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I'm A Functional Medicine Expert, And I Swear By This Greens Powder Supplement

Author:

Paige Bourassa, DACM, L.Ac., RHN

Expert reviewer:

Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

October 21, 2021

Licensed Acupuncturist

By Paige Bourassa, DACM, L.Ac., RHN

Licensed Acupuncturist

Dr. Paige Bourassa is nationally board certified in acupuncture. She studied psychology at the University of Colorado, holds a doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine (DACM) and a master’s degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

Expert review by

Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN

Former mbg Vice President of Scientific Affairs

Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at mindbodygreen. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and Ph.D. in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Georgia.

Image by Grace Lee

October 21, 2021

My obsession with green powders started like most of my obsessions, with a high-quality solution to problem.

Let me quickly rewind to mid-pandemic: I found myself tired, bloated, wanting to eat only mac and cheese, queasy, and getting unreasonably emotional while watching C-SPAN. Yep, you guessed it: I was pregnant. So, after peeing on about a million sticks, I finally went to the doctor and confirm what the $97 in pregnancy tests were hinting to: I really was going to have a baby.

I had a hard time keeping any healthy food down...including veggies.

Like any woman who has newly learned she is pregnant (or, at least, I think this is a common sentiment?) I became immediately protective over what I put in my belly. But with my stomach and energy levels feeling off due to the hellish roller coaster of a first trimester, all I was able to stomach was yogurt, mac and cheese, cheese, and grilled cheese (you can pick up a theme here). I was positive my baby was going to come out looking like a wheel of Brie.

So I tried eating a salad one day. Couldn't keep it down. Then some cooked broccoli. Not a chance that stayed down. I managed to successfully eat peas and butter with a lot of effort and some acupuncture (I was determined that day and had a little extra time on my hands). But all in all, I wasn't getting anywhere near my usual intake of 10 to 12 veggies a day, and all I kept seeing was my adorable little unborn child with a block of cheddar for a head.

So I posed the question: How do I sneak in the nutritional benefits of organic vegetables every day? It finally dawned on me that greens powder was the way to go.*

With organic veggies+, I could finally gobble down vegetable nutrition and fiber without gagging on a salad.

I looked at the top brands and tested three of the crowd favorites out. I won't name names, but I found one of them was super sweet; one of them was great-tasting but lacked the organic veggies I needed; and the final option was kind of blah, and I didn't see a difference in how I felt. Not only that, but none of them moved anything along my digestive tract, which was concerning. Then a girlfriend recommended mindbodygreen's organic veggies+. Finally, I found the solution I'd been looking for.*

My review of mbg organic veggies+.

I eagerly kept an eye on the mailbox until my delivery of organic veggies+ powder arrived—I was so excited to finally gobble down vegetable nutrition and fiber without gagging on a salad. Oh, and this product also delivers organic fruits too (fruit + veg, even better). As soon as it arrived I tried it three different ways: with just water, with pineapple juice, and in a smoothie.

When I mixed it with water, it didn't taste awful (huge score!)—the drink went down easy and helped to move things right along.* The pineapple-and-water combo was probably my fave because it added a teeny bit of sweetness and made me feel like I was on vacation (very important when you haven't been out of the house in months). In the smoothie, it didn't have an overbearing greens taste, and I was even able to sneak it into my boyfriend's morning smoothie without getting an eye roll, which was a big bonus.

Once I established that I liked the taste and I could feel it doing positive things in my body,* I dug a little deeper into what was really in the powder and what set it apart from the others. Here were my big takeaways:

It's USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and there's no or low FODMAPs or lectins. Even when you find an organic greens powder, there are often sneaky lectins in there, which can irritate the gut. And that's the last thing I wanted when I was already bloated and pregnant.
It features organic herbs like ginger and turmeric. Not only are ginger and turmeric potent antioxidants, they contain anti-inflammatory properties to support immune function.*
It contains prebiotic fibers and probiotics. This was another game-changer for me because organic inulin and flaxseed prebiotic fibers (found in the organic veggies+ digestive blend) provide nutrients for beneficial bacteria (the good guys in the gut).* The veggie powder also contains 10 billion CFUs of key Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains of probiotic bacteria, which help support regularity and nutrient absorption.*

Needless to say, I'm a fan. I love that organic veggies+ tastes good, it's organic, it supports the digestive system, and I can actually feel it doing good in my body.*

I'll also tell anyone who will listen that unless you're getting an ample daily dose of organic veggies, prebiotics, and sea veggies—organic veggies+ should probably be in your pantry.