt. Same goes for seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. The sea salt adds minerals to the water that would be naturally occurring in the soil, and thus create an ideal environment for the enzymes in the nuts and seeds to be activated. For a handful of nuts just a 1/4 tsp of sea salt would be enough, or if you’re making a larger batch to store for later, use 1 tbsp salt per 4 cups of nuts, or 1 tsp per cup of nuts. (7) You might even notice that you’re nuts or seeds start to sprout (have a little tail starting to grow) — this is more than totally okay — you’ll actually be getting even more nutrition!

Chia seeds can be soaked overnight as well, but only need at least 20 minutes, and no need for salt.

Softer nuts such as cashews, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts require less soaking (2-4 hours) as they do not contain inner skins, and therefore not as many enzyme inhibitors.

My favorite ways to consume soaked nuts

1.     Chilled on ice. When I first came to Iraq I was intrigued by the bowl of soaked raw/unsalted almonds served in a bowl of ice at some restaurants. Then I later saw the same thing being sold as street food in Turkey. “Wow!”, I thought to myself — if only we had this kind of healthy street food in the U.S. instead of sugar-coated fried nuts! Anyways, you must them like this! They are so satisfying and much more refreshing than a bowl of salted, roasted nuts. Try serving this at your next get-together, alongside some  cucumber and carrot spears served in a glass of lemon juice (also something I tried for the first time here in Iraq with the soaked almonds on ice).

2.     Blended into soups and smoothies. Adding some soaked, blanched almonds or cashews to a blended soup is a delicious way to get the same creamy consistency that you’d get from using cream, but healthier. Same goes for smoothies. If a recipe calls for “nut milk” you can also just throw in a few soaked nuts with water and get the same recipe (a creamier smoothie, with enhanced nutrition and less additives). Try this vegan cream of spinach soup — it is one of my absolute favorites! And I swap the spinach for other veggies like cauliflower or mushrooms sometimes — the roasted garlic and the soaked almonds or cashews really make it delicious! You can also swap out the parsley for other fresh herbs. And I personally find it delicious with just the green onions, so I don’t use the red onion (because the recipe I follow from her cookbook doesn’t include the red onion). Alternatively, you can blend up a cashew cream and drizzle that on your soup afterwards, just like you might do with cream.

3.     Made into nut juice (aka nut milk) & used in oat or quinoa porridge, or to make chia pudding. You’re probably familiar with almond milk, but you can use any nuts or seeds to make a homemade milk substitute. Rather than using store-bought almond milk that has a lot of additives, try making your own, which is super easy if you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, try using a softer nut like cashews that will blend up more easily.

What if you want to pack your activated nuts as a snack to go?

Since soaked nuts and homemade nut milks and creams will only last a few days (refrigerated) before going bad, you have the option of drying them out after soaking. The best option is to use a dehydrator (if you have one), but you can also just set oven temp. to 150 degrees F and leave the pre-soaked nuts on a baking tray in the oven for 12 to 24 hours, until fully dried out and crispy. Taste test a few to be sure they are completed dried out, otherwise they could go moldy in storage. Once ready, you can pack them as a snack to go; otherwise, keep then in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer to prevent the fats from going rancid (this is a rule of thumb for storing raw nuts and seeds as well).

What is you want the benefits of soaked/activated nuts and seeds but don’t want to make yourself?

If you’re just not interested in taking the time to soak and dry your nuts and seeds and are willing to spend a little extra money for convenience, there are many options available online or in health food stores. For example, I love Go Raw’s sprouted pumpkin seeds. You can buy them here. And I also love sprouted flaxseeds by Sprout Revolution (which I talked about in my post about the amazing benefits of consuming just 1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds daily).

p.s. Stay tuned for next week’s blog post where I’ll talk about why enhanced digestion is SO important and should be the first thing you address when striving to optimize your health.

References:

1.   Dr. Michael Greger. How Not to Die. 2017. 

2.   https://nicolelana.com/sprouted-raw-nuts-interview-james-costello-part-1/     

3.     https://healthyblenderrecipes.com/hints_tips/soaking_nuts_seeds_grains

4.     https://wellnessmama.com/59139/soaking-nuts-seeds/

5.     https://nicolelana.com/soaked-nuts-versus-whey-protein-foods/

6.    https://nutritionfacts.org/video/nuts-and-obesity-the-weight-of-evidence/ and https://nutritionfacts.org/2012/12/27/nuts-dont-cause-expected-weight-gain/

7. https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/is-soaking-nuts-necessary-how-to-properly-soak-your-organic-raw-nuts/ 

How much veggies & greens do you really need to eat each day?

How much veggies & greens do you really need to eat each day?

by | Sep 7, 2018 | Book Insights, Energy Practices, Healthy Eating, Superfoods

How many servings of vegetables did you eat yesterday?

How about dark leafy greens?

Do you even know how many servings you should be consuming to optimize your health and energy?

A serving would be1,4:

  • 1 cup of raw leafy greens or ½ cup cooked greens
  • ½ cup of cooked or raw other vegetables
  • ½ cup of 100% vegetable juice, fresh and without additives

 

While the USDA guidelines recommend between 5-13 servings of fruits AND vegetables a day for optimal health,1 I prefer to follow the independent guidance of health and nutrition experts, including Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Michael Greger.

