Spirulina: The Complete Plant Based Protein Source | Health Benefits

18 May 2021

Spirulina is one of the oldest life forms on earth known for the longest as an endurance booster.

It is in fact among the most popular health supplements in today’s time considering it is one of the first plant-based foods in the human diet. Surprising right?

But what actually makes this ingredient a star among the ‘complete protein’ plant-based food sources? And does it even stand up to the fame it receives?

Well, here’s our effort to give you evidence around spirulina’s health benefits and the status it holds.

Spirulina: The Nutrient-Dense Food

Spirulina happens to be a superfood high in many nutrients.

Let’s have a look at its origin?

A type of cyanobacteria, originally from the family of single-celled microbes known as the blue-green algae. This is an organism that grows both in fresh and saltwater

What makes it plant-based is its ability to produce energy from sunlight through photosynthesis.

Lesser-Known Fact:

Spirulina gained massive popularity when NASA used it as a dietary supplement for astronauts on space missions. Really cool right?

It has to be its ability to regulate immune functions and its anti-inflammatory properties which take place by the release of histamine by mast cells.

What about the ideal dosage?

One can opt for a standard dose of 1-3g of this green superfood but this can go up to 10g per day. Here’s a look at the nutrient profile of 10g of dried spirulina powder:

Protein: 5.7 g

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 22% of the RDA

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 33% of the RDA

Vitamin B3 (niacin): 9% of the RDA

Copper: 68% of the RDA

Iron: 15-16% of the RDA

Calories: 29

Carbs: 2.0g

Moreover, this superfood actually includes almost some amount of every other nutrient that you need along with an optimal amount of magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

Here’s a suggestion! If you are looking to skip eggs, spirulina could be a great replacement for a comparable amount of protein considering it also has all essential amino acids required by the body.

Spirulina: The Powerful Antioxidant With Anti-Inflammatory Properties

As we mentioned earlier, it is because of the anti-inflammatory properties that even NASA considered it as a superfood for astronauts.

Here’s what you need to know!

Chronic inflammation happens as oxidative damage harms our DNA and cells, resulting in diseases sometimes as lethal as cancer.

The presence of antioxidants in spirulina help protect against this oxidative damage.

Interesting fact:

The antioxidant substance ‘phycocyanin’ happens to be the main component and gives spirulina the unique blue-green color.

Health Impact Of Spirulina:

A lot of people are using this superfood that can improve heart health further reducing risks of heart diseases.

For those of you who aren’t aware of its powerful health benefits, studies on spirulina have shown that it lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels. It also increases “good” HDL cholesterol impacting heart health in a positive way.

Let us provide scientific evidence to build your trust-

Although most studies have shown favorable results mainly with a dosage of 4.5-8g per day yet,

A study was conducted on 25 people who were suffering from type 2 diabetes. It was later discovered that only 2g of spirulina per day, significantly showed a reduction in the blood sugar levels.

There was another study on people with high cholesterol which determined that 1 g of spirulina per day resulted in lowered triglycerides by 16.3%. Furthermore, there was a reduction in the “bad” LDL by 10.1%.

In addition, research has shown that spirulina may have anti-cancer properties and is especially effective against a type of precancerous lesion of the mouth called OSMF.

Spirulina May Improve Muscle Strength & Endurance:

Often experience muscle fatigue when exercising? The reason is exercise-induced oxidative damage.

People into fitness and athletics consume plant-based foods with antioxidants to minimize this damage.

Few studies emerged showing spirulina as food for significantly reducing the fatigue time and improving muscle strength and endurance.

Can Spirulina Reduce Blood Pressure?

Heart attack, strokes, and chronic kidney disease are some of the serious diseases driven by high blood pressure. An optimal amount of spirulina for e.g. 4.5g-8g per day has shown to reduce blood pressure in individuals with normal levels.

What might be the possible reason behind this reduction in blood pressure?

Spirulina leads to an increase in the production of nitric oxide (that is otherwise massively produced by plant-based sources like beetroot which are rich in nitrates that convert to nitric oxide) leading to a lowered blood pressure.

Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule that aids blood vessels to relax and dilate, positively affecting blood levels.

The Final Verdict:

Spirulina’s title as a superfood that is ‘nutrient-dense stands true along with the crazy health benefits it has to offer.

As mentioned above, spirulina suppresses oxidation while reducing blood pressure and lowering blood sugar. It also improves blood lipids and may have anti-cancer properties.

One can simply consume spirulina in tablets and powder form. There are supplements widely available and used for their amazing health benefits.

If you want the goodness of spirulina along with other green vitamins then you can check out bGreen’s super greens and fruits that help you bridge the daily gap in your nutrition.

