The results of my health assessment came back right before I left for my trip to Georgia. The results were mostly encouraging. My blood pressure was higher than I am used to (hello stressful life), but my glucose and other things I really care about were in acceptable ranges. There was one major problem: my HDL cholesterol was low. Like, really low. Dangerously low according to my results summary. So I made an appointment to see my doctor for a second opinion and test, and started researching ways to raise my “good” cholesterol.
There were a few things mentioned to increase HDL levels, but I was already doing most of them. Exercise, maintain a low weight, don’t smoke or drink, etc. One thing I wasn’t doing, however, was eating more vegetables. Green, leafy, non-meat product vegetables.
See, I like spinach and broccoli and Brussels sprouts and lettuce. The problem is I don’t like taking the time to eat them, especially when I could be eating something else, like a hamburger. I resolved to eat more salad, and started thinking about ways to increase my daily green leafy vegetable intake.
I remembered (fondly, actually) drinking wheat grass juice when I lived in Oregon. I would walk from work to one of the local grocery stores and they’d cut some grass out of a little tray and run it through a big ass juicing machine. It tasted how a freshly-cut lawn smells. Unfortunately there isn’t anything close like that to me, so I started poking around for an in-home alternative.
The concept of cultivating and producing wheat grass juice seemed like a big mess to me, so that led me to pre-juiced bottled product or powders. The bottled stuff was expensive and the potency questionable, so I asked about and heard good things about Vitamineral Green by Healthforce Nutritionals. Luckily, it was available via Amazon Prime and I was able to get it delivered for $45.50 second day air.
Well, here’s the no-bullshit story on this stuff. It tasted awful, especially at first. I did adjust to the taste after about two weeks, but it is ROUGH at first. The powder is a pain to mix down. If you’re going to try the Vitamineral Green I recommend putting a little bit of cold water in the bottom of a glass first, then the powder, then the rest of the way with water. Mix for twenty seconds with a spoon, and hold your breath when you drink it. You won’t notice the taste as much.
I didn’t notice any difference in my health until the third day. I had followed the instructions and started with one teaspoon of mix per day, trying to work my way up to a tablespoon. I was at work when I had a sudden urge to have “a sit down.” I excused myself and took a very loose and rapidly-deployed dump. I thought it might be the Vitamineral Green (there was a warning about this on the label, actually), but it could have been the bacon I had for lunch the day before. Before I flushed I noticed my, uh, bank deposits were green.
In the days that followed I determined it was the Vitamineral Green. My stomach would hurt for about half of the day until I released the hostages. My stool hardened up a bit, but everything was still green like St. Patrick’s Day.
By the second week something else started happening. I was having a hard time dropping a load. I drink about 64 ounces of water a day normally, so I increased my intake by another two to three twelve ounce glasses. No dice. I was caught in a vicious gastrointestinal combo: the Vitamineral Green hurt my crapfactory until I pooped, but I couldn’t poop due to the Vitamineral Green. I kept drinking more and more water, and I swear the last time I shat while on the VG it was a full on plant. I had to pee every thirty minutes, and it became difficult to sit through an entire one hour meeting at work without excusing myself. The final straw was when my manager was pissed at me last week and I had to get up in the middle of a meeting because I was afraid to miss my drop window.
After all of that, the Vitamineral Green didn’t make me feel better at all. I stopped drinking it last Saturday, and I haven’t noticed a difference at all. Well, except that I am back to shitting three times a day and things are back to their usual color.
Not recommended.
St. Patrick’s Day green. WOW!!! I am sorry you were having poop problems :) With regard to green vegetables, I have been trying to get you to eat more of them. You are doing a really good job :)
VITAMINERAL GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!
What you experienced was a cleansing reaction. It was cleaning you out and during that process it probably caused gas to form, that combined with your body was throwing off toxins caused you felt bad. What you experienced was normal. All you should have done was cut back to 1 teaspoon each day. If you felt sick after increasing, you should have backed off to where you weren’t being bothered by the cleansing process. You can take a tablespoon per day after 3 months. I take this product myself and feel it’s the best out there. No way organic vegetables can hurt a person. What an easy way to get our veggies. :o)
Dude, you have low stomach acid so you are having problems with green foods. You need to heal your digestive system.
