Spirulina

Happy Derby Day! I hope everyone is planning to watch the 136th Kentucky Derby and cheer on their favorite horse! Last year I did my very first blog post on Derby Day (Eat Chic is officially 1 year old!)! Check out a great recipe for Mint Juleps here!

I recently bought some Spirulina powder at my Whole Foods to add to my morning fruit and vegetable smoothies! For those of you who may not be familiar with it, spirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae that lives in both sea water and fresh water environments.

Spirulina is commonly used as a human dietary supplement available in tablet, flake, and powder form. It has grown in popularity, especially among vegetarians, due to its numerous nutritional benefits.

Spirulina is a complete protein (meaning it contains all essential amino acids – those that your body cannot make on its own and must get from diet) and is rich in essential fatty acids such as omega-3′s. Spirulina is a great source of a vitamins including vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3, B6, B9, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin B12 (found mostly in animal products such as meat). Spirulina is also high in minerals such as potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc.

Some of the health claims associated with spirulina that I came across in my research claimed that spirulina decreases stress, betters eyesight, reduces cholesterol, decreases food cravings, increases diabetic control, increases mental alertness, strengthens the immune system, and improves wound healing.

I was drawn to spirulina because of its superior vitamin and mineral content. I only bought a small amount to try at first; spirulina can get pricey! I paid about $2.50 for this small bag of spirulina (probably about 5-6 tablespoons). It has a dark green color, a slight fishy smell, but doesn’t really have much of a taste; so adding 1 tablespoon of it to a breakfast smoothie is the perfect way to start the morning!

sources: picture 1, picture 2, picture 3

Related Posts

00

Amazing Grass Drink Powders!

Cart Info

Amazing Grass Drink Powders!

00

Amazing Grass drink powders are an easy way to get your daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables! They offer everything from Organic Wheatgrass Powder to Kidz Superfood. The powders include a variety of ingredients loaded with essential vitamins to give you an energy boost including (but not limited to) organic barley grass, spinach, acai, green tea, rose hips, and flax seed. You...

00

5 Foods to Make Your Skin Glow

Cart Info

5 Foods to Make Your Skin Glow

00

How your skin looks on the outside is a reflection of what you put inside your body. The foods you eat can actually increase skin health and enhance the appearance of your skin. However, you have to choose the right foods. Therefore, Eat Chic has composed a list of foods for healthier and better looking skin! Try to incorporate any of these nutritious foods into your daily diet and see if you...

00

Chi Chi Chi Chia!

Cart Info

Chi Chi Chi Chia!

00

Chia is back! But not in the form of a sprouting green clay animal. Believe it or not, the seeds used to grow such plants are a great dietary supplement! Chia seeds are extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, antioxidants, calcium, and a number of vitamin and minerals! The Chia plant is native to Mexico and is grown commerically for its seeds. Chia seeds are a nutty-tasting,...

00

Omega-3 Krill Oil

Cart Info

Omega-3 Krill Oil

00

Recently krill oil has been gaining popularity as a superior source of omega-3 fatty acids. But what exactly is krill oil and is it better than fish oil?   Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that live near Antarctica and are a staple food source for baleen whales and penguins. Oil extracted from these small sea creatures are being extracted and manufactured into capsules as a source of...