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7 Meal Prep Tips For A Week Of Nutritious Eating

If you've ever found yourself scrambling to put together a meal or settling for that oh-so-tempting takeout after a long day, trust us, you're not alone. But what if we told you that with a dash of planning, a sprinkle of effort, and our trusted tips, you could sail smoothly into a week of nutritious eating? Buckle up, folks; it's time to dive into the wondrous world of meal prep! 7 Meal Prep Tips You Should Know Healthy eating is the key to healthy living. And in order to eat mindfully, we need to follow this life-saving meal preparations tips. Not only are they super easy, but they also have ingredients readily available in your kitchen. Let's have a deeper look: #1 Let's Get Organized: The Meal Plan Blueprint 📝 Every culinary adventure begins with a well-constructed plan. Start by sketching out a weekly meal plan. Consider: How many meals do you need each day? If you're aiming for three full meals and two snacks, jot that down. Dietary restrictions or goals: Whether you're vegan, low-carb, or trying to incorporate more fiber, these guidelines will shape your choices. Ingredients already in the pantry: No need to buy another bag of quinoa if you've already got one. Having a visual representation streamlines your grocery shopping, reduces waste, and discourages impulsive, unhealthy choices. Tip: Use apps or printable templates to make this process even smoother! #2 Quality Containers: Your Meal's Protective Shield 🛡️ The right containers can be the difference between a soggy salad and a crisp one. Good quality, airtight containers Keep food fresher for longer Prevent messy spills Aid in portion control. We're huge fans of glass containers. They're eco-friendly, microwave-safe, and honestly, your meal just looks more inviting in them! Mistake to avoid: Using damaged containers. Even a small crack can let air in, compromising your food's freshness. #3 Embrace the Batch Cooking Bonanza 🥘 Designate specific days as your cooking days — maybe Sundays and Wednesdays. Prepare large batches of versatile basics such as: Grains: Quinoa, brown rice, or bulgur Proteins: Grilled chicken, tofu, beans, or lentils Veggies: A mix of steamed broccoli, roasted bell peppers, and blanched spinach. These foundational elements can be repurposed into different meals throughout the week. For instance, that quinoa can become a stir-fry, a salad base, or even a breakfast porridge! #4 Sauces & Dressings: The Flavor Magicians 🍶 A meal can be transformed with the right sauce or dressing. Imagine A zesty lemon dressing for your salads A spicy tomato sauce for those pasta nights A rich pesto for that extra zing. Having a variety ensures your meals remain exciting. And here's a twist: ever tried a CBD-infused dressing? CBD edibles have gained popularity, and adding a few drops of CBD oil to your dressings can combine the potential calming effects with the vibrancy of your meal. So see more about their use and experiment! #5 Go Raw Before the Big Thaw 🥦 Some produce shines best when cooked just before eating. Foods like snap peas, cherry tomatoes, or certain fruits are best stored raw. When mealtime comes, a quick sauté or a simple addition to your meal ensures they maintain their natural essence. Tip: For berries, wash them only just before consumption. This prevents mold growth and keeps them fresher. #6 Breakfast Boost: Overnight Success 🌙 The morning rush is real, but that doesn't mean you should skimp on the most important meal of the day. Overnight oats are a savior: Combine rolled oats, milk (or a milk alternative), and a touch of sweetener Add in flavors like vanilla or cinnamon Leave in the fridge overnight. Come morning, top with fruits, nuts, or even a sprinkle of cocoa nibs for a hearty, nutritious breakfast. #7 Stay Hydrated with DIY Infused Waters 💧 While meals take center stage, hydration plays a crucial supporting role. Enhance your water with delightful infusions: Cucumber-mint for a refreshing burst Lemon-ginger for a touch of zing Strawberry-basil for a fruity, herbaceous blend. Apart from making your hydration game strong, these infused waters can offer gentle nutritional boosts. And remember, water isn't just about quenching thirst; it plays a vital role in digestion and nutrient absorption. Bonus Bites: Trio of Nutritious Quick-Fixes for Hectic Weeks 🍽️ Life gets busy, and sometimes we need straightforward, nourishing recipes that won't eat up our time. These three dishes are designed with simplicity in mind, ensuring you fuel up without fuss. From breakfast to dinner, we've got your back! Morning Kick-Starter: Chia Berry Parfait Ingredients: Chia seeds: 3 tbsp Almond milk: 1 cup Mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries): ½ cup Honey or maple syrup: 1 tbsp Granola: a handful Instructions: Mix chia seeds with almond milk and sweetener of choice. Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. In a glass, layer the chia pudding, berries, and granola. Repeat the layers, top with a few more berries, and enjoy! Lunch on-the-go: Chickpea Spinach Salad Ingredients: Cooked chickpeas: 1 cup Spinach leaves: 2 cups Cherry tomatoes: ½ cup, halved Feta cheese: 50 grams, crumbled Lemon vinaigrette: to taste Instructions: In a large bowl, toss together chickpeas, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette and give it a good mix. Top with crumbled feta, and it's ready to pack or eat! Dinner Delight: Teriyaki Zucchini Noodles Ingredients: Zucchini: 2, spiralized into noodles Teriyaki sauce: 3 tbsp Tofu or grilled chicken: 100 grams, diced Red bell pepper: 1, thinly sliced Sesame seeds: for garnish Instructions: In a pan over medium heat, sauté tofu or chicken until slightly browned. Add bell peppers and stir for 2 minutes. Toss in zucchini noodles and teriyaki sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes, ensuring the zucchini remains slightly crunchy. Serve hot, garnished with sesame seeds. *** There you have it — three recipes that promise maximum flavor with minimal effort. Here's to nutritious, delicious, and efficient eating! In Closing... Remember, meal prepping is not about stringent rules; it's about making life simpler and eating healthier. The initial effort you put in pays off generously throughout the week. So, don your apron, channel that inner chef, and embark on a week of fuss-free, nutritious eating. And as always, we're here, cheering you on every bite of the way! 🍴🌱🎉

