Wheatgrass is a great way to powerpack your morning with energy in anticipation of all your daily superhero activities.  Known as a ‘superfood,’ wheatgrass juice offers amazing nutritional benefits to your diet. Also regarded as a booster for general health and well-being, wheatgrass juice is one easy way to ramp up your game.

Including Wheatgrass Daily

Wheatgrass is a great addition to your nutritional life, O.K. But exactly how does one do that?

Below are the pros and cons of adding fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried wheatgrass to your health regime:

Frozen wheatgrass

Often termed as “fresh-frozen,” this type of wheatgrass is grown on the producer’s farm either in trays or in the ground.  It’s then harvested, juiced, flash-frozen, and delivered to you.

• Convenient Yet Nutritious:  Frozen may be the best way to preserve wheatgrass juice nutrition and enzymes while at the same time not compromising your schedule.
• Easy to Use: Frozen wheatgrass juice comes premeasured in .5 to 1 oz shots.  Simply pull it out of the freezer and let thaw for a minute.  Add to water, juice, or a smoothie.  Always add 3x the amount of water (or juice) to 1oz of wheatgrass juice.  Avoid heating frozen wheatgrass juice on the stove or in the microwave as it will destroy the nutrients.

The downside:

• Expensive: The downside of frozen wheatgrass juice is typically the price tag.  Delivered to your door, the price per ounce can vary from $1.50 to over $2.00.  If you’re drinking a shot a day at $2.00, then you’re looking at an additional $60 a month to add to your budget.

Fresh wheatgrass

The idea of growing wheatgrass may seem daunting, but in the end it may be worth it for you to become a DIY wheatgrass grower.

• Easy to Start: there are easy-to-use Wheatgrass Starter Kits that provide all the basics for growing wheatgrass at home. The time between the sprouting and growth stage, when you can juice the grass, is about 10 days.
• Overall Savings: The price tag including the starter kit and manual mastication juicer is $85 (may not include S&H).  In the end, you save by being able to put what you would normally spend on buying juice away.  Do the math and compare to the cost (both money-wise and nutrition-wise) of both frozen and fresh wheatgrass.
• Immediate Nutrition: Growing your own wheatgrass gives you all the ‘right now’ benefits of wheatgrass juice nutrition.  You can’t get any fresher than clipping it from your own wheatgrass garden, juicing, and drinking.
• Versatile: If you have the space, you can transplant wheatgrass from your trays and plant it into the ground, creating your own home-grown wheatgrass garden.

The downside:

• Time-Consuming: Unless you’re a gardener or enjoy puttering around in the kitchen, growing your own wheatgrass may not be for you. Growing, harvesting, and juicing takes time, energy, and effort.

Freeze-dried wheatgrass

• Nutrition—Hmmmm:  With wheatgrass in freeze-dried (powdered) or pill form,there is a general consensus that the nutrition has been compromised (i.e. fresh is mo’ bettah).  The jury is still out on this one, so anyone drinking or eating freeze-dried wheatgrass juice please weigh in the comments below!
• Convenient: Needless to say, freeze-dried or pill form is absolutely the most convenient way to take wheatgrass.  If you’re traveling or just need to carry it in your purse or pocket, it’s  much easier to be mobile with these forms.
• Middling Price tag: Freeze-dried wheatgrass typically comes in a 1 oz package that has about 56 servings.  At $29.99 per package, you’re saving from the cost of frozen, but still spending more than if you were to grow your own.

Ultimately, home-grown or flash-frozen offers the best and most viable nutrition.  But that’s only if you can decide which option both your wallet and your schedule can handle.

Weigh-in: How do you take your wheatgrass, and why? Tell us in the comments below!

OK – so we had a team meeting here at 877MyJuicer.com and noticed a lack of a well researched, cited article describing the History of Wheatgrass, What Wheatgrass Is,  The Benefits and Uses of Wheatgrass, the Scientific Analyiss of Wheatgrass, Side Effects of Wheatgrass and Growing Your Own Wheatgrass.  If you have 10 minutes, really read this article. Not only is it very interesting, but it answers all of the questions we have received since 2004 when we launched the business!

So – what do you do when you see a problem?  You solve it.  877MyJuicer sought out a professional research writer to gather all of the latest and reputable information on wheatgrass, consolidate it and put it in an easy to read article!  Here you go!  The full description.

Wheatgrass: One of Nature’s Finest Creations

Wheatgrass is an edible grass, grown from wheat seeds that has, for many centuries, been a nutritionally dense supplement used by humans and animals alike. Many different civilizations have been known to use wheatgrass – both the blades themselves, as well as the roots – for medicinal purposes. Many health food “junkies” also swear by wheatgrass juice as the ultimate feel-good, cure all for pretty much anything. But what is wheatgrass exactly, where did it come from, and is there any supporting evidence behind all the health claims surrounding this mysterious grass?

