When to Take Greens?

I heard Mike Swick talking about taking greens, did some quick googling and found that the alkaline in greens helps keep you ‘balanced’ intestinally, thusly helping with nutrient absorption.

First question would be everyone’s expert opinion on this.

Second would be when to take this stuff to help with said absorption.

Think what you want, but I take wheat grass first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast and it has been great. In addition to all the vitamins, it does keep me very “regular”, which I know can be a problem for some of us who are consuming high amounts of protein and veggies.

I have also done a lot of reading into alkaline balance and gut health, some don’t believe in it, but I do, and greens and supplements like wheat grass can be very beneficial in obtaining that balance. PM me if you have more specific questions.

Best,

WC7

[quote]Beershoes wrote:
I heard Mike Swick talking about taking greens, did some quick googling and found that the alkaline in greens helps keep you ‘balanced’ intestinally, thusly helping with nutrient absorption.[/quote]

According to several experts whose opinions I respect, including Bill Roberts, this theory is flawed because you’re body maintains this ‘balance’ all on its own regardless of whether fruits and/or vegetables are consumed.

[quote]Beershoes wrote:
Second would be when to take this stuff to help with said absorption. [/quote]

If it’s vegetable powder, it doesn’t matter when it’s consumed.

"What? Ground veggies? Yes, indeed.

The more alkaline you are, the more anti-catabolic you are. Cortisol puts the body in an acidified status; Primal Greens alkalizes you and reverses that state in no time.

A Primal Green drink with 40 BCAA tablets post-workout will put you immediately in an anabolic state. Primal Greens are rapidly becoming a staple recovery in the U.K. in both football and rugby circles. Some athletes like to alternate between Primal Reds and Primal Greens to get a broader base of micro-nutrients."

Jonny Bowden recommends them in regards to longevity.
John Berardi recommends them for a variety of purported health benefits, athletic and otherwise.

As far as when to take it, I say in the morning and after training.

[quote]Oquendog wrote:
A Primal Green drink with 40 BCAA tablets post-workout will put you immediately in an anabolic state. Primal Greens are rapidly becoming a staple recovery in the U.K. in both football and rugby circles. Some athletes like to alternate between Primal Reds and Primal Greens to get a broader base of micro-nutrients."[/quote]

There are plenty of health reasons to use greens products, but I’ll be surprised if you can show any research to back up the claim that they will help put you in an anabolic state.

I call BS.

the 40 bcaa tablets might have something to do with it.

I used to be all into those green powders. Never noticed anything different when I took it. I think it was because I was already eating tons of kale & spinach. So I stopped wasting my money. Maybe good for some people that don’t get enough veggies.

Well I got some for $7 and I’m going to take about two servings a day and see if I notice any difference. Thanks for the answers guys, and I’ll keep you updated.

Had my first shake yesterday, and second today. Didn’t notice much, but a little energy boost.

I think the only notable difference (like with abosorption) will, is if you are lacking in some vitamin the “green” product provides. Kale is probably the best green. If I were you, I’d be more interested in researching kale.

Greens powders are excellent. Within my first couple weeks of taking greens powders, I lost 5 lbs and did not lose any strength. Now the mass has been coming back on, but cleaner. I’ve also found that I can maintain the same bodyweight with fewer calories without losing strength. They are excellent for keeping you regular. This is important for feeling light when you’re at the gym. Also, if your digestive tract is always clean, you will digest your protein much better.

BEST WAY TO USE IT: Start with 1 serving per day with breakfast, although with bfast is not as important as taking it to begin with. Some fat in the meal will help absorb the fat soluble vitamins with which the greens are LOADED. All of your meals should contain healthy fats anyways. I’d start by NOT taking more than one dose per day for a week. Drink lots of water. This is because of the powerful cleansing effect.

NOTHING CRAZY. If you take too much at first, you’ll cleanse to rapidly and you’ll probably shit your brains out uncomfortably because of all the shit that’s been building up in there over time unless you have been on an incredibly healthy diet for a long time. SERIOUSLY, haha!

After you don’t notice much of a cleansing effect anymore, you can up the daily dose or keep it the same. The more I take the better I feel(within reason.) I noticed that when I stop taking it, I start to crave it.

also, don’t bug out when you see 30 dollars a bottle, you get about 30 doses, each one defintely makes you feel better than a bowlfull of veggies which costs more and is more of pain in the ass

perfect food is absolutely fucking disgusting but works the best. LITERALLY SMELLS LIKE FISH FOOD
the other 2 work exremely well and don’t taste that bad

Personally, I’ve had better results from greens powders than Kale of Kale juice. Fresh, organic Kale and Kale juice. Although kale does work extremely well. Kale is also more of a hassle.

[quote]toots27mkc wrote:
Greens powders are excellent. Within my first couple weeks of taking greens powders, I lost 5 lbs and did not lose any strength. Now the mass has been coming back on, but cleaner. I’ve also found that I can maintain the same bodyweight with fewer calories without losing strength. They are excellent for keeping you regular. This is important for feeling light when you’re at the gym. Also, if your digestive tract is always clean, you will digest your protein much better.