Hi Don,
Thanks for the suggestion, but I seem to do fine eating other green foods. I eat spinach daily and a lot of broccoli. I also digest brussel sprouts, asparagus, and many types of leafy greens without problem.
I never encountered the types of issues I had while eating Vitamineral Green.
However, I want to stay open minded about your comment. Did you have anything specific I might look for as an indicator of low stomach acid or having “problems” with green foods?
So, first of all, cold water should not be mixed with Vitamineral Green, or any powdered supplement for that matter, as it will clump. Another reason to use room temperature water would be that our bodies have to use enzymes to warm that water up, which can cause other digestive issues. I mix my Vitamineral Green with Apple Juice daily and have no trouble with the taste, there are many other ways to enjoy the taste of this product.
I did have the same trouble you experienced with a different greens supplement however, which goes to show you that all of our digestive needs are different and we all react in various ways to the many products available, that is why there are many choices on the market shelves.
While I applaud you for trying to improve your health and there are many ways to go about it. One thing that is not healthy however, is bashing a supplement just because it didn’t work for you. You may be directing people away from something that would truly help them just because it didn’t work for you, which from your summary it sounds like your usage of the product wasn’t even proper. Please find a better outlet for your frustrations, this is not helpful to ANYONE. Good luck with healthier choices in your life. Also, anyone who dares to buy a supplement off the internet just to save a few dollars is shorting themselves, unless you get it from the manufacturer you are chancing the possibility of purchasing a false product that has been resealed into the original packaging as anyone can purchase a machine that seals a bottle.
Hi Frilleon,
Thank you for your comments. Interesting idea about not mixing cold water with the Vitamineral Green. The instructions from HealthForce don’t mention room temperature water, just purified water. http://www.healthforce.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=garden_flypage.tpl&product_id=6&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=65
I don’t think this would have made a difference with the bowel movements, but may have helped the mixing … which isn’t nearly as big as an issue.
I am not sure what you meant by “daring” to buy a supplement off of the internet to save a few dollars. Are you suggesting that Amazon is repackaging the product?
My comments are a year off, but just in case anyone reads, I figured it would be helpful to understand my experience. First, mixing 1 heaping teaspoon in a small jar of apple juice works well and tastes great. The trick is shaking the jar for a few seconds, drinking and cleaning the jar right away. In my experience, a bowel movement occurs within 1 hour to cleanse my body of toxins. Since taking the product 3.5 years ago, my immune system has been rock solid. I run 40 to 50 miles a week and have enormous energy levels. I am dissapointed that Healthforce doesn’t have official benefits of the product (i.e. calories, carbohydrates, proteins, etc.), however, I will continue to consume the product and live a healthier life.
My wife and I been using Vitamineral Green for over two years now, with no problems. I usually mix 2 heaping tablespoons in about 12 oz of room temp. water and have it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, or sometimes blend it with half a banana and some whey protein. The product was recommended by a nutritionist my wife consulted for specific health issues. I can’t report any noticeable health changes, although I do seem to have more energy in general than I do when I have stopped taking the green mix (e.g., when on vacation).
I’ve been using Vitamineral Green and Vitamineral Earth for 1 month. I also take 21 Supreme Green Barley tablets everyday and I do notice considerable differences in overall health/energy. I started this routine right after Christmas of 2009 along with a 90% raw food diet. When I started I was about 200 lbs at 5′7 (definitely obese). Only one month later I am 10 lbs lighter and feel awesome. By the way, I haven’t even started exercising yet and I’m an office worker. For me, the key is staying away from dairy, meat products, and all processed food. Keep in mind that I’m no environmentalist or animal rights activist but these people know what it takes to keep your health at peak. Long story short, stay away from the processed foods, eat meat very sparingly, eat tons of fruits and veggies and use Vitamineral green to unsure nutrition gaps are met and you will transform yourself in no time.