 

According to Dr. Michael Greger, an internationally-renowned nutrition expert and physician, in his book How Not to Die (which I’m currently listening to on Audible and highly recommend), it is recommended to consume at least 5 servings of vegetables per day, including at least 2 servings of leafy greens daily and 1 servings of cruciferous vegetables. He defines a serving size as 1 cup raw greens, ½ cup cooked greens, or ½ cup raw or cooked other vegetables.4

 

Dr. Mark Hyman, in his book “Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?”, recommends between 7-9 servings of vegetables per day (or roughly 4 cups worth), with a focus on slow burning and low glycemic ones that are the most nutritionally dense — which includes: cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens (of course!), vegetables from the allium family (garlic, shallots, onion…), high fiber veggies like celery and asparagus, and mushrooms.

 

Dark leafy greens are the healthiest food on the planet based on their nutrient density (havig the most nutrition per calorie), and thus are highly effective for preventing and reversing many chronic diseases (including many types of cancer, heart disease and hypertension, diabetes, and more). Eating more leafy greens is also one of the best ways to increase your ENERGY, with only positive side-effects that include enhanced athletic performance. I highly recommend checking out the documentary Powered by Green Smoothies, which can be viewed for free on Youtube (the full movie was actually uploaded by the producer because that is how much he believes in getting the message out to the world about the power of green smoothies!).

 

I challenge you to just try a self-experiment and see for yourself what happens when you eat more greens.

 

I recently returned from a 3 week visit back to the States — from Kurdistan, Iraq, where I currently live — and I started making green smoothies again each morning for my husband and I, as well as big salads for lunch — which is very different from typical Kurdish cuisine.

 

After just two days of consuming lots of fresh greens and fruit from the smoothies and salads, my husband — who is Kurdish, and had been eating lots of bread, white rice and beans, few fruits and vegetables while I was gone – commented that he was feeling much lighter and more energetic!

 

This is the power of eating greens!

 

You may be wondering, what about the advice to “eat the rainbow”?

While striving to eat a wide array of different colored fruits and vegetables is highly beneficial because pigment is an indication of nutrient content, leafy greens in fact contain many of the other plant pigments (which are simply masked by the high chlorophyll content). Therefore, dark greens actually provide much of the same nutrition (and more) than other vegetables and fruits. “So, in essence, when you’re eating your greens, you’re eating the rainbow,” Dr. Greger states.4

 

Some of the most nutrient-dense greens are: seaweed, parsley, swiss chard, kale, watercress, collards, mustard greens, bok choy, dandelion greens, spinach, arugula (which is especially good for hypertension4), beet greens, sorrel, mesclun mix, turnip greens, and romaine lettuce.3,4,5 If you’re not a fan of dark leafy greens, I encourage you to at least give spinach or baby kale a try in a simple green smoothie, like this one (the fruit completely masks the taste of the spinach).

 

And did you know…? 

…that you can actually LEARN to like new vegetables by initially adding some sweetness? There is phenomenon known as the flavor flavor phenomenon, in which you can change your taste palette by linking a less favorable flavor, such as sour or bitter, with a more pleasant one, such as sweet. So by simply adding a sweet sauce (such as a balsamic glaze or honey Dijon dressing) to bitter greens or blending greens with fruit, you are actually training your taste buds to get used to the true flavor of those greens. After just a few days you can start to like the greens more than before. So green smoothies are not only a great way to consume lots of greens by masking their flavor with sweet fruit, but you’ll actually be training your taste buds to enjoy greens more on their own. Try it!

 

So, if you find it difficult to consume 2 cups of leafy greens each day, I suggest you begin a morning green smoothie habit. I find that this is one of the easiest ways to get a sufficient amount of leafy greens and other nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables in your diet daily. You’ll be able to start your day having already gotten 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies.

 

You would likely never consume the same amount of fruits and vegetables in one sitting if you had to sit and chew it. Digestion is also going to be much easier since the blender already did a lot of the work which means less bloating and gas, and increased nutrient absorption.

 

We are not simply what we eat. We are what we digest.

 

Did you know…?

…that many people these days have impaired digestive systems or just don’t chew their food well enough, so often many nutrients from the food are not absorbed and just pass right through without being utilized by the body.

 

If you’ve never tried a green smoothie, don’t be turned off by the contents or color – my husband actually loves the green smoothies I make and I put a LOT of greens (which he does not love on their own). I even sneaked in some spirulina powder (a type of algae that’s considered a superfood) that I brought back from the U.S. and he didn’t even notice a difference in the taste.

 

Want to try my go-to green smoothie recipe? Or learn some tips for upgrading your current green smoothie? Check out my blog post: The Only Green Smoothie Recipe You Need to Know.

 

 

References: 

1 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-rubaumkeller-/fruit-vegetable-servings_b_926400.html

2 https://www.fmtv.com/media/uploads/downloads/heal-yourself-masterclass-fridge-bundle.pdf

3 https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/most-nutrient-dense-foods.php#more-high-nutrient-foods

4 Dr. Michael Greger, How Not to Die, 2015.

5 https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat-to-live-blog/128/andi-food-scores-rating-the-nutrient-density-of-foods