I have 3 weeks until the wedding. Up until last Monday, I was eating a ton of sugar, more fatty foods than usual, and consuming coffee like it was going out of style. I asked my PETA Pack coach if he would create a pre-wedding diet/workout plan for me to cleanse my body of all the crap I was putting into it.

Part of the plan consisted of a spirulina smoothie type drink. 

My goal was to drink only the smoothie for 5 days and then start on the actual food portion of it on day 6. I totally failed. I made it through 2 days of the spirulina drink and ended up eating mac n’ cheese cause I’m a sucker for pasta. BUT today is a new day. I’ve decided I can handle the spirulina drink for breakfast and lunch but my body needs some kind of actual food for dinner. I just need to watch what I eat. NO MORE MAC N’ CHEESE! At least, until after the wedding. Then, I’m bathing in it.

I decided to research spirulina and see what the big deal was. I found some pretty interesting facts on various medical and health websites. Spirulina.org seemed to sum up all the info that I’d found pretty well. After researching, I definitely plan to incorporate spirulina into my diet on a regular basis.

Here are a few reasons you should too!

• Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, 14 vitamins, 12 minerals, and carotenoids (a type of antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage). It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid).

• 60% of spirulina consists of protein. This is about three times as much as an ordinary piece of meat. Protein is very important for a lot of processes in your body, like metabolism, cell construction, and muscle building. Spirulina also contains all the amino acids that exist making it a complete protein. 

• Spirulina is one of the few plant sources of vitamin B12. B12 is primarily found in animal products. Thus, vegans should take note to add spirulina to their diet. Lack of B12 can cause fatigue, problems concentrating, anemia and can even cause dementia.  

• Spirulina is a rich source of anti-oxidants, particularly beta-carotene. This nutrient mainly protects against mutations in the DNA, which can cause cancer.

• Spirulina protects against the formation of cholesterol in the blood vessel walls and against arthritis. 

• Spirulina protects the endothelial cells which cover our veins and against degenerative processes in the brain that lead to Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.

• Spirulina contains loads of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a cleansing effect and gets rid of toxic substances in our bodies. 

• The most common sugars in spirulina are rhamnose and glycogen. The body absorbs these sugars very easily, providing quick energy. Because spirulina supplies energy quickly, it is suitable for gaining energy during sports and restoring your muscles after strenuous effort.

• Some researchers claim that spirulina is useful in helping diabetics control their food cravings and in decreasing their insulin intake.

• Spirulina is a very rich source of gamma-linolic acid (GLA), this is one of the famous omega fatty acids. A study at the Nottingham University Hospital showed that GLA can also play an important role in the fight against breast cancer. To show the overall importance of GLA, here is an overview of it’s functions: slows down inflammation reactions; slows down thrombosis formation; reduces the blood pressure; slows down the production of cholesterol; stimulates immune cells; reduces pre-menstrual complaints (hey ladies!); reduces skin diseases and also appears to have a positive result on MS.

• It even seems that spirulina has an HIV-inhibiting effect. As early as 1998, it was published that spirulina could halve the HIV production in the main cells of your immune system. More recent results on AIDS-patients in Africa have also shown hopeful results: people feel more energized and fall ill less rapidly.

Crazy, right? To be honest, I was terrified of it at first. It’s definitely not the most appealing looking drink, but I went for it anyway. Surprisingly, it has a very mild taste which makes it easy to slip a tablespoon into any smoothie. You can find it at Whole Foods or most health stores. It comes in powder and capsule form. Go for the powder.

It’s doubtful I’ll feel “transformed” after this smoothie/raw diet thing but I’m pretty stoked to have learned more about such an amazing little plant. If anything, I can say that on my third day of this diet, my skin looks better which is a plus.

I also read somewhere that it can be sprinkled into baked goods? I’m super down to give it a go. Don’t be surprised if you see us at the next bakesale with a chocolate spirulina muffin!