All aboard the sea algae hype train, because we’re tooting the horn once again. We’ve already OBSESSED over red marine algae and spirulina, but today we’re talking about another member of that family–chlorella!
Have you ever heard of it? If you’re into cleansing and nutrition, then this is the dark green powder of your dreams. Here’s why.
Benefits of Chlorella
1. It’s a detoxifying powerhouse.
This green algae can help the body cleanse. But so can every other veggie, right? So, what’s so special? Well, this single-celled algae specifically binds to heavy metals. Because of this ability, the superfood can help cleanse the body of these metals.
Studies are pretty positive, too. In fact, one study found that it may help prevent metal toxicity in key organs, like the liver and kidneys. (1)
Heavy metals can be toxic in high amounts (especially the likes of cadmium, lead and arsenic). (2) Metal poisoning can occur due to several factors:
- tainted water supply
- pesticides
- air pollution
It may not be common, but it is possible. Taking this green supplement can help boost your general detox, so it should definitely be in your cleansing protocol.
FYI: If you feel you are suffering from metal poisoning, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention.
So, what else should you know?
2. It’s a natural immune-booster.
Many fruits and vegetables can help support your immune system. Their natural antioxidants and vitamins help to strengthen the body’s ability to fight and prevent infection. Chlorella is no different.
It contains powerful antioxidants like chlorophyll, beta carotone, vitamin C and more. These properties led some researchers to explore it as an option to prevent chronic disease (3).
There are only a few human studies, but they’re promising. For example, one double-blind study found that the short-term supplementation increased the activity of specific anti-inflammatory and immune cells (4).
These antioxidants led us to our next favorite benefit.
3. Chlorella may help promote healthy blood pressure & blood sugar levels.
With a strong antioxidant profile, it’s no surprise that the algae portrayed positive results regarding lowering blood pressure. Studies are pretty positive here, too.
One double blind study found that participants taking tablets reported lower blood pressure readings when compared to a placebo (5). The researchers found that chlorella’s rich gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) acid could be beneficial in prevention of hypertension by helping to decrease blood pressure.
So, what about the supplement’s effect on blood sugar?
Research is positive as well, but we could use a bit more conclusive explorations. One Journal of Medicinal Food study found that the algae helped reduce fasting blood sugar levels (6). This could also help those with fatty liver disease. Pretty cool, right? Chlorella’s benefits are outstanding!
But, there’s one more thing you should know.
4. It’s cracked-cell form is easily digestible.
When taking chlorella supplements, it’s important to looked for “cracked cell wall” variations. Why? This form is easily digestible by the human body. The nutrients can be absorbed easier this way.
Some nutritionists and health enthusiasts believe that strains with the wall intact are useless. If the wall is intact, you may experience digestive discomfort, so we definitely advise against it.
Dr. Axe suggests this cracked wall may be what helps get what helps heavy metals and pesticides, cleansing them from the body.
So, now you know the benefit’s of consuming cholrella. But if you’re savvy to sea algae, chances are you have a question lingering in your mind.
What’s the difference between spirulina & chlorella?
Yes, spirulina, nature’s multi-vitamin is very similar to its cousin. So, what happens when you find yourself choosing between the two? You might find yourself like Tyra Banks in an end-of-episode elimination scene of American’s Next Top Model. “There are two sea algae standing in front of me…but only one gets to move on…”
Well, that choice depends on you. Here’s a few key difference to help you make the decision:
- Both algae can help cleanse the body of toxins; however, chlorella can bind to heavy metals (which spirulina cannot do).
- Spirulina can easily be found in most supplement stores, but cracked cell chlorella is harder to come by. (..Unless you’re shopping with us, because we have both!)
- Spirulina is a blue-green algae, while chlorella is just green. (This probably doesn’t matter too much).
Pure and True Since ’92
With any sort of dietary supplement, it’s important to buy from safe and sound business practices. We follow strict guidelines and ensure our products are top-shelf. Check out PurePlanet.com for our selection.
3 Ways Tart Cherry Can Help You Recover Post-workout (Plus, a Simple Smoothie Recipe)
January 25, 2019
All aboard the tart cherry hype train. We’ve recently talked about how the bright-red fruit can provide better sleep (with science-backed evidence), but there are barrels more to share about this tart little treasure.
