Bulk #Herbs & Supplements #Stevia #Spirulina & a Smoothie Recipe {Review}

Our health is the the single most important thing we individually own. It alone determines the quality of our lives in mood, energy and behavior. Despite our society’s outlook on health in relation to prescribed drugs and doctor visits, I’ve no doubt that feeling good directly relates to what you ingest and the best prevention is not singularly found in radioactive imaging medical tools, but in knowledge, assisted with organic foods immersed in a broad spectrum of nutrients.

Not only that, we must recognize our understanding of health directs our spending, and in turn supports a process that impacts our environment. Be it positive or negative. In light of our fight to label GMOs it’s extremely important to be more cognizant of how we “vote” for sustainability. It truly has an impact on our environment as mega companies produce “output” that will ultimately meet you in the ground or air.
Frontier Natural Products Co-Op offers a bulk array of natural and organic herbs, spices teas and more. They believe that “organic agriculture is a crucial element in building a safe and sustainable international food supply” is crucial to our well-being. I completely agree.

I was thrilled to be able to experience some of Frontier’s bulk health supplements and herbs; Chlorella, Spirulina, Barley Grass and Stevia.

Chlorella and Spirulina are single-cell, blue green algae that are chlorophyll-rich with broad spectrum nutrition. They both are super dark green/bluish color that almost looks black. The color of the algae is just amazing to look at! They have a very aquatic scent to it.

I received the Stevia in whole herb powered form. There is lot of conflicting information about Stevia, especially how it benefits your health as an alternative to sugar. Let me tell you this…if the Stevia powder you purchase is white, then you have the final product of a processed herb. Wholesome Stevia should be green! Just like its original color! I believe that the conflicting information on benefits are based on a processed product, there’s no doubt in my mind that processing negatively impacts the nutritional aspect of a natural product. Let’s compare and contrast.
Stevia Whole Powdered Herb Vs. Processed
Notice how fine and purely white the Stevia is in its processed form. It should also be noted…the processed Stevia I used to use is certified organic, here is a perfect example of when “organic” doesn’t matter. The whole powdered herb Stevia from Frontier Co-op is USDA Organic certified, so I’m content that I’m getting a whole product. Some negatives to the whole herb would be there is a bit of a bitter aftertaste, and it doesn’t “dissolve” like its counterpart, BUT nature is as nature does, sometimes I think we as people need to accept her for who she is. I LOVE using it in just plain cold water and ice ~ a herbal sort of drink that satisfies my sweet cravings! My daughter took it up as well. It helps SO much with digestion, I drink it with my meals to ease and prevent tummy upsets. I don’t necessarily like it with teas because of the bitterness, but my goal is to get used to it! Another thing I noted, I needed more of the whole herb to sweeten, than the processed herb. All in all, I’m consuming less sugar, which is my ultimate goal.

I’ve been using all four supplements in smoothies, a few times a week for myself and mainly for my husband who is physically active. The algae is 60 – 70% complete protein combining it in a smoothie with fruits and veggies it could easily be a meal replacement if you’re looking to change your diet.
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Smoothie Ingredient List:
  • Papaya – A few slices – Approximately a 1/4 of a small papaya
  • Pineapple – a few slices – Approximately a 1/4 of a pineapple
  • Apple – of any kind, one whole apple
  • Mango – one whole green mango (green mangoes are sweeter)
  • Spinach – 1 cup of whole leaves & stems
  • Carrots – 4 peeled baby carrots
The list is a basic recipe tool to play around with. The original recipe called for a bit of water to help the food blend easier, I omitted this step because I add ice once everything is blended. I wanted to avoid watering down the smoothie too much. You can replace 1/2 cup of water with organic juice, kombucha or tea. If you’re watching your sugar, keep in mind how much sugar is already in your chosen liquid. I added 1teaspoon each of Chlorella, Spirulina, Barley Grass and 2 teaspoons of Stevia. (You may find that this is too sweet for you!) Add in a teaspoon or two of a good certified organic probiotic to encourage assimilation of nutrients and you’ve got yourself a wholesome treat!

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A huge thank you to Frontier Coop for their generosity, patience and love for the planet!

Here’s a fun fact…
I’ve planned an event with Czerral, a microbiologist who introduced Spirulina to the world market in the ‘70’s! Czerral also introduced the first certified organic Spirulina in 1994 and coined the term we all use and love today, “Superfood”. Although the topic is on pet digestive health, anyone interested in gut health and probiotics or the chance to share in on the call with Czerral is welcome to join in. A live Q&A session immediately follows the call. Additionally, we’re giving away two InLiven Certified Organic Probiotics, a special formula by Czerral, created from 25 years of research, to TWO winners.

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I Use Florihana in My DIYs!