Throughout history, this humble common wheat plant has been purported to cure any number of ailments, as well as serving the purpose as a high quality nutritional supplement. The plant is easy to grow oneself, and is alsoreadily available in a number of forms, most often as a juice – either served in “shots”, or in a mixture of fruit and vegetable juice – it can also be found in powder and pill form. Gaining popularity in the United States during one of the first natural health movements, wheatgrass has a storied history and has continued to be propped up as one of the world’s best superfoods.

A Brief History of Wheatgrass

There are implications from far back in history, with reports as far back as the Egyptian Empire, to the use of wheatgrass for the enhancement of wellbeing and vitality, and this was some 5,000 years ago. Wheatgrass – in terms of its use for basic nutritional supplementation, as well as a cure for many different health anomalies, has been seen in many other contexts as well, with references to this special grass found in the Old Testament of the Bible. However, the first modern “discovery” of wheatgrass occurred in the early 1900s. According to Creighton School of Medicine, Edmund Bordeaux Szekely discovered a religious text that purported wheatgrass to be “the perfect food for man” (Parker, S. Creighton School of Medicine. wheatgrass: History, 2007).

Empirical, scientific study of wheatgrass really began in the 1930s, when food chemist, Charles Schnabel (Olguin, K. The History of wheatgrass. 2009.) started to look at the chemical composition and nutritional benefit of this grass that, throughout history, has been seen as the world’s first superfood. In groundbreaking studies done on common hens, Schnabel’s

research seemed to back what many had been saying for centuries – that wheatgrass has many beneficial properties, far in excess of pretty much any other vegetable.
Schnabel was trying to rejuvenate ailing hens, and the hens regained their health and then some (Seymour, K. Illinois State University. Wheatgrass. 2011.). These hens, due to the reduced level of their health and well being, were also incredibly poor egg producers. What Schnabel found was that when feeding fresh wheatgrass to the hens, along with their traditional feed, was that not only did the health of the hens improve significantly, but their egg production went from a paltry 38%, to an amazing 94% (Olguin, K, et al.). These levels were higher than that of his healthy and unaffected hens (Seymour, K. et al.).

With this discovery, Schnabel started a campaign to increase the popularity of this very special grain.

But What Is Wheatgrass Exactly?

Wheatgrass is grown from either hard red winter wheat or spring wheat seeds. When the plant is grown, in “grass form”, it is considered to be a “green” on the same lines as spinach, kale, and cabbage. As there is growing concern about wheat allergies, gluten allergies in particular, many wonder about the safety of wheatgrass for those with gluten allergies. The good news is, wheatgrass, when consumed in juice, powder, or any other form, is gluten free. When wheatgrass is grown, the gluten breaks down through the soaking and sprouting process, thus leaving it gluten free when it gets to the stage of its growth process that humans would consume it. The broken down components actually make the nutrients in the wheatgrass easier for the body to digest.

Another great thing about wheatgrass is that it is considered to be a live food. Living foods have far more nutrients and health benefits than any sort of processed foods, and even fruits and vegetables found at the store. The process of growing wheatgrass is the process of sprouting the seeds and consuming the live young shoots.

Uses and Purported Benefits

There are many claims that surround the consumption of wheatgrass – particularly in juice form. According to the Hippocrates Health Institute, wheatgrass can boost your metabolism, lower blood pressure, and even has blood purification properties. Many who consume wheatgrass juice claim that doing so gives them feelings of vitality, energy, mental clarity, and happiness. With many claims of such a wide range, the consumption of wheatgrass juice has become a phenomena amongst the natural health and whole foods communities, and is used as a daily maintenance aid, or to cure a particular ailment.

It is most often consumed orally in the form of juice. Bunches of the wheatgrass are processed by a wheatgrass juicer and two to four ounces is the general “dosage” for the average individual (Hippocrates Health Institute, 2009). Remember that you need a specific wheatgrass juicer to actually extract juice.  Not any juicer can work!  The Manual Healthy Juicer ($44.95) or the Electric Healthy Juicer ($179.99) (both available at 877MyJuicer.com) are perfect for this.  While it can also be consumed in powder or pill form, as with most vegetables, consuming wheatgrass juice in its fresh state is the most beneficial way to get the nutrients available in the plant.

It is used for the above stated reasons, as well as for improved vascular and respiratory functioning (Dufault, M. 2006. wheatgrass). Many claim that is has detoxifying properties, and can even improve mental clarity (Dufault, M. et al). It is also said to aid in the healing process of wounds, infections, and more  (Parker, S. et al). All this sounds well and good, and there are many first hand accounts as to the supposed benefits of this humble juice, but is there any science to back up these claims?

Scientific Analysis of Wheatgrass

Based on analysis, wheatgrass is shown to be incredibly high in nutrients. According to Illinois State University professor, Kent Seymour, wheatgrass is one of the best ways to get living chlorophyll in the plant kingdom. As the chemical structure of chlorophyll is incredibly similar to that of the human hemoglobin (blood) cell, it is shown to aid in the purification of the blood and spurn the production of red blood cells (Olguin, K. et al).

