per day made from the following:
--3000 gm Lettuce
--2000 gm Celery
--4 tbsp Wheat Grass Shots
Calories: 926
Carbohydrates: 168 gm
--Fructose: 30 gm
--Glucose: 20 gm
Fat: 12 gm
--Omega: 3.5 gm
--Omega 6: 3.0 gm
Lettuce is one of the few vegetables that contains significant amounts of the Omega 3 fatty acids. The daily requirement for this essential lipid is 1.2 gms per day, and most people do not get anywhere near that unless they are eating fish or taking chia or flax seeds.
Protein: 63 gm
--All essential amino acids are present in sufficient quantities.
The most interesting and unique aspect about leafy greens is that the amino acids they contain are in their "free" form. They are not bound together into complex proteins that must first be broken down by the digestive process before being absorbed. This is discussed by Victoria Boutenko in her books Green for Life and The Green Smoothie Revolution.
Since leafy greens like lettuce and celery are 17.5% protein by weight, and the wheatgrass juice powder is 50% protein by weight, they are far more protein-rich than many of the foods commonly used for juicing such as starchy root vegetables like carrots which are only 6% protein by weight or sweet fruits like apples which are less than 2% protein by weight. For comparison, most animal foods like eggs or meat are approximately 30-40% protein by weight.
The caloric ratio of the juices is approximately:
70 % carbohydrate
20% protein
10% fat.
Vitamins:
A - present at levels 12 times the RDI
B - present at levels 2-14 times the RDI
C - present at levels 7 times the RDI
D - none present.
E - present at only 50% of the RDI
K - present at levels 50 times the RDI
Minerals:
Calcium - 1,800 mg
Magnesium - 760 mg
Phosphorus - 1,400 mg
Iron - 50 mg
Zinc - 9.5 mg
Copper - 2.1 mg
Selenium - 20 mcg
Manganese - 8.5 mg
Potassium 13, 500 mg
Sodium - 1,900 mg
**With the exception of selenium, all of these minerals are present in quantities that exceed the recommended daily intake by 2-3 times.
So, as you can see, these green juices provide more than enough of almost everything the human body requires to be strong and healthy. The few nutrients that they do not provide are difficult to obtain from almost any diet and generally need to be supplemented anyways. If you want to take a few targeted supplements like E, D, and Selenium, you can easily do so. But everything else is present amounts that are more than sufficient.
Just as significant as what is present in these juices is also what is NOT present in them; namely, calories and sugar. If I replaced the lettuce with an equal quantity of carrots by weight, my calorie intake would almost double from the sugars they contain. Furthermore, I would get zero Omega 3 and considerably less protein.
But more importantly, based on my previous experience with juice fasts that included substantial quantities of carrots or apples, my blood sugar and energy would be far less stable and, as a result, I would experience much more hunger and require much more juice each day.
I chose lettuce as the major player in this program because, unlike other dark leafy greens such as kale or spinach which can be quite bitter, it has a very mild flavor. Lettuce is just sweet enough to override the slightly bitter taste of celery and give the juice a neutral, if not pleasant, flavor. Even my mother enjoys the taste of this combination and, since she strongly dislikes anything with a bitter flavor, that says a lot!
Now that I have completed over 1 month on this greens-only juice fast, I can say without a doubt that it is the best juice fast I have ever experienced. And when you look at the nutritional profile, it is easy to understand why it is such a beneficial blend.
Here is a video recapping my experience for the first 32 days:
Love & Joy, Esmée
No comments:
Post a Comment