The power of green

The Power Of Green Improving Your Health One Mouthful At A Time

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Table Of Contents

Exploring The Power Of Green: Let’s Start With The Basics Detoxing Your Body With Natural Green Food Detoxifying Smoothie Recipes Green Smoothies Perfect For Your Body What Should I Put Into My Green Smoothie: The Best Ingredients

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Exploring The Power Of Green: Starting With The Basics The power of green is real, and it is everywhere, in healthy abundance.

Yet, there are too few taking up the right diet and improving their health when the ability to do so is right there in front of them. It’s the sad truth.

One might assume people still just don’t know the true potency of greens. This is plausible. This is also why educating others on the necessity of green fruits and vegetables is critical to life and one’s life expectancy.

Some people still believe that when you talk green, you’re talking only vegetables, but this is just not true. You can find extreme benefits in green fruits as well, fruits like kiwi, plantains, limes, avocados—and much more. These can be used as ingredients in main dishes, or you can All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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eat these raw, with other raw veggies. You can also have these juiced or you can create smoothies with these.

One of the favorite methods for fitness goers is creating green protein smoothies, which happen to be delicious when the right balance is gained! However an individual chooses to consume these green fruits and vegetables, the main point is how much of an impact they can have on the normal functioning of the body.

This is a popular trend among health fanatics, but we’d really like to see it take dominance among people across the globe. This is an idea that stretches way back, and it has always been one closely linked to your personal health. Natural, organic based plants have been valued for centuries among medical professionals, and many have always turned to green plants for their healthy, cleansing properties and values. These simply heal, detoxify, cleanse and help with lowering multiple disease risks.

Modern times show that, while we’ve learned a great deal about the health of organic fruits and vegetables (and green ones in particular) those who eat these are still in the minority. Could it be because bad foods simply have billions of people under some sort of spell? It’s possible, since food experts have consistently pointed out how some of these foods have addictive ingredients that create cravings for more. So, how do you stop eating unhealthy?

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The answer is, you don’t just have to stop, but gradually changing habits can leave room for introducing healthy green foods. There are facts that people simply need to know about going green.

When it comes down to green foods, you need to know that these are vital to a healthy diet. Transforming your dietary needs might take some practice but there are many options to choose from in order to start incorporating greens in.

Those green vegetables richest in vitamins and minerals, such as: spinach, kale, bok choy and broccoli give the body what is known as phytochemicals which in turn keep the body clean, healthy and energized. This is something we are definitely going to go into more detail later on, but phytochemicals really help cleanse the body and actually nurture its health, at any age.

One green veggie in particular, broccoli, has been studied and research by scientists at John Hopkins in hopes to somehow prove how this one All Copy Rights Reserved ÂŽ Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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vegetable can provide preventive cancer effects. How? Well, broccoli offers an ingredient known as: sulforaphane again, proven to lower cancer risks.

Furthermore, broccoli also offers essential vitamins and minerals that can prevent some birth defects, boost the immune system and actually strengthen the bones. Can you imagine, if people just started having broccoli in the diet once or twice a week—enter a healthier, longer life free from some serious illnesses. It is possible!

Now, on another note here, while it is totally unclear how the power of green became noticed, or rather who started the “green revolution” there are more and more people catching on, and hopefully this literature will help bolster this revolution to a healthier diet too! Of course, we aren’t going to stay blindfolded on this. There is always going to be bad food galore, but this doesn’t have to continue to be a cause for disease, if people start eating better, right? Maybe folks, it’s a work in progress—remember this is your basic introduction to the

power of green!

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Just remember, the natural ingredients like phytochemicals, chlorophyll, phytonutrients and sulforaphane continue to help the body combat multiple diseases and treat minor health afflictions as well. Some experts have even pointed out that some of these natural, plant-based ingredients can help remove body odor entirely. It’s also a fact that these green foods provide more holistic benefits than any supplements or synthetic prescribed drugs could ever give to the body, and without any side effects, as drugs would do.

One should never forget that detoxing the body, alongside some form of exercise is more than good for you. There are multiple benefits to be gained through these forms of health improvements. Not only can fat loss become a reality for those who might have been struggling due to hormones or other factors, but also—you can look younger, feel better, gain more energy and do things you thought were already past your own capability.

You can even improve upon your memory and cognitive awareness.

Green foods can change your life, there just aren’t that many who are really aware of the full range of benefits that can realistically be achieved. Even if you don’t have the time to fit in a perfect health and exercise regimen, going on a detox program can still help you with weight loss!

