Monday, June 17, 2013

The Wonders of Wheat Grass


Sometimes, people ask me if I drink wheat grass juice.  I do.  Sometimes, people ask me if I grow wheat grass.  I do not.  Sometimes, people ask me if I juice wheat grass.  I do not. So here's my deal. 
I am compelled by the arguments for drinking wheatgrass, phenomenal as it seems to be.  It has the same chemical makeup as human red blood cells (hemoglobin) except that blood contains iron, which makes red.  Wheat grass contains magnesium, which makes it green. It is a complete protein loaded with minerals and enzymes, and long known and apprecieated for its healing properties.  Chlorophyll is partially responsible for those healing abilities.  The green plant pigment aids in red blood cell production, detoxification, boosting the immune system, and alkalizing the body.  Additionally, other reported benefits include Improved digestion, elimination of body odor, anit-viral, anti-fungal, balancing blood sugar, reversal of aging signs, improved dental conditions, improved vision, reduced inflammation, and alleviation of depression.  That's an impressive list of benefits.

In his book Survival into the 21st Century, Kulvinskas praises wheatgrass.  "In therapeutic amounts, it will detoxify the body by increasing the elimination of hardened mucous, crystallized acids, and solidified, decaying fecal matter.  Wheatgrass juice's high enzyme content helps dissolve tumors.  It is the fastest, surest way to eliminate internal waste and provide an optimum nutritional environment.  Wheatgrass juice can also be used as a poltice, wash, douche, or bath, stimulating healthy new cells and fighting infections."

People who are quite ill, and are treated at various natural healthy clinics, are often put on a firm regimen of wheatgrass.  If you are in that category of persons, then  doing more research on wheatgrass would be a very wise thing to do.
I drink wheatgrass when I can.  We have a vegan restaurant in town, The Main Squeeze, who sells it by the shot ,(if you're just starting out, don't drink any more than that!), and I generally order some with my lunches there.  Many people choose to grow their own wheatgrass, which is certainly a more economical way to have it available.  My reason for not even attempting it is that our 3 cats love to nibble on all things green and growing, except for the wheat grass that I can get for them in  the pet store. Go figure.  Also, if it's home grown, it takes more tending to, for the prevention of mold, harvesting, etc., than I am willing to pursue.  If you're game, go for it! However you introduce yourself to wheatgrass, be ready for a taste with lots of personality!  All those nutrients make for a strong flavor that takes a little getting used to.  Once you do, you adjust, you may be quickly persuaded to add it to your overall future heatlh regimen.  It's a good thing.
Regarding juicing wheatgrass, some of the upper end juicers do a good job with it, others, not so much.  There are special juicers for just wheatgrass, some manual, others electric.  I simply have just not gotten into that realm, being fairly content with the number of small appliances in my highly raw kitchen.  If you're inclined, however, talk to some other folks less lazy than I, and look at some of the YouTube videos on the subject.  Should you want to purchase one from Amazon, I appreciate your going through the icon on the right or the option pictured  below to get to it.  I get a small percentage of each sale that way, which helps me to spread the word I am trying to spread, and it's no extra cost to you.  Thanks for that.  And I also appreciate any conversation you care to share about wheat grass or any other of my blog topics.  Be well!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks, Jane, for this post on wheat grass. I have seen wheat grass that is frozen, and I was thinking about trying the frozen to put in my daily smoothie hoping that would make the grass more palatable. I'll let you know how it goes.

    Shirley Fairchild

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