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We all know that greens are good for us - to eat, juice, take intravenously - ok, that last one is taking it a bit far, but you get the idea. Greens are good for you. You need them, so get them.

One of the powerhouse ways that I like to get my greens (& soooo many other healthy essentials, like enzymes, probiotics, liver support, etc.) is with Green Vibrance from Vibrant Health.

Get Your DAILY Greens

Some people juice their greens or take a green powder because they have a true aversion to eating their green vegetables. That's not me. Broccoli is my favorite vegetable - I don't only crave it, I get excited about eating it just like I get excited about eating brownies. I know this is only one of the many ways that I am not normal, but I'm comfortable with that. At least this is one of those areas where my "lack of normal" is exceptionally helpful to me and my health. Still, with my love of broccoli, kale, spinach, collards, and so many other wonderfully green foods - I know that it's hard to get a truly amazing dose of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that these greens pack in every single day. That's one of the reasons that Green Vibrance is on my Healthy Essentials list.

What Are The Best Greens To Get And Why?

I've tried many greens throughout the years. I've had barely-there greens, swampy-slime greens, "are-you-sure-this-is-green??" greens...you get the idea. I've found greens that were disgusting, but since they were packed with good nutrients, I suffered through them. ("Bitter-beer face" has nothing on my "Oh my word, what was that!?!" greens face.) I've had greens that tasted good, but found that I was paying too much for them. Why? Simple - the lighter taste came with lighter nutrients (fillers made them more palatable and took the space of the nutrients I was trying to get).

I have found a few greens that fit the requirements of being nutrient dense while still having decent flavor. My favorite of all of these greens is Green Vibrance, and here's some of the reasons why:

• Cost of Greens
• Mix of Greens (land and sea)
• More Than Just Greens (probiotics, enzymes, multi-vitamin)
• Taste of Greens
• Easy Mixing of Greens

(Click one of the links above to take you directly to that reason why I choose Green Vibrance.)

Cost of Greens (Relatively)

A Little Over $1 A Day

Before we go into detail of each of the above reasons I take Green Vibrance over any other green, let's deal with the expense. I get a 60 serving container of Green Vibrance from iHerb for around $68 (depends on discount). First, for those looking to try it and are new to iHerb, you can get a $10 discount off of your first order of $40 or more by following this iHerb link or putting in the code tas065 when you order. Next, let's look at why $68 is actually a great deal.

That's a little over $1 a day. A head of lettuce costs about $1 a day and has a great deal less nutrients, but there's more...keep reading.

Saving On Products It Replaces

It replaces other products for me: Food-Based Multi-Vitamin, Probiotics, Prebiotics and More (see More Than Just Greens below for more details). That's a huge reduction in overall cost. Getting more products from one source saves money. If you're looking into greens, then you care about your health. A good food-based multi-vitamin and probiotics are central to your health. Green Vibrance covers those needs as well as many other supplements you may or may not already be taking, but could certainly benefit from.

Where Else Are You Spending It?

Cup of coffee - It's an example that we've all heard or seen applied many times to other things. I hate to be cliché, but it's still true, so it bears pointing out. If you're willing to pay $1 for a cup of coffee (or a snack), shouldn't you be willing to pay around $1 for your health? It really is that simple.

You Genuinely Don't Have The Money

I've had friends that genuinely didn't have the money to pay $1 a day (especially per person when looking to the health of their family). I understood then and I understand now, if that's your situation. I'll tell you what I told her: Buy it and take 1/2 a dose. 1/2 of the serving is still going to do a great deal more for your health than any other product. 1/2 of a nutrient-dense, multi-health formula is still going to do wonders for you and your family. Just because you can't do everything, doesn't mean you can't do anything - remember that!

Just because you can't do everything, doesn't mean you can't do anything -
Remember that!Natasha Renée Hayes

Green Vibrance: Mix of Greens (get a mix of greens in one place)

One of the reasons that I like taking Green Vibrance vs. juicing my greens or taking a simple powdered spirulina is the mix of greens. We all know that different foods have different amounts and spectrums of nutrients. We understand that though a carrot and a clementine are both orange, they're not made up of the same stuff. Sure, they might have some of the same nutrients, but not all of them. This is no difference when looking at sources of greens. That's why I like to mix it up.