Not only can it help you catch those deep z’s, but it can possibly encourage recovery for athletes post-work, and be a loyal companion to muscles, tendons, joints, injuries, aging and uric acid build-up! It sure is quite the list, so we’re going to keep it simple for today’s blog. Read on to learn more about post-workout, muscles and inflammation.
Tart cherry might help with muscle pain associated with running.
Runners, rejoice! When you’re going hard on the treadmill (or making the rest of us jealous as you stroll down suburban streets), this extract can help keep the bounce in your stride.
In one study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, researchers studied how the dark red fruit’s juice could affect the stressed tension long distance runners feel after a session (1). The randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial followed 54 runners both before and after a race. One group of participants consumed tart cherry twice a day for 7 days before their race, while they other took a placebo.
So, what did the researchers find? Both groups reported pain after their trek (obviously, we feel it too just reading about it.) However, the group who ingested cherry juice reported a smaller increase in pain than the placebo group.
So, adding a drop of extract in your water or taking a quick shot of it (like you might with apple cider vinegar) before and after your ellipitcal-sesh may not be a bad idea. It could help with soreness in the long-run.
The juice might also help reduce muscle damage associated with strength exercises.
Okay, so maybe you’re not a runner. If you’re more likely to perform strength exercises, tart cherry can still make up an essential part of your recovery routine.
In one study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers investigated the effects of Montmorency cherry juice and how it affects pain and damage felt after intensive unilateral leg exercises. (2)
Researchers focused the trail on ten seasoned athletes and over the span of two separate tests. The participants consumed the extract 7 days before their exercise and two days after the test. Exercise on both legs were accounted for. Finally, researchers took venous blood samples and analyzing for high C-reactive protein count (an inflammatory marker), total antioxidant capacity, creatine activity and more data related to oxidative muscle damage.
Here’s what they found: the tart cherry juice concentrate helped improve these markers, signaling a reduction in damage that can be caused by intensive lifting.
So, sprinkling this cherry into your water, smoothies or healthy snack on leg day could be a total game-changer for minimizing muscle damage.
It may also help encourage inflammation-reduction.
Because of its antioxidants & anthocyanins, tart cherries’ juice may help your body respond to inflammation.
One study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports studied how its benefits concerning oxidative stress and muscle damage related to inflammation in marathon runners (3). For this trial, participants drank either cherry juice or a placebo before five days before their marathon run and and two days after.
What were the results? The cherry group showed signs (reduced C-reactive protein levels and other markers) of less inflammation when compared to the placebo group. Plus, the group showed higher lipid peroxidation. In English — their muscles were recovering better.
Simple Post-workout Smoothie Recipe
Ready to give tart cherry a try? Besides adding it to a glass of water each day, it can easily work in any smoothie, too.
We recommend using our Organic Tart Cherry extract in this sweet post-workout smoothie, based on Very Well Fit.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
- Frozen or fresh fruit (about 1 cup). We recommend pineapple or berries for some tropical feels. You can also go with beets for a oxidative boost. Cherry and beets make a surprising tasty pair. That’s why they’re both ingredients in our Organic Power Beets – Rapid Recovery mix.
- Spinach or kale. Pick an essential green and chop it up. Don’t go over half a cup (you don’t want to overpower the taste).
- Your choice of yogurt or smoothie-base. We love a good non-diary, almond yogurt, but you can adjust to your liking. Just keep it under half a cup. Feel free to also use a protein-blend.
- Tart cherry extract/juice. Obviously, this extract is the star of the show. You’ll want to tailor the amount to taste. We would recommend starting with one or two tablespoons first, then go from there.
Using our Tart Cherry for a smoothie or other delicious concoction? Tag us on Instagram or post on our Facebook page.
- Kuehl, K. S., Perrier, E. T., Elliot, D. L., & Chesnutt, J. C. (2010). Efficacy of tart cherry juice in reducing muscle pain during running: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7, 17. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-17
- Bowtell JL, Sumners DP, Dyer A, Fox P, Mileva KN. Montmorency tart cherry juice reduces muscle damage caused by intensive strength exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2011;43:1544-1551.
- Howatson G., McHugh M.P., Hill J.A., Brouner J., Jewell A.P., van Someren K.A., Shave R.E., Howatson S.A. Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports. 2010;20:843–852. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01005.x.
