A good example is organic spinach. Loaded with fiber nutrients like chlorophyll, folate, manganese, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium and phosphorus, the nutrients found in organic spinach have been directly linked to fighting cancers such as ovarian, prostate and colon. Naturally-occurring nutrients in organic spinach reverse age-related cell breakdown and are critical in anti-aging and boosting overall health.

            Organic broccoli sprout seeds are another example of a natural green phytonutrient, containing minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sulforaphane and indoles (critical in fighting cancer), as well as numerous trace and ultra-trace minerals. There's also organic alfalfa leaf; this green phytonutrient is rich in minerals and contains over 300 nutrients.

            I could go on, but I trust you get the point. Of course, despite my impassioned plea, I don't expect that everyone reading this will make organic greens part of their dietary routine. The sad fact is that phytonutrients are not included often enough in the typical diet and bodybuilders are particularly negligent when it comes to this aspect of nutrition. This is unhealthy because the traditional bodybuilding diet is so heavy in protein and so relatively light in other macronutrient categories that symptoms such as constipation often result.

            Bodybuilding foods tend to be bland and while oatmeal and brown rice find a way in, they have little or no green roughage. They tend to avoid leafy greens and even those who don't mean to or don't think they do, still are lucky to have one or two salads a week. Fiber is the natural cure for the bodybuilding diet; it balances gastronomic affliction by offsetting the large amounts of protein coming in, while enhancing health and wellness. Many of us know this already or at least can sense it in our bodies. Through trial and error, bodybuilders tend to be exquisitely sensitive to what is going on in the body- yet here again is the void.

            As is so often the case, a dietary supplement comes to the rescue. This time I'm not just talking about some grassy liquid or tasteless powder that offers nothing else from a bodybuilding standpoint and serves only to clutter the landscape. I'm not interested in adding yet another product to your overcrowded countertop of dietary supplements.

            That said, I actually found a little company with a super green blend made by a bodybuilder who I actually helped out early in his competitive career. Adam Levine's new product is called Rxodus^TM- a combination of whey protein and a botanical blend. Rxodus^TM marries pure whey protein isolate with real organic greens; in other words, you get your protein plus your greens and fiber in one damn good-tasting shake! His drink has no sugar, lactose or gluten, which means no gas or bloating. Rxodus^TM also has a low-carbohydrate (7 grams of carbohydrate per serving, 6 of them natural fiber) and low-calorie profile, which makes it ideal for putting on muscle and not fat. I tried the chocolate first but there's also a vanilla that actually mixes up a tinge green from the veggies, but tastes phenomenal- which means a great deal coming from me, because I usually can't stand vanilla!