Green Vibrance takes a collection of greens from different sources (land and sea) and puts them together into one product:

• Certified organic Barley grass juice powder
• Certified organic Oat grass juice powder
• Certified organic Kamut grass juice powder
• Certified organic Wheat grass juice powder
• Certified organic Spirulina powder
• Chlorella (pharmaceutical grade)
• Certified organic Parsley
• Certified organic Spinach
• Certified organic Alfalfa sprout powder
• Certified organic Broccoli sprout powder
• Freeze dried Green Bean powder
• Freeze dried Zucchini powder
• Certified organic Kelp (sea vegetable)
• Certified organic Rockweed (sea vegetable)
• Certified organic Alaria (sea vegetable)

Green Vibrance: More Than Just Greens

I'm always interested in getting more of my needs met in one place - especially when it comes to purchasing products. (I like clothes that can be dressed up or down, a purse that doubles as a briefcase, a cake plate that becomes a punch bowl - Multi-purpose, baby - that's what I like!) Multi-purpose makes things easier to buy, store and travel with, and it usually saves money. All of those apply with Green Vibrance.

Green Vibrance has more than just greens. It also has:

• Multi-Vitamins
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Enzymes
• Liver Support
• Lecithin
• Antioxidants
• Immune Boosters
• Bones Support
• Circulation Support

(Click one of the links above to take you directly to that added nutrient in Green Vibrance.)

Greens Plus Multi-Vitamin Replacement

The first time-saver, money saver and storage saver that Green Vibrance gives me is the multi-vitamin. First, please know that all multi-vitamins are not created equal - it all depends on the source of the vitamins. That's why I always get my vitamins sourced from natural foods.

If you're looking for a multi-vitamin, I can strongly suggest Garden of Life's Raw One Multi-Vitamin for Women, or Garden of Life's Raw One Multi-Vitamin for Men. These are the multi-vitamins we used to take (and still do, depending on our current nutrition, travel and lifestyle needs). When we're at home, or traveling to stay somewhere for an extended period of time, we use the Green Vibrance instead. It gives us all of the vitamins we were getting in the Raw One Multi, with the exception of some B-Vitamins. To make up for this lack, we find it easiest to simply supplement with a good B-Complex. You can get one here.

Feel free to follow this link and compare the breakdown of vitamins for yourself. The breakdown of vitamins in Green Vibrance is below:

• Vitamin A from beta carotene (4,764 IU)
• Vitamin C (45.5 mg)
• Vitamin D3 from Lichen (2,000 IU)
• Vitamin E water dispersible d-alpha-tocopherol acetate (100 IU)
• Vitamin K (124 mcg)
• Vitamin B12 (2.66 mcg)
• Calcium (106 mg)
• Iron (3.74 mg)
• Magnesium (27 mg)
• Selenium from Orgen-SE mustard seed ext. cert, organic (50 mcg)
• Chromium from Indian mustard, hydroponically grown (80 mcg)
• Sodium (46.7 mg)
• Potassium (203 mg)

Greens Plus Probiotics

• Lactobacillus acidophilus HA-122 (2.5 billion)
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus HA-111 (2.5 billion)
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus B, HA-114 (2.5 billion)
• Lactobacillus paracasei HA-108 (2.5 billion)
• Lactobacillus plantarum HA-119 (2.5 billion)
• Bifidobacterium breve, HA-129 (2.5 billion)
• Bifidobacterium longum, HA-135 (2.5 billion)
• Lactococcus lactis HA-136 (2.5 billion)
• Propionibacterium shermanii HA-182 (1.25 billion)
• Bifidobacterium bifidum HA-132 (1.25 billion)
• Streptococcus thermophilus HA-110 (0.75 billion)
• Lactococcus helveticus HA-128 (0.5 billion)

Greens Plus Prebiotics and Fiber

• Larch arabinogalactans FiberAid (600 mg)
• Fructo-oligosaccharides (600 mg)
• Stabilized brown rice bran (500 mg)
• Whole apple powder certified organic (400 mg)
• Milled Flaxseed concentrate non-GMO, de-oiled certified organic (200 mg)
• Apricot fruit powder (90 mg)

