Losing weight is never fun, but the multitude of supplements available these days can really make the process so much easier. For the longest time, weight loss pills that aid in reducing appetite and speeding up metabolic rates have been all the craze.
But for some of us who have lived through the pain to tell the tale, those aren’t always a sustainable option in the long run because they don’t do much for our nutrition.
A truly beneficial weight loss supplement is one that helps you manage your caloric intake without compromising on nutrients. Over the past couple of years, super greens have emerged as one of the most promising health supplements that bolster nutritional intakes so that people on diets can keep their health in check.
These green powders, which are made from powdered vegetables, digestive enzymes, and prebiotic strains, are not so much a meal replacement as a long-term diet companion. They serve to meet your body’s nutritional needs so you have one less thing to worry about when planning your diet (we know how tough that can be) — so let’s find out how they work.
What are super greens?
Super greens, as mentioned previously, come in the form of powders and are really easy to prepare. You basically mix the powder into water or other beverages such as juice, milk or milk substitutes, and then get a supplement drink that’s meant to be drank daily.
The wide range of brands in the market offers a variety of flavors and ingredient combinations, though the main ingredient groups are mostly the same across the different brands. Vegetables, prebiotics, and probiotics generally make up the main ingredient groups in a typical super green supplement.
Other ways of consuming super greens
The powders can also be added to soup, vegetable dips or salad dressings – although this is not recommended as some of the nutrients in the powders, including vitamin C and probiotics, may be lost in the process of heating them. Additionally, combining super greens with non-water solubles may also result in a higher calorie intake which would defeat the purpose and run counter wise in weight management efforts.
Ingredients found in super greens
Some of the most common ingredients utilized in the composition of these powders include:
- Leafy greens such as spinach and kale
- Grasses like barley and wheat, seaweed, herbs
- High-antioxidant fruits, as well as plant-based digestive enzymes and extra fiber.
The high concentration of plant-based ingredients may make a super green drink sound like nasty liquid greens, but it’s not the case — the taste of the vegetables is balanced out by other ingredients. Natural sugar substitutes are often also incorporated to enhance the overall taste of the final product.
All in all, super greens can be described as the compact alternative of a low caloric nutritious meal supplement, all concentrated in a single drink that’s easy to make.
The health benefits of super greens
The main reason why super greens have been steadily rising in popularity over the years is due to the sheer number of health benefits they pack, making them a holistic supplement. Super greens meet many of the health standards that diet-conscious people are about these days — they are usually vegan, organic and non-genetically modified.
This thus makes them an especially favorable choice as substitutes or additional supplements for those of us working on streamlined diets. They are essentially the ‘green’ or healthier option which addresses our concerns with meeting our nutritional requirements due to reduced intake of carbohydrates or vitamins.
The wide range of health benefits offered by super greens comes from the abundance of vitamins and minerals they offer, which lowers the risk of chronic diseases, detoxifies the body, and enhances overall physical wellness.
In particular, the ingredients also support the body’s internal functions such as digestion and metabolism, which are essential factors for consideration when trying to lose weight. Let’s take a closer look at some of these supposed benefits.
Super greens and digestion
Firstly, super greens aim to provide lots of nutrients that are vital in our daily lives. Aside from supplementing the vitamins and metals that boost immunity and are required to keep our bodies going, they also contain digestive enzymes and proteins which many of us lack in our regular diets.
These help us efficiently break down food so that nutrients can be properly absorbed into the bloodstream, which means you can now make smarter choices in your diet and minimize carb heavy foods while still gathering all the energy that your body requires.
Super greens and blood sugar
Super greens have also been known to stabilize blood glucose levels and increase the alkalinity of our bodies. The chlorophyll in the plant-based ingredients helps to clean or detox your blood of acidity and impurities, leaving you less susceptible to inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The ‘lightened’ feeling you experience after consuming super greens is a result of healthy cell rejuvenation and growth as brought about by a strengthened body.
Super greens and weight loss
The high intake of fiber when you consume super greens can also give a boost to your weight management plans. Fiber encourages our metabolism to become more active, which is key to burning some of that extra fat and maintaining a lean body.
Taking super greens also makes for great alternative low-calorie snacks which can help reduce the number of calories you consume in a day and ensure that they are burnt off as energy rather than stored as fat.
Final words
In conclusion, while the exact nutritional value and health benefits of super greens are still being researched and widely debated, they do help to supplement nutrition and contribute to your weight loss goals.
We understand that it’s idealistic to expect everyone to be able to eat healthy vegetables every day, hence super greens could provide that bridge between our lifestyles and health.
However, it is also noteworthy that while it may be tempting to allow super greens to do all the work, they should not be used as substitutes for whole vegetables and fruit, but in conjunction with a healthy diet and lifestyle.
References +
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/super-greens
- https://www.water-for-health.co.uk/our-blog/2015/05/how-super-green-powders-can-contribute-to-your-weight-loss-plan/
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