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Gallivanting down the cereal aisle, you may notice that there are SO MANY MORE to choose from, compared to five years ago. Sugar-packed confections, gluten-free alternatives, crunchy granola combos and super-bland, healthy options.
Despite all the new choices, cereal sales have actually dropped by 17% since 2009, according to Mintel market research. As it turns out, less people are eating cereal for breakfast, because they are put-off by the sugar. Many are not just opting, but demanding for breakfast foods that fit their health needs, like fruit, greek yogurt, kefir, egg bites and vegan bars.
Don’t worry (or do worry), sugary cereals have not been completely eliminated from the American diet. According to Mintel, milennials (and other age groups) are snacking on those processed cereals throughout their days.
We understand that snacks should be delectable, but they also need to be nutritious. Refined sugar can cause you to burn out in the middle of the day, bring on headaches, make you eat other foods and lead to serious health issues.
That’s why we created TWO totally nutritious AND totally tasty snack recipes using our favorite Pure Planet products. These will keep you on track, fill you up and best of all, please your sweet tooth. Enjoy!
Choco-Mint Spirulina Energy/Protein Bites
What You’ll Need
2 tablespoons Organic Pure Planet Coconut Oil (or use your favorite)
5 tablespoons Pure Planet Choco-Mint Spirulina
1 cup organic almond butter
1/3 cup organic cream honey
1/3 cup sweetened cacao nibs
1/3 cup ground flax seeds
Desired amount organic coconut flakes (optional)
Instructions for 3 Dozen
- In a medium size bowl, mix almond butter, honey and cacao nibs with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture (or use a melon baller to measure) and roll into a ball.
- Optional: Coat the balls with coconut flakes.
- Refrigerate (or place in freezer) in a tightly sealed container.
- Enjoy!
Power Popcorn
What You’ll Need
3 tablespoons Pure Planet Organic Coconut Oil (or your favorite)
2-4 tablespoons Pure Planet Spirulina (powder) or Choco-Mint flavor
1/2 cup non-GMO organic popcorn kernels
Himalayan sea salt (to taste)
Optional: Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil in a pan. Note: You can easily melt Pure Planet Coconut Oil by submerging in warm water until oil it is soft or turns to liquid. Caution: Container may be hot to to the touch, depending on water temperature.
- Add kernels in, cover and let pop. Caution: Do not leave pan unattended.
- Sprinkle spirulina on popcorn until there is a light green coat.
- Sprinkle sea salt and optional cayenne pepper.
- Enjoy!
Read up on the cereal snack trend:
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/sugar-cereals-health-effects#modal-close
Besides using it around the house, coconut oil’s health benefits have made it a fairly common kitchen staple.
While substituting it for canola or olive oils are its most popular use, there are a number of other ways to incorporate heaping spoonfuls of it. Check out these coco-tasty and kitchen-easy recipes.
Coconut Oil Coffee
Substituting coconut oil for your coffee creamer, is delicious, more heart-healthy AND free of chemicals and sugar. Plus, mixing the saturated fat with caffeine helps give a longer-lasting energy boost! On top of that, the creamy addition supports proper digestion AND is satiating. Just add a spoonful of coconut oil to your cup and stir. If you want to step it up a notch, place already brewed coffee, coconut oil and honey in a blender, and froth!
Coconut Oil Popcorn
Another super easy (+ super tasty) coco-kitchen hack is to use it for popcorn! The perfect, all-American snack just got a lot healthier.
Coconut Mama has the perfect, simple recipe. What you’ll need is:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1/2 cup of organic corn kernels
- Sea salt
Simply heat the coconut oil until it is completely melted (don’t go over medium heat, because the texture will not allow the kernels to pop). Place a few kernels in the pan to test if the oil is hot enough to pop them. Once it is, add the remaining kernels. Cover the pan and shake every 10 seconds when you hear popping. Remove the pan from heat after the popping slows down to every 2 to 3 seconds.
Let your popcorn cool and then add some sea salt! Enjoy!
Corn Tortilla Chips
Chips are another guilty-pleasure snack! Healthy living is a compromise and all about moderation. Don’t fill your cabinets with bags of processed chips that list unknown ingredients, make your own with whole foods! Coconut Mama has a pretty easy recipe with only a few ingredients.