Greens Plus Enzymes

• Protease 4.5, Aspergillus oryzae (500 HUT)
• Protease 6.0, Aspergillus oryzae (400 HUT)
• Lipase Aspergillus niger (300 FIP)
• Amylase Aspergillus oryzae (400 DU)
• Invertase Saccharomyces cerevisiae (75 SU)
• Cellulase Trichoderma longibrachiatum (500 CU)

Greens Plus Liver Support

• Alma fruit powder (100 mg)
• Silymarin milk thistle seed extract, Silibum marianum 80% silybin (60 mg)
• Carrot root extract 4:1 (50 mg)
• Chicory root extract 4:1 (50 mg)
• Dandelion root extract 4:1 (50 mg)
• Chicory root powder certified organic (25 mg)
• Gentian root extract 4:1 (15 mg)

Greens Plus Antioxidants

• Amla fruit powder (100 mg.)
• Whole freeze dried strawberry (250 mg)
• Goji berry juice powder (150 mg.)
• Vitamin E (143 mg./100 i.u.)
• Silymarin standardized extract (60 mg.)
• Ginkgo biloba standardized extract (20 mg.)
• Green tea catechins standardized extract (20 mg.)
• Grape seed standardized OPC extract (20 mg.)
• Grape skin extract (20 mg.)
• Pomegranate extract, 40% ellagic acid (20 mg.)
• Schizandra berry extract, 2% schizandrin (100 mg)
• Acerola berry juice powder (200 mg.)
• Tomato concentrate, 2% lycopene (100 mg.)
• Pluss all the carotenoids from cereal grass juice powders, algae, and Apricot
• Plus uncounted milligrams of polyphenols from green food components and tocotrienols from stabilized rice bran.

Greens Plus Lecithin

Lecithin is good for many things, including a cell membrane and nerve support.

• Sunflower lecithin powder (non-GMO) 98% oil-free 700 mg

Greens Plus Immune Boosters

• Elutherecoccus senticossus standardized extract
• Suma extract
• Astragalus membranaceus standardized extract
• Schizandra berry extract, 2% schizandrin
• Vitamin E
• FiberAid arabinogalactan
• ResistAid arabinogalactan
• Beta-1,3-1,6 glucans

Greens Plus Bone Health Support

• CALZBONE Cissus quadrangularis extract
• Phyto-Boron
• Vitamin D3 in alfalfa base
• Plant calcium

Greens Plus Circulation Support

• Sunflower Lecithin powder
• Vitamin E
• Silymarin standardized extract
• Ginkgo biloba standardized extract
• Green tea catechins standardized extract
• Grape seed standardized OPC extract
• Pomegranate extract (40% ellagic acid)

Taste of Greens

If it's disgusting, you're not going to keep drinking it. Taste is important. Green Vibrance is that it doesn't have any off-putting tastes. There's nothing that stands out and it doesn't taste like swamp water (though it does look like it).

Sweet or Salty?

Taste is about more than palatability - it also has to do with flavor. I've had greens that tasted fine because they added stevia, so they were a little sweet. This is great, if you like sweet. If you don't? Good luck.

One of my reader's pointed out that she gets really tired of sweet things and would love to have her greens salty. That's one of the things that I like about Green Vibrance (other than the no disgusting flavors) - they don't add any sweeteners. That gives me control of flavors. If I want it sweet, I add a scoop of Stevia or mix it with a chilled juice or herbal tea. (Yes - it tastes better cold.) If I want it salty, I add salt, maybe even garlic or mix it with a Raw Gazpacho Juice Recipe, or chilled broth. The point is, you control the flavor. Sweet or Salty? Your choice.

Greens: Easy Mixing

If you've ever had the experience of chewing the chunks in your greens or getting a burst of powder that didn't get blended, you appreciate the importance of a green that mixes well.

