Get ready for “Quarantine Fifteen” Tip 2.
Note: The "Quarantine Fifteen" tips are focusing primarily on two things: the immune system and preventing weight-gain since they can work in tandem.
Like we talked about last week, “Quarantine Fifteen” is the new term all over the web that's referring to many people gaining extra pounds around the waistline due in part to a less active lifestyle during the COVID-19 global pandemic. We talked about how stress, unexpectedly, can lead to weight gain due to a toxic bio-chemical reaction in the body. If you have yet to read Tip 1 then click here since this is important stuff that undoubtedly will have a massive influence on your immune system - and potential weight-gain that you don't want, too.
Now for "Quarantine fifteen" Tip 2, the question is, what are the most important foods to add to your diet for achieving a strong immune system and preventing unwanted weight-gain? There are, of course, many health enhancing foods, but there's one in particular that we are now going to zero in on - green foods.
When we’re talking about green foods, we’re talking about foods like kale, arugula, chard, mustard greens, collard greens, parsley, cilantro, spinach, basil, broccoli, and blue-green algae. What makes these foods vitally important for a healthy diet? There are two reasons and one might surprise you. The first is obvious: green foods are rich in nutrients, especially the ones that help the body to maintain its youth and vitality. But the second reason often gets overlooked. Green foods are essential for eliminating toxins from the body. And this is a bigger deal than you might realize. Think about it. Our bodies are bombarded with toxins every day, especially here in the twenty-first century. In the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, we’re exposed to impurities that people never had to worry about before. Quite simply, their impact is huge!
Note - if you've read my book, Infinity Health Manual (which is free right now in support everyone's betterment during this pandemic), you know how much I spotlight green foods due to their extraordinary health-enhancing value that is unlike anything else.
The Magic Behind Green Foods
What specifically is it about greens that gives them the unmatched power to cleanse and restore our bodies from toxins? A little something you might remember from high school biology: chlorophyll. This is the magical element in green foods. (It’s also what makes them green.) It’s the chlorophyll itself that bonds to toxins in your body, enabling them to be eliminated via the gastrointestinal system. This is indeed a critical means of avoiding the buildup of toxins in your body. Consider that it’s the buildup of toxins that’s a primary instigator of reducing the immune system making the body vulnerable to disease.
The Weight-Loss Connection
Interestingly, bodily fat attempts to protect the body from toxins, too. This is a little-known reason that losing weight can be so hard. Collectively, fat cells absorb toxins from the bloodstream for the sake of protecting vital organs. It’s a temporary form of self defense. The problem is that when the body needs to later burn this “toxic fat-fuel” for energy, it becomes reluctant to do so because that means toxins would go back into the bloodstream (which would then cause wear and tear on organs in the body). So let green foods fulfill their vital role of removing toxins, making way for fat to be burned as fuel.
Additionally, green foods are very low calorie, and this factor coupled with the nutrient density makes way for satisfying the appetite with fewer calories. Naturally, this enhances the potential for weight loss (which, statistically, should be a priority for more people than not - now, more than ever).
Keep it Simple
So from a dietary standpoint, think “clean and green.” Introduce more dark green foods into your diet to get your chlorophyll and vital nutrients. How about salads? Well, sure. But don’t make the common mistake of fooling yourself into thinking a salad of lettuce with a couple of wedges of tomato covered with packaged salad dressing is going to do the trick. We’re talking unadulterated dark greens. And keep it simple. Why not go hand to mouth? That’s what I do. Grab a few large leaves of kale or chard or a couple handfuls of spinach or arugula or any other leafy greens and chow down. You can eat greens just as they are.
Personally, I find greens to be tasty (they most certainly don’t taste bad) and see little reason to add anything to them. But if you want to toss a little homemade healthy salad dressing into the mix, have at it. Olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and cayenne. Simple. A tried and true classic. (Please don’t even bother with the packaged salad dressings which are nothing more than unhealthy entertainment. What the heck is ranch dressing, anyway? Ever read the ingredients of those dressings? Straight up junk food! Even the “natural” ones.)
Then there is my homemade "green sauce". This is one of my favorite recipes and one that we should all be making. You put the same salad dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and cayenne) into the blender with raw greens like spinach or kale. An advantage of this is it makes these foods easy to digest. At times, the coarser green foods can actually be a little hard for the body to break down. It’s cellulose that gives plants their rigidity so they don’t just flop over in the dirt. Blending them essentially breaks down the cellulose walls which makes them easy to digest and maintains the chlorophyll. This recipe tastes amazing and is brilliant as a sauce over other cooked foods, or as a dip.
Have your greens both cooked and raw: I cook my greens about half of the time. Steam them, sauté them, put ‘em in soups. You’ll lose some of the chlorophyll, but when cooked (or blended), the minerals actually become more easily absorbable. For raw greens, have the majority of these as the “baby greens” that are softer, making them easier to digest.
