Go Green To Get Lean

Be your best in — and out — of the gym with plant-based supplements.

- Steve Downs, CSCS

By all estimates, America is going green. And this is not just in the energy category for cars, homes and businesses — it also centers around powering the human machine. With the incredible rise in popularity of personal juicing, cold-pressed juice bars and fresh-pressed bottled drinks, there has never been a better time to be healthy.

The raw statistics are staggering: Juicing accounts for more than $5 billion in sales each year in the U.S. alone. This is because more than 82 percent of adults queried in the 2015 Functional Foods Survey are trying to consume more fruits and vegetables. At the same time, whole food supplements represent one of the fastest growing supplement sectors, with 2017 sales projected to hit $2.7 billion, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.

But what are the specific benefits of green supplements, and how can they help you be your best in the gym? The reality is, it shouldn’t be hard to convince exercise enthusiasts about the power of fruits and veggies. You’ve undoubtedly been including these in your diet to some extent if you’ve been eating healthy at all. But the convenience of their use is where the real problem lies.

Green supplements help provide the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants of real produce without all the hassles of juicing them at home. They won’t replace your need for fruits and veggies, but they can certainly supplement your intake in a big way.

So here’s a quick rundown of the whys of natural supplements, especially as it applies to green (and red) powders: 1. much more convenient than juicing; 2. simplicity of creation (simply mix powders in water); 3. lower price compared with whole foods; 4. choices of specific ingredients or combinations; 5. always available, no matter what the season; and 6. whole-food ingredients are available in many supplement forms.