I find it easiest to have my greens "shaken, not stirred".  To accomplish that, I use this simple little shaker cup I picked up from Vitamin Shoppe. If you have trouble finding one (I can't find them online), here are a few more options you could pick from. Just click on the image, and it'll take you to it on Amazon.

I particularly like BlenderBottle GoStak Twist n' Lock Storage Jars. You can take your greens and a few servings of protein all to be used in the same bottle! (I told you I like multi-purpose.) For the moms and dads out there, you could even use a sippy cup. Just make sure to take out the filter first, put a finger over the sipping area and wash when done. I certainly don't want to get any of you into trouble with this suggestion. Hey, it's all about using what you have (again with the multi-purpose!).

What About You?

Do you take greens? What do you use? What do you like and dislike about it? Give us tips. Tell us your success stories and your horror stories. We can help each other out...or at least have a good laugh together. Come on...tell me all about it. ;)

Health - A Gift To Yourself and Others

There are a lot of great books out there and continuing our education on the health of our bodies is a must. No matter how many books I read, however, this one - Never Be Sick Again, by Raymond Francis, M.Sc., - seems to capture and lay the foundation for about every single problem we have, in regards to our health. You really need to read the whole book to get all that it has, but I'll give you the two main concepts to healing and never being sick:

1. Detox - get rid of the poisons that afflict your body so that it can heal itself
2. Nourish - give your body the tools it needs to heal itself

These two concepts are simple and so obvious when we think about it. Get rid of the bad and bring in the good.

Note: These concepts are largely preventative maintenance. Once someone is sick, more may be needed for healing. It's important to remember, however, that what is needed to prevent a problem is still needed when “fixing” the problem, so the foundation for healing an illness is the same as preventing it.

Detox: Get Rid of the Bad

The body is designed to self heal. There are things, however, that can block the body from maximum performance and healing. We come into contact with things everyday that our bodies need to filter and dispose of. A clog in one of these filters can result in serious health problems.

There's only so much time and energy the body has to spend on maintaining itself. The more it spends on getting rid of the garbage, the less it has for repairs. Without regular repairs, things begin to function at a lower level or even shut down. It's important to limit our exposure to toxic substances, take steps to clean out our body's filters, and aid it in the regular elimination of unwanted substances.

Nourish: Bring in the Good

Again, the body is designed to self heal. Don't mistake that to mean, however, that it doesn't need tools to do that. We wouldn't need to eat if our bodies didn't require specific nutrients to live. Proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats - these are all needed to maintain and repair your body.

What About You?

What steps do you take to never be sick again?

Do you know one?

We almost all know some person or family that is so “healthy” - they don't use chemical cleaning products, only eat organic foods, etc. - and yet they always seem to be battling one ailment or another. They are some of the sickest “healthy” people we know. Why?

It Takes Two

As we talked about in our last post, Never Be Sick Again, there are two main things needed to achieve this goal:

1. Detox - get rid of the bad, toxic substances within the body and home
2. Nourish - bring in the good nutrients the body needs to heal itself

Sick “healthy” people usually make one major mistake - their focus is one-sided. They understand getting rid of the bad, but forget the importance of bringing in the good.

Organic Mac & Cheese

Here's a classic example: Organic mac & cheese.  See, they've made the “healthy” choice. They've stopped eating foods grown with chemicals and hormones. They're eating “natural”. There's only one problem: their bodies are starving. They've taken out the bad things, but they haven't replaced it with the nourishing foods their bodies need. (Nothing against organic mac & cheese - let's just recognize that it's a comfort food, not a nourishing one.)

Organic vs. Natural

I love the concept of organic food and encourage people to, whenever possible, eat organic or locally, naturally grown (no pesticides) foods. It's more important, however, that your meals are filled with nutrient-dense foods then chemical-free ones. You can keep the machine clean, but if you don't give it any fuel, it still won't run. If the only apple you can buy has been grown with chemicals - then buy it, wash it and nourish your body with it. It's amazing how much better our bodies can deal with the toxins when it gets the nutrients needed to function properly.

**Note** No all foods grown without chemicals are marked “organic”. See our post Organic vs. Naturally Grown for more information.

What About You?

Do you know any sick “healthy” people? Have you been one yourself? What things were missing?