Spirulina: Can this powder drive your pounds down?
February 16, 2017 Ashley 0 Comments
Do you prefer your plant foods in whole form?
Delicious and filling in all their fibery, juicy goodness?
Yeah, me too. In fact, I love them so much that I’ve always been unwilling to swill down supplements or ingest energy bars. Who needs ’em? I always think of powders and the like as being too much like the white devil – refined sugar. (What do they do to it? Is it still natural? I always assume not…) Second, if I’m getting all my nutrients in with a diet full’ve variety anyway, I’m good to go, right? Right. But, as I’ve gotten a bit busier over the past year, I’m starting to “get” it. I’m starting to understand how dietary diligence can suddenly fly out the fitness window. I mean, if you’re picking up an extra shift or grabbing dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with friends, it’s not easy, is it? It’s tough to always choose the foods that cover all our nutrient bases. (Or find them on the menu, for that matter.) It’s super difficult to squeeze in all’ve that variety we need, consistently. And that’s when the potential for rising scale numbers arises.
Which is why I’ve finally given super-powders a chance to give me their pitch.
Specifically, Spirulina.
And, this’s it:
First, you might wonder, “Why Spirulina”? Good question. I went with this super-powder because it (and Wheatgrass, which I’ll be researching next) are the ones I always hear about. In fact, I hear about it so much that I’ve never bothered to research it – ’til now. (Only ’cause a trusted friend brought up its benefits.) But, I’m kinda glad I finally did. Because this single celled algae packs in heaps of protein, essential fatty acids, chlorphyll, and vitamins B, C, and E.
And how’s that make me be well balanced and stave off weight gain?
Well, in a couple’ve ways, actually.
First, because it’s so nutrient dense, it reduces those where-TF-did-this-come-from cravings we all get. See, those cravings often arise from some sort’ve nutrient deficiency. Sure, maybe you ate more than your share of calories today. But if you didn’t eat the right kind, then it’s all for naught. When you fail to gobble down all the necessary nutrients with your meals (munching too much of one macro or another, skimping on specific mineral dense foods), your body believes it needs to eat more. And, technically, it’s not wrong. But, since our first inclination’s to go for something super savory (or sugary), we often make the wrong choices. (Plus, even if we don’t, we end up gaining weight because we’re still exceeding our caloric needs by that point.) By getting an array of those nutrients in a single scoop at the start of our day, though, it’s like supplemental contraception against those unwelcome, would-be, crazy hankerings.
Also, this algae stuff’s pretty protein rich. (Music to vegan and vegetarian ears.) And, the nice thing about getting in an extra dose of low calorie protein where we can, means weight loss. Why? Because protein your body can break down with ease (combined, of course, with a well rounded exercise regimen) means lean muscle mass. And that aids in more caloric burn through the day. Add in the fact that it’s low calorie, and it’s not like you’re having to burn off anything extra because of it.
Then, finally, there’s the blood sugar regulation – a biggie for getting smaller in size. Because Spirulina’s high in both omega-3 fatty acids and GLA (gamma linolenic acid), you not only meet your omega needs, but you also make weight loss even easier on yourself. How? Because once GLA helps steady your blood sugar and insulin levels, it’ll dampen that burning desire you usually get for carb-y comfort food. Couple that with the cravinglessness its aforementioned nutrient dense goodness imparts, and recreational nomming stops. All the naughty simple carbing can become a thing of the past. And, with all the energy it gives you to workout, so will your more torpid proclivities that make you gain weight.
What more could you want?
(See? She loves it so much, she’s planning to eat that mound of powder plain after enjoying it in drink form…
#DTTAH)
What’s more, super-powders like Spirulina aren’t the daunting, processed products that I thought they’d be. They’re actually kinda great. Because the only “breakdown” they get is a mechanical one – the one that grinds ’em from plant into powder or liquid form. No unnatural voodoo. No crazy chemical treatments. Just a technique that makes it easier to slurp them up in smoothies (or soup, if you’re weird like I am, and can turn anything into a stew). And, in the end, you can get all that variety on the go – without worrying whether your busy bee, remiss munching habits are gonna totally screw your weight loss goals over.
In sum, my verdict’s in on this verdant supplement:
If you’re trying to get the pounds down, power up with Spirulina powders!