You will need:
- 1 pack of corn tortillas (preferably organic and non-GMO)
- 6 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
- Sea salt
The directions are pretty simple too:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Melt the coconut oil.
- While waiting on steps 1 and 2, cut the tortillas into small pieces. Place those pieces on a cookie sheet or tray when done.
- Evenly spread the melted oil across the chips.
- Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
- Rotate the sheets or trays, and continue baking until the chips are light brown and crispy.
- Add salt once done.
You can eat them warm (just be careful) or cool! Don’t forget to store some away for tomorrow! Just be sure to use a Ziploc or airtight container.
Coconut Oil Spreads
If you have a food processor or high performance blender, you can really put coconut oil to use by making spreads. You can make coconut butter and other spreads for bread or crackers.
To make these, you will need to combine selected ingredients into the blender with coconut oil, and blend away! You’ll want to place them in the freezer for at least ten minutes afterward (depending on how firm you want the spread to be) and then place it in the fridge after that. Use spreads within a few days of making them, depending.
Here are some cool, coconut combinations (say that three times fast) from Healthy Happy Life:
Cinna-Banana Coconut Spread:
- 5 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 banana
- 2-3 dashes of cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of maple or agave syrup
Strawberry Spread:
- 5 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 5-6 strawberries
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons of maple or agave syrup
Remember, when experimenting with coconut oil spreads: Blending coconut oil with slightly cold or chilled liquids might leave you with clumpy butter. Unless you’re into that, you should probably stick to room temperature or warm liquids.
Have fun and get cooking!
Brew Your Own Valentine’s Love Potion
February 14, 2018
Thirsting for something truly enchanting? That’s right, we said enchanting.
We’ve created 9 “Love Potions” with four of our most pure and enchantingly beneficial products, Organic Tart Cherry, Aloe Vera 40x, Ionic Elements and Ginseng. What’s the best thing about these products, besides their benefits? You can be your own mixologist (or apothecary) by combining some of our products with other common ingredients to create refreshing drinks!
Use any of the following:
- Mint leaves
- Green or black tea (bags or leaves)
- Mineral, sparkling or plain water
- Cucumber
- Raw honey
- Lemon
- Lime
- Ice
Choose one of the recipes below and let’s start brewing!
Tart Cherry and Minty Black Iced Tea
For a 4-serving batch, you’ll need:
- Organic Tart Cherry
- 2 Black tea bags
- 4 cups of water
- Ice
- Mint leaves (your desired amount)
- Slices of lemon (optional)
- Raw honey (optional)
- Steep your black tea and place it in the fridge to cool (or leave it out until cool).
- Pour your tea out over ice (to create iced tea).
- Stir in desired amount of tart cherry (half cup or less recommended), mint leaves (handful recommended) and optional slices of lemon.
- Enjoy!
NOTE: You can also get your daily dose of tart cherry by mixing with sparkling or mineral water, making for the perfect soft drink substitute.
Aloe Lime Refresher
For one serving, you will need:
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime
- 1-2 teaspoons of Aloe Vera 40x
- Mint leaves (your desired amount)
- Honey (optional)
- Squeeze a lemon’s juice into an empty glass.
- Mix or blend in water.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera.
- Add one teaspoon of honey, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Note: You can also get your daily dose of Aloe Vera by mixing one teaspoon with water or your favorite green drink.
Hot Ginseng and Lemon Tea
For one serving, you will need:
- 1 cup water
- 2 slices of lemon
- Ginseng
- Honey (optional)
- Heat up one cup of water.
- Mix 1-3 teaspoon of Ginseng extract into water.
- Add two slices of lemon.
- Add honey, if desired (amount dependent on taste).
NOTE: You can also get your daily dose of Ginseng by just mixing it with water.
Cucumber and Mint Ionic Refresher
For one serving, you will need:
- 1 cup water
- 1 thinly sliced piece of cucumber
- Mint leaves
- Ionic Elements
- Place thinly sliced cucumber in 1 cup of water.
- Place the mint leaves.
- Insert desired amount of Ionic Elements (according to saltiness preference).
- Enjoy.
NOTE: You can also get your daily dose of Ionic Elements by mixing with pure juice or pure water.
Have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment with some of your own ideas. Be sure to send us any of your own Love Potion creations on our Facebook page and use the hashtag #purelovepotions.