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Detoxing Your Body With Natural Green Food

Detoxing your body is not as complicated as you might have heard it is, but you need to follow the right guidelines and steps to do so in a healthy and natural way. Yes, this requires invaluable natural ingredients, and a great deal of will power too, but detoxing is an important step in any fitness regimen. Something you might not be aware of is in how your body is constantly restoring and detoxifying itself quite naturally, but you have to supply the right food sources too.

For example, in order for your liver to fully function and to keep your internal body cleansed, as it should your diet is critical. Here you are held accountable for what you choose to put into your body and thus, how well your body can actually detox naturally. Yes, the liver is naturally removing toxins daily, but how well it does this is all up to you, as a person! This requires time, as there is no detox that can just happen overnight or within just a week either.

Now, there is no need to go thinking you have to make huge changes to your current diet, unless you’re not eating healthy at all. If that is the case, then of course this might seem strange to you and to your digestive system. What is important is to start planning and researching on what foods are going to be best for your specific detoxing program, and what side effects might take place as well. Let’s really ask the BIG question.

“Do you understand what a detox or cleanse really is and how to go about getting started?”

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Detoxing and cleansing your body is a way of living too many—it’s the right way to eat and fuel the body. This is the natural way to remove or rather, minimize the risks associated with pollutants, chemicals and other unnatural elements in the environment. By introducing nutrient dense foods and green foods in particular, you can begin to eliminate these serious toxins.

Just to provide a little more clarity and explain this process a little better, this concept is just referring to how your body goes about expelling toxins that can run down your system, interfere with fitness goals, make you sluggish and even make you ill. Some of these toxins might just be coming from bad food ingredients such as: processed sugar, processed wheat, alcohol and even caffeine. The far worse things are related to environmental pollutants and pesticides—all harmful to your body.

These toxins that can continuously accumulate in the body, to dangerous levels can create all kinds of disease. This is why cleansing has become so popular. This is also why so many have turned to a totally vegan diet as well, but free from pesticides and other harmful, unnatural agents. Some people choose to go a more medical route and opt for a colonic hydrotherapy, but staying natural and holistic is far safer on the body and places very little stress on the body during the process.

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Detoxing needs to be respected, and those engaging in this need to understand how it works. If you consume too many green veggies and fruits, or you drink too many green smoothies during detox you can suffer from ill effects, and if we haven’t already mentioned these they are symptoms such as: stomach gripes, skin break outs, crankiness, body aches in general, gas, fatigue, headaches and more.

It can be rather unpleasant when you haven’t done your research and you’re unsure of what foods you should choose to use for a detox plan.

Further into this literature you’ll find some of the safest, more common food choices. These are all totally organic and natural.

The benefits of detox should be becoming a little clearer for you here, we hope. When you detox you receive a far lighter dietary load, which encourages the body to expel waste filled with toxins. Remember, these All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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green foods are totally cleansing, and even can remove excess fat from the body (though, this can’t eliminate fat if you don’t start exercising and eating healthier).

This helps take some of the taxing pressure from your internal organs, mainly your liver, and even your skin! Yes, your skin releases toxin so it acts as an organ for detoxing as well. At this time, let’s just look at and discuss some of the perfect green food choices to get the cleansing process started off right. We would like to say, with some of these you don’t eat solid food for 3 days, you simply have all of your nutrition met through liquid form. This style we are illustrating here is more lenient than those that you are possibly more familiar with, but then it all depends upon your personal goals as well.

Parsley and coriander are two ingredients, which often go into blended green smoothies for detoxification and fat loss purposes. These can bind free radicals and bad elements such as metals like mercury so they can be dispelled from the body safely, yet effectively. Since parsley is definitely known as a alkalizing agent, and provides chlorophyll as well, some add these to normal leafy salads or veggie side dishes for added benefit.

You can eat parsley and coriander raw, or you can mix this into a drink with water, if you prefer not to have it blended into a smoothie. You’ll always need water during a detox program like this, so finding ways to benefit from water as a cleansing agent makes sense too. You never want to allow your body to become dehydrated during detox, so a little All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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mint, with parsley and perhaps even cucumber can be a great dietary option. You’re getting in your hydration while staying focused at the same time!

And, since we are on the path of pointing out what green foods are healthiest for cleansing, let’s not leave off those wondrous leafy greens!

These are extremely potent, wonderful for gaining multiple vitamins, minerals, nutrients, protein—but most importantly, gently cleansing the colon and digestive tract in particular. Raw is best for this, but if you do process them within a smoothie perhaps—you want these to be your last final ingredient so you can keep the phytochemicals intact for health benefits!