7 Helpful Tips For Staging Interventions

Do you have a friend or family member who is dealing with an addiction to drugs or alcohol? If they don't realize the harm that their behavior is doing to their loved ones, an intervention may help. During interventions, people will get the chance to speak with a person about how their addiction is taking a toll on those who love them most. This process will give them the chance to get things off their chest. It will also open up an addicted person's eyes and mind so that they understand how they're affecting others. If you're currently planning an intervention, you should take steps to make it as effective as possible. Here are some tips for staging interventions. 1. Pick the Right People to Attend the Intervention : Who is going to be present at your intervention? That's the first thing you should decide before you set anything else up. It's a great idea to get a good mix of people representing the different aspects of a person's life. You might want to invite the following people to interventions: The romantic partner or spouse of the addicted person The parents of the addicted person The siblings of the addicted person The children of the addicted person The close friends of the addicted person A professional who can keep everything running smoothly Of course, you don't need to invite all of these people. If the addicted person doesn't have a great relationship with his father, you might want to leave him out. You might also want to leave out anyone who could potentially be too emotional to speak clearly during an intervention. But in general, you want all of the people who are most important to a person to be in attendance at interventions. 2. Find a Good Time and Place to Hold It : Once you have decided on who will attend an intervention, decide when and where you will hold it. Pick a time when the addicted person will be sober and most willing to listen. The last thing you want to do is hold the intervention when they're high or intoxicated since they won't be in the right state of mind to listen to others talk to them. Choose a place that will provide a safe and comfortable environment for your intervention. At the same time, you should avoid holding it in a place like your home since there could be a lot of negative emotions attached to your intervention in the future. A church meeting hall or community center might be a better option. 3. Decide Who Will Speak During the Intervention : When you're preparing to hold interventions, you want to make sure everyone knows who is going to talk. After all, you don't want to have everyone talking at once when the intervention begins. Each person should have their time to speak. That's why they're being invited to the intervention. But there should be an order to it. At most interventions, the first and last speaking slots will be reserved for those people whose words will likely have the most impact. You will want a person's spouse or one of their parents to speak during those time periods. 4. Rehearse What Everyone Will Say : Ask the participants to rehearse what they plan to say. Practice your speech before the addicted person arrives. You want to steer clear of just speaking off the cuff. This could lead to you saying something that will upset the person and put a halt to the intervention before everyone has spoken. Take pointers from others who will be attending the intervention. Tweak your words so that they fit into the context of the meeting. 5. Try Not to Lose Your Temper at Any Point : You might be fuming mad at the person who will be at the center of the intervention. Every fiber in your body might be telling you that you should stand up and yell at them. Don't do it. No matter how mad you are, your intervention should provide a safe space for the addicted person to sit and listen. The second you raise your voice, they could potentially get up and leave. You want them to sit and listen to what everyone has to say. Resist the urge to raise your voice. Speak firmly, but not angrily. 6. Prepare Yourself for Whatever Might Happen : Unexpected things tend to happen at interventions. The addicted person might: Break down in tears and beg you to take them to a treatment center Get up and storm out of the room before everyone has talked Yell at those who have come to speak to them Unfortunately, you need to be prepared for just about anything. You never know what's going to happen during an alcohol or drug intervention. If a person demands to go to rehab right away, put a plan in place so you know who will drive them. See more here if you need to find the right rehab for your loved one. If they get angry and start to storm off, have one person they trust give chase and try to convince them not to leave. When you prepare properly, you'll be ready for anything. 7. Understand If the Intervention Doesn't Go According to Plan : At the end of the intervention, the addicted person might get up and walk out without saying a word to anyone. They might show that they're completely unwilling to get the help you think they need. While you'll probably be disappointed, don't let it stop you from continuing to help that person. Who knows? They might come to their senses in a day or two and come around to the idea of getting help. All you can do is speak your mind at the intervention and then allow them to make the next move. Interventions Can Help Break the Cycle of Addiction : If you want to assist your loved one as they search for help for alcohol or drug addiction, consider holding interventions. You should also find out what it's like in a drug recovery center so that you can prepare yourself and your loved one for it if they choose to check into one. Need more tips? Check out our lifestyle blog for more information on dealing with drug and alcohol addiction! Read Also : 10 Reasons To Stop Drinking Alcohol Today Tequila, The Alcoholic Cure-All? 10 Weird Facts About Antidepressants

