Top 4 Superfoods: Wheatgrass, Barley grass, Spirulina and Chlorella

In this blog post we’re going to explain why Wheatgrass, Barley Grass, Spirulina and Chlorella are the top 4 superfoods and how they can benefit your diet, lifestyle and general wellbeing.

Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is an absolutely fantastic superfood in the way that it is packed with natural vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Wheatgrass powder is made from the young wheat plant before it develops a mature stem and grain. It can be used as part of a detox regime or as part of a high quality nutritionally rich diet. Let’s explore more than just the obvious and discover why wheatgrass is recognised as one of the best superfoods and how it could help you maintain/achieve optimal health.

Firstly it’s versatile; you can simply mix it with water, milk, or fruit juice. If a great taste is high on your agenda then one of the best ways to utilize Wheatgrass is to incorporate the powder into a dense delicious Super Smoothie.

Through our modern day diets our bodies are constantly being subjected to processed foods which are often difficult to digest, contain chemical preservatives and toxify the body. Using a Superfood such as Wheatgrass actually promotes better digestion and noticeably boosts the immune system while gently detoxifying the body of harmful toxins.

It gives you energy, has a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals and is actually better than taking a ‘multi-vitamin’ tablet. ‘Multi-vitamins’ are man-made synthetic isolated nutrients whereas wheatgrass provides these vitamins and minerals through easily soluble natural compounds which work together to feed your body the nutrients it desires.

Barley Grass
Barley Grass is another example of an all singing, all dancing Superfood. Like Wheatgrass it’s packed with natural vitamins and minerals and combines a strong source of natural alkaline, all eight essential amino acids, anda multitude of the body’s spark plugs; enzymes. Many people mix Barley Grass Powder with Wheatgrass Powder as they have the same density and consistency in powder form, blending perfectly in a smoothie.

According to a recent study, Barley Grass can regulate blood sugar (i.e. reduce blood glucose response to a meal) for up to 10 hours after consumption. This makes Barley Grass an excellent way to make sure your energy levels stay healthy, stable and your body completely capable to support an active day.

Barley grass is one of Indigo Herbs’ top sellers because it offers a full range of nutrients and minerals; many of which you don’t get from processed everyday foods.  

Spirulina
Consumed regularly by the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican cultures up until the 16th century, Spirulina is a superfood with a history of use stretching back into antiquity. Spirulina is a complex ‘blue-green algae’ that is packed with much of the essential properties your body needs to properly function. To some people the idea of eating algae may seem a little out of the ordinary; yet it’s a wonderful product which offers a significant and diverse range of nutrition.

Like Wheatgrass and Barley Grass, Spirulina has a massive vitamin, mineral and amino acid profile. This makes it another essential Superfood to put in your smoothie making it a perfect companion with Barley grass and Wheatgrass.

Rich in chlorophyll, vitamin B12 and protein Spirulina is alkaline forming which makes it an ideal addition to the modern lifestyle. Many of us consume processed foods which causes our bodies to be very acidic; Spirulina (like Barley grass and Wheatgrass) can help balance acid problems by restoring natural alkalinity and improving digestion. Spirulina will be particularly relevant to you if you’re holding down a strict diet and training programme aimed at building muscle structure and recovery time.

Many vegan athletes personal experience with Spirulina is that it is an essential ingredient for holding a tight exercise and recovery schedule. They’ve found that Spirulina provides the body with an abundance of natural proteins and is superior to other more processed products such as whey protein. Although whey protein can provide you with more protein in one dose than Spirulina can, it must be emphasised that Spirulina is very easy to digest and has a lot more to offer than its already impressive protein profile.

Chlorella
Chlorella contains a ‘whole’ spectrum of nutrients and is considered structurally denser than Spirulina. Another difference between Spirulina is that each piece of micro algae that forms Chlorella must have its wall ‘cracked’ in order to release the wealth of nutrition held within.

Cracked Wall Chlorella is a very rich attractive food source. When dried it contains 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fibre and 10% vitamins and minerals. Chlorella is another complete protein source with the array of all 9 essential amino acids. This is another reason why it’s an Indigo Herbs bestseller; there are so many benefits just from this single product!

Like Spirulina it is also a single celled algae making it extremely easy to digest. In conjunction with the above listed Superfoods it promotes healthy digestion, is great for detoxing, and also good for boosting general vitality.

We hope this blog has helped to explain why these 4 Indigo Herbs products are our bestsellers while explaining in more detail what they are and what they do. We are confident that Wheatgrass, Barley Grass, Spirulina and Chlorella can be of benefit to everyone in expanding their dietary needs and promoting optimal health. Thank you for reading.

By Milo Mansell