Leafy greens also help you curb cravings, and help increase the alkaline in the body, which is great for removing bad bacterial build up. Now, what you might not know is that when you use these for cleansing you can help improve in the oxygenation of your blood, which in turn, improves your cellular health. It’s amazing isn’t it? But it’s all true!

Leafy greens can consist of: baby spinach, kale, celery, bok choy, silver beets, and some others. Remember to choose the organic versions too!

If you really want to help your body and you really want to see fat loss, try incorporating at least one green smoothie into your daily diet until you gradually move up to two. Now, just as with any cleansing plan, you don’t want to stay on this longer than 4 to 6 weeks, but you can do it twice a year too! The best news is that, you can even have green All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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smoothies once a week, following a cleansing program. At the same time, increase your green intake by having items like spinach and romaine lettuce in your normal salad. For breakfast, have a spinach, tomato and onion omelet!

And while we are on the note of speaking about green foods and those that are considered super foods, don’t ever forget about avocados, as these are raging with great benefits. The fats in avocados are healthy ones, so you never have to worry about burdening your body. In fact, you can look at avocados as plentiful cleansers.

Avocados also give your body those necessary Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation within the body and help with digestion too. We recommend including avocado, hemp seed, virgin olive oil and flax seed in your diet as much as possible to gain the healthiest benefits. You will notice the benefits in your skin, hair, nails, and stamina and even bone health.

For an empowering meal, go with a salad and avocado—there is nothing more rejuvenating. If anything, you’ll get a great detox from this and all of the foods mentioned.

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Detoxifying Smoothie Recipes

The Multi Berry Detox Smoothie

When you’re looking for ways to improve your health and detoxify your body, consider multiple berries for the solution. These are filled with enriching antioxidants, whether they are: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or a hybrid berry of sorts. Your body can fully cleanse itself from impurities when you stick with the plan. If you’re looking for some hot detoxifying berry smoothie recipes, you’ll find top 3 choices below.

2 cups of either: blueberries or blackberries ½ cup almond milk All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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1 cup of bottled water ¼ cup steel cut, whole-grain oats ½ cup ice

Simply blend all of these ingredients together, to form a smooth consistency. If you’re smoothie is too thick you can either add more water or more almond milk. If you want to add a fat burner to the mix it is your choice. You can also add in an organic protein supplement as well. Some choose to toss in some spinach or kale for added health gains. This adds to the flavor of the smoothie. Now, for a moment, let’s talk about why a detox smoothie such as this one is as enriching in antioxidants as it is and why this is essential to the body during detox.

You’ve probably heard a great deal about antioxidants and what these bring to the body. These are definitely linked with prime health benefits and can prevent heart disease. Furthermore, antioxidants can reduce inflammation within the body, thus improving joint and muscle health.

These are simply pure, natural antibiotics that can restore a healthy internal system, without side effects.

The Green Goddess Detoxifier

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Remember the importance of green fruits and veggies? We’ve talked about them quite enough, that is for sure. Kale is as significant to the body as spinach is, possibly more so. If you can have a green detoxifying smoothie with kale, we say go for it, but make sure it is digestible. You should take in kale and spinach on a regular basis, especially if your goal is for cleansing and fat loss.

Ingredients: 1 ½ cup kale 1 apple 1 cup coconut milk or water All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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1 cup ice

Using a professional grade blender (since kale can be quite coarse) blend all ingredients together until smooth. Once again, if your smoothie is too thick you can add additional coconut milk or purified water, whatever your preference is. Now, kale is really trending hard and growing among those fitness individuals who want a full cleanse to their bodies.

Kale provides multiple vitamins and minerals, and even a little protein.

This one is gentle on the digestive system and a small 8-ounce serving really goes a long way. Don’t drink so much your stomach gripes you.

Since this does give you fiber, too much can bloat you as well so pay attention to your body.

Now, as we continue to discuss detoxifying the body so that you can begin some form of a fat loss regimen, or perhaps strength training, real muscle building plan—you’re really going to be amazed at the span of these ingredients. While some fitness gurus swear by fruits like: apricots, pomegranates, kiwis and others, there is such vast varieties that offer tremendous benefits just as potent and rewarding. Our next detoxifying smoothie is a great example of this.