Ways to Weight Loss Naturally

An apple keeps healthy and your diet plate full of energy and disease-free. It is very easy to think about losing weight naturally but on the other hand, it is also tough to maintain that diet, and the decision after taking becomes difficult. But there are so many ways which can be opted for losing weight. These things will work only if it would be followed up with a determined mind. Losing weight needs so many things together such as exercise, food, water. Moreover, if you genuinely looking forward to having immediate results then this cannot happen there is no magic you will have to work hard with patience. But continuity is the first thing one would need in the process of losing weight. So these are some simple and easy ways to weight loss in a natural way. You can also use points such as acupressure points for weight loss, to reduce your extra gain with your daily exercises. Ways to Weight Loss Naturally: Go for Protein to your diet: Protein really works as the best formula for losing weight. A high protein diet helps in boosting metabolism by up to 80-100 calories per day. Have protein on a regular basis if you really want to lose weight. No replacement of water There is no replacement for water. Water even kills 90 percent of disease and makes your body pure. It also helps in losing weight in a natural way. If one drinks 0.5 liters of water it helps in decreasing the calories. Have a cup of green tea: Tea can be good for health and skin but it should be green tea. Green tea helps in increasing metabolism and saves the storage of fat in your body. Whenever you buy read the packet as this is clearly written that Green tea contains a compound EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and this helps in erasing oxidative free radicals from the body. Practice eating habits: Yes, it becomes necessary that practicing the right eating habits becomes important and it will take time to do that. At first, you will decide on your perfect diet plan then you will have to be firm towards your decision. If you are unable to decide this then Google can be a great help for that matter. You may like also: Tricking Handheld BMI Machine Scores Exercise on a regular basis: Whether you believe it or not but exercise will work only when you pick up your kind of exercise. But if you do what is not working for you then surely losing weight could help you in a natural way. It helps from every aspect from releasing tension to freeing your mind. Get enough sleep: After having enough water, one must take enough sleep. Everybody has a different kind of body so it depends on them how much sleep their body needs but if you are exercising then decide your sleep accordingly. But minimum calculated sleep is about six hours. But you can also go for 8 hours. It also helps in keeping skin healthy and glowing. Sleeping takes care of your health so much. Yoga virus exercise: Now, this is one of question which goes in mind. Yoga helps in decreasing weight but not that much compared to exercise. Yoga also helps in burning calories but not like walking does, jogging does. But if you opt for yoga along with jogging and a proper diet then it will help in various ways. Make sure to get trained by experts. Lemon water: Morning is the right time for taking energy in charge. Whether you believe it or not morning decides your whole day if you keep it healthy and happy then your whole day would be like that. But on the other hand, if you keep it unhappy then things will also work in that direction. So start your day with a warm lemon and a spoon of raw creamed honey. This will also help in removing toxic things from your body plus it will also take care of your positive energy. Conclusion: Everything in the suggestion would be needed. You could neither skip water nor a proper diet. And if you think skipping a diet would help in losing weight it will hurt your health. But having a proper diet would help you in getting the right result. Avoid wrong diets and skipping meals is not going to help you either way. Then have faith you will lose weight in the right way. Read Also: Tips To Lose Weight Naturally Drink Matcha Green Tea To Lose Weight Lose Weight: What Is The Best Way To Lose Weight? Shocking Expert Tips On How To Lose Weight Without Exercise

Spirulina: The Complete Plant Based Protein Source | Health Benefits