Anemic Vegetables

“Eat your veggies!” we are told. And for good reason. A diet rich in fresh vegetables, packed with vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients  we are still learning about, is one of the best gifts we can give our bodies. Please note that the key word here is fresh.  If I pick a vegetable straight from my own organic-nutrient-rich garden, and eat it right away, my body gets loads of nutrients it can use to replenish my cells, give me energy and fight diseases.  But, the longer I let that vegetable sit around, the less beneficial it will be to me.

Why? 

It’s simple, really. The moment a plant is picked, it begins the process of dying and breaking down. As it dies, it loses its inherent nutritive properties. Take a look at the picture of the celery at the top of this post. Instead of a robust and dark chlorophyll green, what we see is yellowing and browning, especially around the edges.

Chlorophyll, you might remember from biology class, is the molecule that gives green plants their pigment. Surprisingly, it is nearly identical to hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The only difference between the two is that, at the center of hemoglobin, there is an atom of iron to which oxygen attaches, and in chlorophyll, the iron is replaced with an atom of magnesium. When people are lacking in hemoglobin, they are said to be anemic. So, we could describe the plant lacking in chlorophyll as also being anemic.

If I eat this celery, I will not be getting the chlorophyll that my body needs to build and cleanse my blood. But there’s more to this story. You see, the digestive enzymes that aid in the absorption of nutrients, and are present in fresh, living foods, have started breaking down in this anemic plant.  So, I will also need to supplement my meal with additional digestive enzymes.

Whew! That’s a lot to consider about a simple stalk  of celery, isn’t it?

Now think about the vegetables you find in the average supermarket. How rich was the soil in which they were grown?  Vegetables harvested from nutrient-depleted ground are of little benefit to us. Add to that the fact that produce is shipped great distances and sits in cold storage for long periods before it even reaches our tables, and we are left with food that is a sad substitute for what our bodies really need.

What can we do about this? Well, we can plant our own organic gardens and enjoy the fruits of our labor. However, for most of us, that is not really a possibility, due to space and time constraints. A far easier approach is to eat nutrient and chlorophyll rich foods like wheatgrass and E3Live®.

Before you say you don’t like the taste of these green powerhouse foods, try my famous E3Live Salsa.  Make up a batch and let me know what you think!

5 large ripe, red tomatoes, chopped coarse or fine

3 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 small purple or white onion, finely chopped

2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp Himalayan sea salt (or Celtic sea salt) (optional)

1 small avocado, finely diced (optional)

1 tbs E3Live®, or 2-4 capsules of E3AFA™, or 1-2 tsp of E3AFA® crystal flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Makes: about 4 1/2 cups

Servings: approximately 8