The Infamous Spiced Ginger Smoothie

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Of all ingredients, you have to wonder why ginger is included in this smoothie. The truth is, very few people are aware of the extraordinary health benefits ginger provides to the body. Ginger is an energizer and it can be quite refreshing, both inside and outside. As a detoxifier, it is perhaps one of the most exceptional of ingredients. For decades it has been known as a natural anti-inflammatory agent, far better than any prescription drug. When used in a smoothie it adds a bit of zest to the flavor, and when you pair this with organic cinnamon you certainly have a great combination. While ginger root doesn’t put that hot kick like a hot, jalapeño pepper would, it adds a nice spice to the flavor.

Ingredients 1 nice portioned piece of ginger root All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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1 tsp. cinnamon 1 handful spinach 1 handful of kale 1 cup almond milk or coconut milk 1 cup ice

The secret with working with ginger is in how you grate it. You don’t want to pulverize it because you’ll damage the phytochemicals included, but, the less rough bits you have, the better the ingredients can be blended. This cleanses the digestive system and helps to minimize gas, bloating, stomach gripes and other stomach complaints. It has been trusted and used by holistic practitioners for years, which is why it is a trusted ingredient within a detoxifying smoothie.

We also want to share the power of detoxifying smoothies that can cleanse not only your inside but also your outside. What this means is that the cleansing shows through in your mood, energy, personality, and even in your own creativity. We’ve found that those smoothies which have more veggies (especially green ones) are highly potent in antioxidants but very low in fructose, which is a good thing. The next smoothie being shared here is all about green and what this can do for your body.

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The Squeaky Clean Green Smoothie Ingredients ¼ cucumber 1 handful of kale ½ handful organic spinach ½ cup avocado 1 celery stalk 1/3 fresh parsley 1 kiwi fruit 1 apple All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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1 cup almond milk 1 cup ice

The rest is easy. Put everything in your blender and blend until smooth.

You don’t have to worry about de-peeling any fruits or veggies (well the kiwi, yes) because peelings provide you all of the vitamins and minerals—more so than the fruit itself.

Sit back and enjoy the cleansing from this one! Just remember, there is a reason that green smoothies are so popular and always in the latest trends. You do get great, creamy flavor with all of the necessary health benefits at the same time. Also remember to choose all organic options too.

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Green Smoothies That Are Perfect For Your Body Of course, we talk often about green smoothies and the delicious benefits they offer to your body. These are easy to make blended drinks that include leafy greens and a variety of fruit. When you want to be healthy, as we all do, most definitely greens should be at the top of your list, even if you don’t like them. You will eventually develop a taste for them, and they really aren’t as repulsive as so many think.

For those who eat greens on a consistent basis, there are even more ways they can gain greater nutritional benefits. You’ve probably been told that over cooking can deplete them from all of the various benefits they give, and this is very true. So, sautéing them, and eating them raw are the best ways to really reap the rewards—that is, if you’re not going to drink them in a green smoothie.

Green smoothies, on the other hand, include fruits that add delicious tastes. For those who don’t want to eat greens alone, this is a great solution. Even if you’re still thinking “yuck,” you shouldn’t. They really are very good. Just imagine how you’re going to help your body when you increase your diet in greens. I’ve found my vision has had improvements, and I can only pass this off to the green smoothies I now drink once a day. Of course, I still wear glasses, but I can see much better than I did before. My vision hasn’t changed in over 5 years, and that is saying something.

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Still, what if no matter what you just simply despise greens and nearly gag at the thought of being forced into eating them. What do you do then? Once again, since you choose to add fruit into the greens for green smoothies, you’re going to find the flavor is far better. Further, if you use almond milk, you get even more flavor without the added fat.

The fruit masks the flavor of the greens for some, neutralizing any bitterness and adding sweetness to the mix that might otherwise not be present. In fact, without the fruit the concoction would not be very tasty at all. Still, there is a special technique to make the best green smoothies, and it comes from trial and error. Once you’ve mastered perfecting green smoothies, everyone will be consuming them at your house! We really can’t stop raving on how great these really are, but then we might be biased too.

Due to the fact most individuals will be blending their greens and fruits in a well-powered blender, the blades can process the greens well, as well as the fruit choices too. This ensures that all nutrients are evenly dispersed within the smoothie. Also, when it comes to the cellulose that All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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is released, this is vital. However, without processing the greens properly, an individual would never gain these benefits unless they chewed and chewed on a variety of green vegetables.

When it comes to the fruits you choose to put into the green smoothie, individuals need to be sure they choose fruits that have a rich sweetness and fantastic texture and flavor to complement the greens. For those who hate greens and other veggies, this will override that flavor. The best fruit choices are those that are ripe and colorful.

