Bee Pollen is my number one favorite superfood. There are several reasons we include pollen as part of the Juice Feast:

ONE: NUTRITION: Pollen is said to contain all the elements necessary for the sustenance of human life. The San Francisco Medical Research Foundation estimates that pollen has more than 5000 different enzymes and co-enzymes, which is more than any other food in existence. The high amount of enzymes, such as catalase, amylase, and pectin-splitting enzymes, make pollen an aid to digestion. Some research suggests that pollen is absorbed directly from the stomach into the bloodstream.

Pollen is a vegetarian source of most of the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, and E, rutin, all the essential amino acids, the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid, fats, complex carbohydrates, simple sugars, RNA and DNA, steroid hormone substances, a plant hormone similar to a secretion of the human pituitary called gonadotrpin, 15% lecithin, and many other unknown factors.

According to research by doctors from France, Italy, and the former USSR, pollen is the richest source of protein in nature. Gram for gram, pollen contains an estimated 5-7 times more protein than meat, eggs, or cheese. The protein in pollen is in a predigested form and therefore easy to assimilate.

Pollen is also abundant in trace minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, potassium, copper, silicon, sulphur choline, titanium, and sodium. These minerals are highly assimilable because they are bound organically from plant metabolism.

TWO: COMPASSION: We miss chewing anything on a Juice Feast. This is one thing that you can chew on for the entire Feast, whether it is 7 days or 92.

THREE: LIFE PRACTICE: This is a major longevity food. By eating about 1 Tablespoon per day, you will develop a strong positive bond with this food that will last for a lifetime.

When buying pollen, get it from a reputable source, organic, and preferably from a refrigerator. It should cost no more than U.S. $20-30 a pound, and can cost as little as $10/lb when bought from the beekeeper.

On the Juice Feast: 1 Tablespoon of Y.S. Eco Farms Fresh Bee Pollen, maximum. Everyone who is new to bee pollen should start by placing 1 pollen granule under the tongue, to check for an allergic reaction. About 0.5 percent of the population is allergic to pollen as a food, but please check. In all my years of coaching, I have not had a single client find themselves allergic to bee pollen granules. If you are in doubt, please consult an allergist. Many people using pollen who have allergies during pollen season find a partial or complete resolution of their allergies by combining a plant-based diet and eating bee pollen as a life practice.