Mobilize Magnesium Maximize MicroNutrients
Common to all the green leafy vegetables in a smoothie is the fact that they are all rich in magnesium. Magnesium is at the center of the chlorophyll molecule, which is responsible for the green pigment in plants. This means that, generally speaking, if you’re eating green plants you can be pretty sure it is high in magnesium, and that’s important because about 45% of the US does not meet the recommended daily allowance of just 350-400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium per day (1). This smoothie provides around 588 mg, more than the RDA.
There are over 300 different enzymes in the body that actually require magnesium, including all the enzymes that use and produce ATP, the energetic currency of the cell, ATP must be bound to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active. These functions of magnesium are required for short term survival, and if you can’t make ATP you simply can’t live, which means any magnesium the body has is going to maintain energy production (2). But enzymes needed for energy protection aren’t the only enzymes that require magnesium to function, unfortunately, DNA repair enzymes do too (3). That means if you’re not getting enough magnesium because your diet doesn’t have enough green leafy vegetables then you’re forcing your body to choose between meeting your immediate energetic needs and keeping your DNA from accumulating damage, a well-known initiator of cancer.
| The Ingredients (All Organic) |
8 large kale leaves (I use an entire bunch of curly kale).
4-6 rainbow chard leaves with stems
3 cups (~710 ml) of baby spinach (a large handful)
2 medium to large carrots
1 tomato
1 large avocado
1 banana
1 apple
1 cup (~710ml) of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tall shot glass of flaxseed or a comparable amount of protein powder (optional)
3 cups (~710 ml) of unsweetened flax milk
