"The lightest and best tasting spirulina I have experienced," Francois de Jong, former head chef at Life Café, Soho.

Serving Suggestions

• Add 1 teaspoon of spirulina to a glass of water with the juice of quarter of a lemon (add honey if you wish to sweeten the taste). My personal favourite!
• 1 teaspoon mixed with apple juice (my neighbour's choice)
• 1 teaspoon sprinkled onto muesli
• 1 teaspoon sprinkled on top of a papaya ­ with fresh lemon if desired

Be aware that spirulina should be drunk within an hour of being mixed with liquid. Like fruits it can ferment! (though honey will delay this)

Social consumption
Consume this spirulina happily knowing that it is grown in a farm with a strong environmental ethos, which pays its workers well, and that a portion of its profits supports the spiritual community of Auroville, India. Additionally the spirulina farm donates its products to a nearby kindergarten for nutritional benefit. And it is one the few spirulina's in the world that are sun dried and not machine frozen.

Dosage Advice
From Healing with Wholefoods by Paul Pitchford

As a nutritional supplement, most people benefit from a "standard" 10-gram dosage: one heaping teaspoon or powder twice a day. Double this amount is usually an effective upper dosage range for imbalances such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, and anemia. More than this however is not toxic. Athletes and others with large energy requirements sometimes take 20 grams two or three times a day.

Finding the best way to take spirulina so that the flavour and texture are acceptable is important. For some people, it takes a week or two to learn to appreciate the flavour. Micro-algae are hydrophilic (water-loving). To be digested the dehydrated and compressed tablets need to be broken down by chewing, and then reconstituted by drinking ample fluids afterwards. Those with an aversion to chewing up dry tablets can soak them in water an hour before ingestion, or use powders or granules mixed with liquids or moist foods.

The powder mixes easily with moist food or liquids (soups, sauces, dressings, water, juice etc). If no blender is available, a little lemon juice added to the powder makes mixing with liquid easier. Avoid putting a spoon containing spirulina into liquids - the powder will stick to the spoon. Simply add the powder slowly to the liquid while stirring.

Dosage options -
1 rounded teaspoon = 3 grams = 3000 mg
1 heaping teaspoon = 5 grams = 5000 mg
1 rounded tablespoon = 10 grams = 10000 mg

The optimum dosage depends on several factors. Individuals should develop a personal dosage based on their levels of activity, weight and health. It is best to start with a minimum dosage and increase it according to your needs. An ideal dosage results in more energy and fewer cravings.

Digestive upset or mild frontal headache from micro-algae usually indicates a beneficial healing reaction, although in some cases too much is being taken. In either case, take less for a few weeks (try 1/5 to 1/10 the standard dosage). When the dosage is then increased to a moderate level and there is still no reaction, it indicates that the upset or headache was caused by a release of a layer of toxins in the body that is now complete. The more unbalanced or toxic the person, the less micro-algae should be taken in the beginning. As a general rule, take these and other supplements a maximum of six days a week. Micro-algae can be taken between meals when there is an energy need, at the beginning of meals, or to replace a missed meal.

Reproduced from Healing with Wholefoods by Paul Pitchford (North Atlantic Books) pp 198, 199 on Green Food Products.

Cosmetic Rejuvenant: Spirulina is also celebrated for its rejuvenative properties. Used in face and skin packs it tones and restores skin and muscles.

To make a face pack: Mix a teaspoon of spirulina powder with adequate water to make a paste which is then applied to the face. Wait till the mask dries on your face and you feel it pull. You can then wash it away. Try this for a month or so and assess the results for yourself.