As for how much green food to have in your daily diet, definitely more than just a sprits of greens on your sandwich. A simple and reliable gauge is the “large handful.” This is another thing with which your instinctive wisdom can play an outstanding role. These foods have been in the human diet for many thousands of years. So your body knows. Trust those instincts.
Blue-Green Algae
Even among the healthiest green foods, there’s one group that deserves extra attention. Based on my nutrition research and experience, I rank blue-green algae at the top of the ladder of the most health enhancing foods in the world. Interestingly, algae were the very first life on earth—beginning three and a half billion years ago. Essentially, algae are the ancient foundation of our food chain. It’s fascinating that now we’re turning back to the very first food on earth for nutritional support.
There are thousands of different algae, most of which can’t be consumed. However, edible varieties of algae have been in the human diet as far back as recorded history will take us—and all over the world—except for the last few hundred years in the Western world. Only recently have we begun hearing a lot more about the nutritive attributes of algae. Why this recent interest? Because algae have the highest concentration of chlorophyll of any food you can name.
Numerous blind studies have proven the significant nutritive and restorative value of these algae. There are countless studies that have proven algae to protect the body from an array of diseases due to the unparalleled chlorophyll content. This of course is the reason blue-green algae is the fundamental ingredient in Infinity Greens. Yes, I'm definitely endorsing Infinity Greens, but for factual reason. In essence, the purpose of Infinity Greens is detoxification and making the body resilient to disease.
Here is a brief summary of what makes each of the three algae of Infinity Greens so important:
Klamath algae is recognized for its extraordinary support of the nervous system. Klamath algae metabolizes nitrogen in the body which stimulates the production of more neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are the link that carries messages from the brain to the body and then from the body back to the brain. In addition, anecdotal reports consistently attribute Klamath algae consumption to an increase in mental alertness and memory retention.
Spirulina is among the few richest sources of beta-carotene, which is reputed to be an important anti-cancer antioxidant. Beta-carotene is also an anti-inflammatory. Like we talked about last week, natural anti-inflammatories are a vital part of disease prevention simply because strong circulation throughout the body is how organs are nourished and detoxed. Spirulina is also notably high in iron, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and phosphorus, all of which play a tremendous role in our overall health and longevity.
Chlorella shines in its ability to enhance detoxification. Of all algae, chlorella is at the very top of the totem pole in terms of chlorophyll content. Along with detoxification, the high chlorophyll content supports oxygenation of our blood and consequent energy production in all cells (O2 = life-force). So, naturally, chlorella enhances physical stamina and energy, too. Studies have also proven chlorella reduces blood pressure and lowers cholesterol. Interestingly, the causes behind these benefits of chlorella have not yet been fully understood. Oh, the mysteries of nature!
I truly feel algae can play a significant role in our diet, and I’m confident the world will better understand why these foods are so important in the near future - especially since this is now a desperate need. Bottom line—gram for gram, algae have concentrations of nutrients unmatched by anything else.
I truly believe algae are literally the antidote for us overfed, yet undernourished, modern humans. It is worth noting that today, even unprocessed plant foods do not have the same nutrient content they did just a few decades ago because of the soil depletion from mass agriculture. However, this is not the case for algae! It’s the same extraordinary nutrition that it was three and a half billion years ago.
I believe that before long, algae will be a much better understood and more utilized food on a global scale. Truly, I am confident that maintaining algae as a regular part of your diet via Infinity Greens will be of unmatched health-enhancing value that you will never regret. Just a daily smoothie. Easy. Or are you traveling? Take the capsules.
I will share with you here that in the 1970s, grass supplements like wheat grass and barley grass came about as a low-budget green food. The theory was “greens for pennies.” But unfortunately the pretty price of grass supplements comes with drawbacks. Yes, grasses have some chlorophyll but nothing even close to that of algae. What many people are unaware of is that wheat grass (even juiced) is hard to digest and can be weakening for the gastrointestinal system. I say “pass” on these products. Algae and all other green foods are superior to wheat grass. The very reason blue-green algae is the foundation of Infinity Greens.
To sum it all up, introducing the right greens into your diet, ones that are high in chlorophyll and nutrients—whether kale, spinach, or algae—is about much more than just "quarantine fifteen". You know, it’s interesting how our modern diets focus so heavily on getting the “right” calories for weight loss. But think about it. That's only half the picture. The other half is getting the toxic funk out! Removing the wear and tear from your invaluable well-being makes it well worth the small effort of adding more chlorophyll-rich green foods to your diet. The main idea here is, we are honing a diet to 1) enable the body to rejuvenate faster than it would break down 2) become resilient to disease and 3) become lean. And greens are a vital link to it all.
Now that you have the understanding, all it takes is a little discipline to take the high-road with your diet, in terms of self-betterment. But remember, consistency is key. At times it can seem the improvement is like watching grass grow, but it won't take long, either, before it all adds up to becoming a better You.
Also remember you can be a shining example of just what's possible with your health - right now, better understanding of how to be healthy is a desperate need in the world. Hooray for the healing powers of the human spirit of which you are a vital part!
