Juicing Wheatgrass
Information on the benefits of consuming wheatgrass, including where it can be purchased and how to juice it.
Wheatgrass was discovered in 1931 by chemist Charles Schnabel at Cerophyl Labs. He discovered exceptional nutritional value in young cereal grasses.
Test subjects, who were fed wheatgrass, displayed excellent health, vitality and energy. These results were off the charts when compared to the test subjects who consumed only other vegetables in the study. Study after study, both private and government, showed that consuming wheatgrass in its natural form, or by taking it in powder or pill form, increased the overall health of the test subjects.
Wheatgrass is grown under optimal conditions, giving you the young wheat plant. It is quickly growing in popularity as an ingredient in juicing recipes. Wheatgrass can also be purchased in tablet form or powder form. Wheatgrass is known to incorporate vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and nutritional value, over and above any other vegetable!
Research studies have proven that wheatgrass can have a healing effect when dealing with many diseases or disorders. In addition to promoting optimal health benefits, wheatgrass is also used to promote sluggish digestion, suppress the appetite, and increase overall bloodflow. People have even attributed it to cancer prevention. Colon cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in society today, and some suggest that a diet high in chlorophyll can greatly reduce this cancer. Wheatgrass, when grown and processed correctly, can contain as much as 70 percent chlorophyll. Studies also show that it can boost the immune system and regulate the thyroid. Other benefits include helping to oxygenate and alkalize the blood. Even other people swear by it when using it to detoxify the body of impurities.
With all of this knowledge about wheatgrass, it’s not surprising to find wheatgrass as an ingredient in many juicing recipes at juicing bars. You can purchase wheatgrass as fresh produce in health food stores. Even some upper class grocery stores now carry it. Some stores sell freshly cut wheatgrass that you can take home and juice. Another option is to purchase it already juiced and frozen. You can drink wheatgrass as a juice alone, or mix it with other types of fruits and vegetables. Not everyone likes the taste of wheatgrass at first. It can taste quite bitter to someone that is not used to the taste. However, it is possible to make the taste more appealing. You can mix wheatgrass with carrot, cucumber or apple juice. You can add honey to sweeten the flavor if you desire. You can mix wheatgrass with other greens like parsley, kale, celery, dandelion, or alfalfa sprouts. However, you will still probably choose to add a sweeter vegetable or fruit so as to eliminate the bitterness. Ginger and/or garlic can also be added for a different taste.
If you decide that you want to try juicing wheatgrass, you will need a special juicer called a “masticating juicer”. The main difference from a regular juicer is that it is designed to press the moisture out of the wheatgrass, hence wheatgrass juice. These juicers can also be used to juice lettuce,spinach,celery, parsley, and other herbs.
9 out of 10 people do not eat 3 to 5 servings of vegetables every day. It is almost impossible to consume the amount of vegetables that are recommended for our daily requirement. Wheatgrass can fill this void. It only takes about one minute to take 5 to 7 tablets or one teaspoon of powder. It may take a few more minutes to juice enough wheatgrass to give you the nutritional amount equal to a spinach salad. The above listed amounts of tablets and powder is equivalent to one ounce of wheatgrass juiced. However, all three of these methods are much more concentrated than eating a salad. Therefore, your body can absorb them much faster.
You must proceed with caution, however, when you first decide to either juice wheatgrass or take the pill or powder form. Wheatgrass can be difficult to digest at first. If you drink or take too much, it can cause nausea and/or an upset stomach. Because wheatgrass has such a strong cleansing ability, your system may be sensitive in the beginning. It is recommended that you do not drink more than four ounces of wheatgrass per day. Anyone with a really sensitive stomach is advised to only drink one to two ounces every other day to start. As your system gets used to the process, you can gradually increase the amount, not to exceed four ounces per day. It is also recommended that you DO NOT DRINK OR TAKE WHEATGRASS ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. Your stomach needs food in it for the wheatgrass to work properly. Also, try taking the wheatgrass several times a day rather than all at once. Some people like to take two ounces in the morning for a boost, and then two ounces before bedtime. Be careful with the bedtime sequence, however, until you figure out how your body responds, or you may be up and down during the night running to the bathroom! Other people prefer to consume wheatgrass between meals. It has been reported to substantially curb appetite!
Another recommendation is to drink PLENTY OF WATER or other liquid when injesting wheatgrass. If you juice wheatgrass, you can mix it with a lot of crushed ice to get the liquid that you need.
Wheatgrass juice, with it high levels of chlorophyll, is closer in compositon to blood than anything else you might drink or take. The chlorophyll in plants is similar to the molecular structure of blood. You will feel the immediate results when you drink wheatgrass. Many people PREFER organic wheatgrass juice first thing in the morning instead of a cup of tea or coffee. However, they report that they get that “jolt” they need to start their day. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather put something organic and natural into my body to experience that boost needed in the morning.