Kiwi Avocado Strawberry Green Salad
8 cups of mixed greens
2 Kiwis
1 ½ cups of sliced strawberries
1 avocado diced
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tbsps of chopped dill
½ of a lemon juiced
Directions
Place the greens in a large bowl with olive oil and toss lightly. Peel kiwis and slice into quarter slices, add avocado, dill, lemon juice and strawberries to the mix and toss well.
Yield 4 to 6 servings
It’s a delicious and easy way to get your greens in for the day! Enjoy!
The Life Sustaining Joy of Chlorophyll
What is Chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is a pigment which gives plants their green color and is found in most plants and algae. Chlorophyll is green because it absorbs all the colors in the light spectrum except green. Chlorophyll is found in chloroplasts, an organelle found in the cells of the plant; chloroplasts are found in the green portions of the plants (leaves and stems). It is crucial for plant survival because it is the agent for photosynthesis. In the processing of photosynthesis, chlorophyll plays a critical role in producing food for green plants by synthesizing simple sugars (glucose) from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis is the process that converts sunlight energy, water and carbon dioxide into our primary source of fuel-glucose. The byproduct of photosynthesis is free-oxygen. Chlorophyll to plants is like blood to humans. All animals and humans obtain their life-sustaining energy supply from plants, making photosynthesis to be (one of) the sources of all life. Without plants there would be no life.
It is very interesting as to how closely chlorophyll resembles our red blood cells, known as hemoglobin, the pigment that gives our blood it red color as well as its oxygen carrying capacity. The hemoglobin of the red blood cell and the chlorophyll of the plant are identical in molecular structure, with the only difference being the center atom. Hemoglobin uses an Iron (Fe) atom to carry oxygen where as chlorophyll uses Magnesium (Mg) as an oxygen carrier. This is the reason chlorophyll has been referred to as “the green blood of plants.” With that said, let’s explore some of its health benefits for us.
Some Health Benefits of Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll has known to provide health benefits to those who take them because of its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
*Elimination of chronic foot pain related to plantar fasciitis
*It has been seen to help in the growth and repair of tissues.
*Helps in neutralizing the pollution that we breathe in and intake everyday.
*Balances body acid-alkali level
*Assist red blood cells generation to ensure sufficient oxygen and nutrients for cell regeneration
*Reduces wrinkles and aging- it acts as a superb antioxidant to help support the body in maintaining healthy tissue and fighting the effect of aging, the results are smoother skin, clearer complexion and youthful looks.
*It is also found to be useful in assimilation and chelating calcium and other heavy minerals
*Chlorophyll is also an effective deodorizer to reduce bad breath, urine, fecal waste, and body odor.
*It has antimutagenic and anti-carinogenic properties so that it may be helpful in protecting your body against toxins and in reducing drug side effects.
These are a few of the many benefits that chlorophyll can do to the body.
Chlorophyll is rich in:
Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Protein, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pantohenic Acid, Calcium, Chromium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium and Iron
While dietary supplements are available, many people opt to get plenty of chlorophyll in their diets by simply eating plenty of leafy green vegetable. If you decide to go with a supplement, remember that it is a natural chemical, it’s not toxic, it’s safe and soothing to the body, and it is also safe to take for people of all ages. It is not a medication, it’s a food supplement. Also, chlorophyll is a whole food.
I hope this was informative for all.
Have a great week!
FYI
FYI
Taking care of the World is in fact taking care of us!
Twenty years ago before I became vegetarian I had to decide which type vegetarian I would be comfortable with. So, I headed to the library to check out tons of books to research the subject. When I made up my mind to become vegetarian, I knew there had to be more then one type of vegetarian besides the strict vegetarian.
Today more types have been identified and added to the vegetarian category. I’m going to share some of the different types of vegetarians, so sit tight!
The Different Types of Vegetarians
Semi-vegetarian
Semi-vegetarians are those whose cutting back on the meat intake but enjoy a diet of mostly vegetables.
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians do not consume any animal flesh at all, but they do eat eggs and dairy products
Lacto-vegetarian
Lacto-vegetarians exclude meat, poultry, fish and eggs and any foods containing animal products. However they do eat dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarian
Ovo-vegetarian excludes meats and dairy but will eat eggs
Vegan
Vegans do not eat, wear, use, purchase or consume animal products of any kind vegans diets include fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, fungi-mushrooms and yeast, oils and everything that’s plant derived. Vegan cook and bake just as anyone else would.
Raw vegan
Raw vegans follow the same plant base diet as the vegan, however the diet is RAW. Raw vegans take their foods raw; they do not heat their food above 115 degrees F because they believe that heating above 115 degree F will diminish the nutritional value of the food.
Fruitarians
Fruitarians is the same as vegans but they only eat foods that don’t kill the plants, such as apples, oranges, nuts, beans, grains etc.
Macrobiotic Diets
These people whose adhere to a macrobiotic diet includes unprocessed vegan foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables but allow seafood occasionally, sugar and refined oils are avoided.
If you are considering becoming vegetarian you have a good variety that will keep you eating healthy and improving your quality of life. Pick and choose…
The Green Angel Blog
Becoming Vegetarian
I became vegetarian because I wanted to live a better and higher quality of life, and being vegetarian, with that goal in mind made it easy and I was always encouraged to continue on this path to optimum health.
I started out over 20 years ago becoming aware of meats and its effects on the body, as I got into the research and study of the benefits of being vegetarian, I was hooked. Over the years of homeschooling my children, we all became vegetarians and I remain the veggie eater to this day. As I am in my mid 40’s now, I am blessed to be pain free and within my perfect weight category for my age and height. I am pretty energized and flexible as well.
My choice of becoming vegetarian and practicing the lifestyle has truly proven beneficial to me. I feel great, I am light on my feet, and my body is operating with less stress of having to process the meats. I am lacto-ovo-vegetarian which means I exclude meat, poultry, and fish out of my diet but include dairy products and eggs.
The fact that a vegetarian diet has proven to be beneficial in lowering your risks for developing heart disease, colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancer, diabetes, obesity and hypertension was a no brainer for me in making my choice to stick to it. However, I am not only vegetarian, I am health conscience, and being health conscience is more than just following a vegetarian diet. Being health conscience means that I am conscience of what I am eating, how much I am eating and the benefits if offer. The bottom line for me is that being health conscience is eating to live. Now, this doesn’t mean that I don’t have a sweet tooth; I am just conscience of the choices I make to satisfy my sweet craving.
Consciousness is key for me, what about you?