For example, a banana that is ripe will bring more sweetness and more flavor. The starches in the fruit actually convert to fruit sugar, which gives the flavor. Of course, there is no reason to worry about the fruit

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sugar; it isn’t going to change the benefits you’ll get from drinking these green smoothies. In other words, you’ll still lose fat, not gain.

What many don’t know is that ripe fruit is easier for the body to digest as well, with more nutritional value too. If you can get organic fruit from a local farmers market, that is highly recommended too.

Remember, mangoes and bananas act as a great base for your smoothie, and the consistency of these creates a nice consistency throughout the drink. This binds all the ingredients together, instead of causing them to separate, as the wrong ingredients would do.

In the next section we are going to talk about what the many ingredients can be that you put into your green smoothie. You don’t have to go boring with these because there are plentiful choices to go with. If you research and discover fruits and veggies that give you minerals and vitamins you wouldn’t ordinarily get, then go for them!

Experimentation is what gives you some of the best smoothies you could ask for.

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What Should I put Into My Green Smoothie: The Best Ingredients By now, you should be more than aware of the basic ingredients that go into a smoothie, whether green or mixed berry. Some choose to go with coconut water instead of almond milk, which is perfectly fine. Some choose the bananas and mango as bases, while adding in leafy greens and other fruit choices to mix in. Don’t forget berries are excellent choices to go with green leaf veggies because they offer the antioxidants and other very essential nutrients. Let’s take a moment to really examine what we mean by green smoothies and the green vegetables that create these.

The distinction is important between green leafy vegetables and just plain old green vegetables. The best nutrients are to be found in the leafy greens, not greens such as cabbage and cucumber, though these are great vegetables for you. There are 4 particular categories when we are talking about green vegetables.  Root vegetables are those that grow under the ground and involve veggies such as: carrots, beets, turnips and even potatoes  Fruits are the next items to discuss, and these are the fruits we look at as vegetables. Those that fall into this category are: zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumber, beans and even peas  Cruciferous vegetables are those that are found in the “brassica family” and are ones such as: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and those all favored Brussels sprouts All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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 Leafy greens are the all too common choices and are the edible leaves of many veggie plants. Some of these leafy vegetables are grown for the leaves themselves. The ones that are most often used are: lettuce, kale, spinach, celery, and flavorful parsley. These are sometimes even the leafy tops on root vegetables like carrots, beets, and turnips. Of course there are turnip greens, which are in a class outside of the leaves on root veggies.  Wild edible plants are also important to mention here, and we want to point out how great those like: dandelion leaves, plantain, chickweed and yellow dock are to the body. You do have to be careful that you’re eating the right wild leaf vegetables because some can be toxic Now, there are greens that are found to really blend particularly well in a green smoothie, with just a few too mention: kale, organic baby spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, chard and dandelion leaves. Further, despite what many have voice about frozen fruits being processed and overly sweetened, these are perfectly fine to work in with some of these leafy greens mentioned. If an individual is making a mix like this in summer (which is popular) frozen fruit really cools down the drink particularly well and it is extremely refreshing in the summer.

We want our readers to be aware that green smoothies are actual meals, basically because they are packed with so many rich nutrients though they are low in calories. They include an abundance of fiber, which fills an individual up well, and keeps them feeling full. They are definitely All Copy Rights Reserved ® Ironbuttz 2015 The Power Of Green

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used as meal replacements very often, especially for those who are on fat loss program. For individuals who are on a muscle gain program, they want to have more calories in their green smoothies than someone concerned with fat loss would want. Those for muscle gain might want to have a liter at a time, while someone on a fat loss program might want 8 to 12 ounces. These should be consumed on their own, without any other food included.

The body digests the fiber from green vegetables far better when processed in this way, rather than simply eating them raw. Because they are easier to digest you will feel more energized after you drink a green smoothie, which is a great thing! No one wants to feel bloated or gaseous and these don’t do that.

Getting started with green smoothies, or any multivitamin packed smoothie program is highly recommended by many dietitians and nutritionists due to how extremely healthy these drinks really are.

Whether you’re detoxing or you supplementing for fat loss, or you are using these as a protein supplement (including a protein powder in the mix) you’ll see great results and feel far healthier than you might have ever felt previously.

We hope you found the information within this EBook helpful, and rewarding. If you have questions and would like to learn more about Ironbuttz, feel free to visit us. We would love to hear from you!

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