BEST WAY TO USE IT: Start with 1 serving per day with breakfast, although with bfast is not as important as taking it to begin with. Some fat in the meal will help absorb the fat soluble vitamins with which the greens are LOADED. All of your meals should contain healthy fats anyways. I’d start by NOT taking more than one dose per day for a week. Drink lots of water. This is because of the powerful cleansing effect.

NOTHING CRAZY. If you take too much at first, you’ll cleanse to rapidly and you’ll probably shit your brains out uncomfortably because of all the shit that’s been building up in there over time unless you have been on an incredibly healthy diet for a long time. SERIOUSLY, haha!

After you don’t notice much of a cleansing effect anymore, you can up the daily dose or keep it the same. The more I take the better I feel(within reason.) I noticed that when I stop taking it, I start to crave it.

also, don’t bug out when you see 30 dollars a bottle, you get about 30 doses, each one defintely makes you feel better than a bowlfull of veggies which costs more and is more of pain in the ass

perfect food is absolutely fucking disgusting but works the best. LITERALLY SMELLS LIKE FISH FOOD
the other 2 work exremely well and don’t taste that bad[/quote]

OK, I like and use a greens product (Superfood) but I have to call BS again with the claim that any greens product is better than real vegetables.

Also, what exactly do you mean by “cleansing effect?”

As long as you’re eating enough fiber and consuming enough fluid, the body cleanses itself just fine.

[quote]WestCoast7 wrote:
Think what you want, but I take wheat grass first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast and it has been great. In addition to all the vitamins, it does keep me very “regular”, which I know can be a problem for some of us who are consuming high amounts of protein and veggies.

I have also done a lot of reading into alkaline balance and gut health, some don’t believe in it, but I do, and greens and supplements like wheat grass can be very beneficial in obtaining that balance. PM me if you have more specific questions.

Best,

WC7[/quote]

I agree 100%, including the gut health. Even though Bill Roberts disagrees with the whole acid/base balance theory I notice I feel much better when taking superfood and also trying to stay in an alkaline state. Less aches and pains, less stiffness and a lot more energy/pep or feeling of well being. Also notice a beneficial difference with pro biotics.
My only guess it that it’s different for each individual or maybe it taxes the body more when constantly attempting to properly balance the ph if consuming a heavy acidic diet.

[quote]as wrote:
WestCoast7 wrote:
Think what you want, but I take wheat grass first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast and it has been great. In addition to all the vitamins, it does keep me very “regular”, which I know can be a problem for some of us who are consuming high amounts of protein and veggies.

I have also done a lot of reading into alkaline balance and gut health, some don’t believe in it, but I do, and greens and supplements like wheat grass can be very beneficial in obtaining that balance. PM me if you have more specific questions.

Best,

WC7

I agree 100%, including the gut health. Even though Bill Roberts disagrees with the whole acid/base balance theory I notice I feel much better when taking superfood and also trying to stay in an alkaline state. Less aches and pains, less stiffness and a lot more energy/pep or feeling of well being. Also notice a beneficial difference with pro biotics.

My only guess it that it’s different for each individual or maybe it taxes the body more when constantly attempting to properly balance the ph if consuming a heavy acidic diet.[/quote]

Or, more likely, you feel better for a completely different reason, such as getting more of a certain nutrient, or combination of nutrients, due to the increased fruit & vegetable intake as a result of using Superfood.

This is the point Bill was making. Unfortunately, some people didn’t get it.

[quote]HK24719 wrote:
as wrote:
WestCoast7 wrote:
Think what you want, but I take wheat grass first thing in the morning before I eat breakfast and it has been great. In addition to all the vitamins, it does keep me very “regular”, which I know can be a problem for some of us who are consuming high amounts of protein and veggies.

I have also done a lot of reading into alkaline balance and gut health, some don’t believe in it, but I do, and greens and supplements like wheat grass can be very beneficial in obtaining that balance. PM me if you have more specific questions.

Best,

WC7

I agree 100%, including the gut health. Even though Bill Roberts disagrees with the whole acid/base balance theory I notice I feel much better when taking superfood and also trying to stay in an alkaline state. Less aches and pains, less stiffness and a lot more energy/pep or feeling of well being. Also notice a beneficial difference with pro biotics.

My only guess it that it’s different for each individual or maybe it taxes the body more when constantly attempting to properly balance the ph if consuming a heavy acidic diet.

Or, more likely, you feel better for a completely different reason, such as getting more of a certain nutrient, or combination of nutrients, due to the increased fruit & vegetable intake as a result of using Superfood.

This is the point Bill was making. Unfortunately, some people didn’t get it.[/quote]

Trust me I understand the point he is making and I’m not disagreeing with anyone, that’s why I said I wasn’t sure what the mechanism or cause of the overall better well being is.

Whether it’s this alkaline/base thing or not all I know is I feel much better when trying to adhere to an alkaline type diet, so I just keep doing it.
I personally believe it’s a lot more than just the addition of nutrients though.
If I’m not mistaken I even believe CT mentioned in one of his threads about adding glutamine to high protein servings due to the acid load.