If you see a Naturopath or follow the principles of holistic nutrition, you may have heard that drinking “green” drinks can help with sweets cravings. A green drink is just what it sounds like–a drink made with greens powder, usually containing some form of sea algae or seaweed (such as spirulina or kelp), or a combination of that with dehydrated, ground up green veggies (such as kale, collard, dandelion, etc.). Often they are flavored or also include some fruit extracts or other immune-boosting elements (such as bee pollen).
I have to admit that I actually like greens drinks. And I actually really like spirulina–I have it almost every morning with my ground flax seeds, mixed with a little soy or rice milk. My HH calls it “green slime.”
(“We love green slime, Mum! You can let us lick up the leftovers any time!”). The greens powder I use is by Amazing Grass. My two favorite flavors are the berry and chocolate.
The theory behind these drinks is that, because they are so heavily alkalized (from all the greens) and ALSO contain magnesium (often attributed to be the cause of chocolate cravings), that they will help to reduce or even eliminate cravings for sugary foods. Spirulina, in particular, is said to help keep insulin levels steady, another reason some people have sugar cravings. So I dutifully started drinking more greens on a daily basis about a month ago, sometimes more, in the hopes that they would inhibit or even prevent the cravings entirely.
What did I discover? Well, as I said, that I really like greens drinks. To my mind, they’re sort of like a very darkly hued, all-natural fruit juice. And that I can drink quite a few of them in one day (well, at least they help me get my 8 glasses of H2O). And that they do absolutely nothing to stop my cravings.
So. . . . will I continue to drink them? Of course I will. They are extremely good for me, they provide a host of very important minerals and other nutrients, they help keep my blood sugar levels in check. And I like them. Have I mentioned that I like them?
If they have helped anyone else out there with cravings, I’d love to know!
[Chaser polishing off the green stuff.]
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