Going green carries the promise of health benefits, whether they are dietary or planetary. One remedy that regularly appears in health food trends is liquid green. Green health drinks have been credited with everything from cures for cancer to super weight loss potions. There are benefits to drinking green. But it's prudent to examine the claims for drinks and supplements before relying on them as a significant part of a healthy diet.
Green Juice
A juicer is a high tech way to squeeze the life force out of fruits and vegetables for a quick hit of nutrition. Apples, celery, grapes, some leafy greens, even grasses, turn into a glass of juice with nutrients intact. You can pack in a lot of nutrition with green juice but you won't be getting any fiber and the sugars will go directly into your bloodstream. Green juice can be a healthy drink although it isn't a substitute for a balanced diet. New York University Langone Medical Center says green wheat grass juice, a popular health food remedy, has not been adequately tested as a preventive or cure for disease.
Green Smoothie
Get out your blender and pulverize a healthy diet drink. Blended fruits and vegetables in a green smoothie are tasty, loaded with fiber and filling. Blending a raw veggie and fruit drink into a vibrant green shake is easy and fairly quick and can be supplemented with extra fiber like psyllium powder or protein powder. A green smoothie is the painless way to eat your veggies, all the multiple portions recommended for a daily healthy diet. Mehmet Oz, M.D., a doctor at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, health care host and author, makes a green smoothie with spinach, cucumber, celery, ginger root, parsley, apples, lime and lemon. There are as many possible recipes as you have imagination, fruits and vegetables to create.
Green Powder
When you can't grow, juice or brew -- mix it. Green powders used to make health supplements can be added to juices or food or dissolved in water for a green drink. One powder, a dried blue-green algae called spirulina, has shown some promise as a practical remedy for various illnesses but is still in early stages of testing with no definitive medically proven results. According to New York University Langone Medical Center, spirulina is high in B vitamins, carotenoids and essential minerals and is loaded with protein. However, sufficient protein for good nutrition is more easily obtained from traditional sources like animal food and soy. There is some limited evidence that spirulina may help fibromyalgia and unsubstantiated claims that it aids in weight loss.
Green Tea
Green tea is one of the most imbibed drinks on the planet and has a scientifically endorsed reputation for conferring healthful benefits when drunk regularly. Harvard Medical Center attributes green tea's benefits to its flavonoids that are powerful antioxidants, the substances that help protect the body from serious degenerative disease. Green tea lowers the chance of heart disease by inhibiting bad cholesterol and encouraging good cholesterol, says Harvard Medical School. Brew green tea fresh and drink three cups a day for maximum benefits.
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