Green Foods

The healing power of green foods is extraordinary. Chlorophyll is the substance that gives green plants their color. Hemoglobin (red cells) in human blood and chlorophyll (plant blood) are very similar. They have similar atoms grouped around an atom of metal. The only difference is that the metallic atom in hemoglobin is iron while in chlorophyll it is magnesium (thus chlorophyll is an excellent source of magnesium). This may explain why chlorophyll has the power to build human blood and increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of our blood.
Disease-promoting anaerobic bacteria cannot live in the presence of oxygen. So as we ingest chlorophyll-rich foods, we can super-oxygenate our bodies and fight off the anaerobic bacteria. Chlorophyll has been successfully used for deodorization and has the power to destroy bad breath that emanates from the stomach. It is commonly sold in health food stores for that purpose and has used with success for high blood pressure, anemia, and some stomach ailments.
A juicer is an easy way to get large amounts of chlorophyll into your body fast; some sources say it can be assimilated in 20 to 30 minutes. "Green juices cleanse the body of pollutants and have a rejuvenating effect. Made from a variety of green vegetables, green juices are rich in chlorophyll, which helps to purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify and heal the body, and provide the body with fast energy." (Balch and Balch pg. 717)
My favorite sources of chlorophyll are common salad greens such as romaine lettuce, bok choy, parsley, and kale. There is a wide variety of gourmet greens to choose from in most supermarkets and especially Asian markets such as mizuna, tat soi, baby lettuces of many varieties and green spices such as basil. I also enjoy concentrated sources such as barley green powder and chlorella (available at health food stores). Whether you get it through juicing leafy greens or wheatgrass, eating green salads, mixing up green powders, or popping green pills, get your daily dose of chlorophyll for a healthy, clean smelling body!