Let's be real, it isn't easy to eat the amount of greens recommended for a day. Sometimes you need a little help, especially if your autoimmune disorder or other condition makes you a little queasy. While I'm someone who loves greens, I don't even want to look or think about them when I'm nauseated. Sometimes even the smell from other's plates is enough to evoke that gag reflex. Even if you aren't feeling queasy, life gets in the way and even with the best intentions it's hard to get in the amount of recommended veggies every day.
So what is the recommended serving of veggies a day? Well, one of my favorite sites that was introduced to me at a Physician Assistant conference is www.choosemyplate.gov. This handy site is great for recommending plate proportions and serving amounts. And it's an excellent tool for pre-diabetics or diabetics working on their diet! The site is great at customization because let's face it, food is not a one size fits all! So they have a vegetable serving table that takes into account age and gender. Just one of the many aspects I love about this site! I fall within the 19-30 age group for women which is 2.5 cups of vegetables a day. For most us, we are looking at 2.5 to 3 cups of veggies a day. I don't know about you, but when I'm having a rough flare up with my Crohn's that is just not always realistic or possible. And it's best to listen to your body and not push yourself. So how can we get the nutrients we need?
My thoughtful and very sweet Grandma sent me a package over the Christmas holiday. She saw "8Greens" advertised on Dr. Oz and being the wonderful Grandma that she is, she sent me a package. I was slightly skeptical at first because I never know how my body will react to new medicines or foods. Of course, my first plan of action was to see if this nifty little tablet followed my gluten free diet. I was pleasantly surprised to find on the 8Greens website that this product was free of sugars, wheat, gluten, allergens, dairy, preservatives, and salt. Yipee!!! I was thrilled. Everything was within the parameters of my very restrictive diet!
Ready to dive right in, I couldn't help but read the ingredients list first. This is something that although very time consuming and annoying is something I recommend ALWAYS making a habit when looking at anything you ingest or put on your skin. I was surprised to see Spirulina, Chlorella, and Blue Green algae on the ingredient list. As someone who makes all natural bath bombs, I was quite familiar with these ingredients as I had once tried to use them as colorants for my bath bombs! Being totally honest, I was a little weirded out. I still remember the smell of them when I tried out my bath bombs and let's just say the aroma was something like you would smell at the beach when there's a lot of algae! Phew, not the most relaxing bath experience! Needless to say, I don't include those in my bath bombs anymore! However, the ingredient list looked acceptable and I was impressed with the added stevia, which gave me hopes that this mixture wouldn't taste as bad as I thought after looking at the former half of the ingredient list! Thus, I must admit with skepticism and a lot of smelling, I took my first sip. It wasn't love at first taste, but this was because I made the mistake of putting it in tea! Not a good idea!!! The next day I tried it with cool water and it tasted a lot better, but it still wasn't all that I wanted it to be. Of course, third time was the charm (couldn't make this up if I tried) and I tried this mixture in hot water. Oh my, it was ABSOLUTELY YUMMY! Now there's different strokes for different folks, but I definitely recommend trying this mixture in hot water! I look forward to drinking this every day! I absolutely love the taste and look forward to my daily beverage! It couldn't be easier! The tablets come in a tube that is similar to airborne, if you've ever tried it, and you simply pop a tablet into a hot cup of water and watch it fizz away like a witch's cauldron. It is extremely fizzing and really does look like a witch's brew, but I promise it is really yummy! Just be prepared for this effect, which I have come to enjoy as part of my excitement in my day. lol.
So what are you getting out of this magical tablet? "As much vitamin C as 6 oranges, as much vitamin B5 as 15 cups of broccoli, as much B12 as 7 cups of broccoli, and as much vitamin B6 as 6 cups of spinach!" Now try eating all that in one day! lol. Pretty amazing. It does seem like a magic witch's potion! And only 10 CALORIES! It can't get any better than that! Well of course it can, because it's made from real greens including spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue green algae, spirlulina, aloe vera, chlorella, and barley grass. I know I'm verging on the edge of sounding like an infomercial, but I am absolutely amazed how well these tablets work! (Note: I do not get any money from this post and all thoughts are my own)! The best part is that i'm actually starting to have more energy! Which for someone with two autoimmune disorders is a miracle in itself! I feel better, happier, and my GI tract is actually thankful. I can tell a huge difference after two weeks! Thank you Grandma! It's true, Grandmas do know best!
While i'm not advocating this as a replacement to greens, it is absolutely the best supplement I have found for my body! With my rare form or Crohn's, or any Crohn's for that matter, it is hard for my body to absorb nutrients properly. This loads my body up with enough good nutrients that it seems to actually absorb some, if not almost all of the nutrients! I was told by a GI nurse that it is best for Crohn's patient to chew or drink any supplements. If you are taking supplements in pill form, then you are basically throwing your money out the window. And I have found this to be so true!!! Side note- I will be posting about my chewable vitamins and supplements in another post soon. So stay tuned! This seriously was one of the most valuable pieces of information I was ever given! So thankful :) Thus, my best advice is to eat your veggies when your body allows, never force your body because it knows best, and to give these magical tablets a try. You can find them here. I actually order mine from QVC because I can order a 4 pack for a great price!
I hope you start to see improvements and more energy from these magical fizzy tablets! They have done wonders for me and I hope this will help you too! We've got to stick together as autoimmune people! If you have comments or concerns, then please comment below or message me privately. And please consider becoming a part of our autoimmune community! I'd love to meet you and chat!
May you be well :)
~Brooke
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." -Mahatma Gandhi
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