Foods that have a high alkaline value are helpful in maintaining the proper pH balance of the body. A proper balance is a good indicator of overall health and wellness. Wheatgrass has been shown to be the best alkaline food from the plant kingdom – better than broccoli and spinach, which were thought to be leaders in that category (Olguin, K. et al). The alkalinity of wheatgrass helps to restore the balance to the blood.

Analysis has found that wheatgrass contains the full spectrum of B-complex vitamins, which are vital to many bodily processes including brain functioning and proper cell development. Wheatgrass is also very high in amino acids, which are known to help aid in the repair and renewal of cells (Parker, S. et al).

The American Cancer Association shows that the consumption of wheatgrass has been found to be very useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, or the inflammation of the large intestine. The study they cite used a test and control group of individuals suffering from ulcerative colitis, the test group was given 3 ounces of freshly “squeezed” wheatgrass juice a day, the control group was given nothing. Those who consumed wheatgrass were found to have fewer bloody stools, and less pain when compared to the control group.

WebMD states that while the evidence supporting the many health claims about wheatgrass is limited, it has widespread use for a huge array of different conditions. While the evidence is still needed to really be sure, to be able to make heads or tails of these claims, what we do know is that wheatgrass is incredibly high in nutrients, as well as antioxidants, which are vital to a healthy immune system and bodily repair.

Potential Side Effects of Wheatgrass Consumption

For the most part, wheatgrass is considered to be a very safe plant to consume. There has not been a good deal of empirical research done on wheatgrass, but according to WebMD, when consumed in “medicinal levels” (that range of 2 to 4 ounces a day) is said to be “likely safe”. There is relatively little research about any long-term effects of sustained wheatgrass consumption, but there is also no evidence that should warn anyone off from consuming it as a preventative or supplemental aid.

Those who have reported side effects, according to WebMD, tend to complain of minor gastrointestinal difficulties such as constipation. Reports of appetite loss and nausea have also been reported, but these appear to be in a minority of users and is minor in nature.

This information about the potential for stomach discomfort should be caveated with the fact that many of the cases of stomach discomfort are a result of “bad grass”. This would be wheatgrass that wasn’t grown properly, was allowed to mold, or otherwise improperly handled and cared for. This is a great case for growing your own – and it is simple as can be too.

Growing Your Own Wheatgrass

Growing your own wheatgrass is an incredibly easy thing to do. Using a simply wheatgrass sprouter does the trick.  Not only is there therapeutic value in growing living things, but you have complete control over the process. This means that you can arm yourself with the information you need to grow your wheatgrass in the optimal conditions and ensure that it is as sweet and delectable as it can be. Wheatgrass can be easily grown in the home – even those with the smallest of free spaces.

For a bit of advice on proper soaking, planting, watering, and when to harvest the grass for optimal sweetness and nutritional benefit, look no further than the internet. There are many great sites out there that will give you all the information you need, as well as sources for hard red winter or spring wheat seeds.

Properly grown wheatgrass will always be sweet – never bitter. It will have a pleasant “grassy”, but very sweet flavor. To get the most benefit from it, swish it around in your mouth a bit before swallowing, as allowing it to mix with the enzymes in your mouth make it easier to digest, and makes the juice all around more effective. Wheatgrass juice is tasty and shouldn’t need anything to cover up the flavor as most do not find it in any way offensive. If anything, a glass of water afterwards for some added hydration is all you need.

Conclusion

Throughout history, wheatgrass has been consumed as both a nutritional supplement and an aid to healing and treating all number of conditions. Many different peoples have relied upon, and swear by wheatgrass. While empirical scientific evidence to back up the claims made by wheatgrass users is lacking, the number of reports of increased vitality, as well as a whole host of other beneficial effects should give us pause, and the evidence tells us that it doesn’t hurt to consume it. Science has shown wheatgrass to be a safe substance to consume, high in essential vitamins and nutrients. And the first hand accounts tell us that it has the potential to do a good deal for our health and wellbeing.

References

American Cancer Society. 2008. wheatgrass. Accessed from

http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/DietandNutrition/wheatgrass>.

Dufault, Melanie. 20 September 2006. wheatgrass: 1 Shot of wheatgrass Juice = 1 Kilogram of    Vegetables? Accessed from <http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/WheatGrass.htm>.

Hippocrates Health Institute. 2010. Benefits of wheatgrass. Accessed from             <http://www.hippocratesinst.org/benefits-of-wheatgrass>.

Olguin, Andrea. 28 August 2008. The New Way to Grow Wheatgrass: Using Bio Technology to Grow       Wheatgrass with the Highest Nutrients. Version 41. Knol. Accessed from             <http://knol.google.com/k/andrea-olguin/the-new-way-to-grow-wheatgrass/1sitjsg5s3ol5/2>.

Parker, Sarah. 2009. History of Wheatgrass. Accessed from <http://altmed.creighton.edu/wheatgrass/history.htm>.

Seymour, Kent. 2011. The Nutraceutical Garden : The Grains & Legumes Component

. Accessed from          <horticulturecenter.illinoisstate.edu/gardens/documents/grain.pdf>.

WebMD. 2011. wheatgrass. Accessed from <http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-        supplements/ingredientmono-1073-WHEATGRASS.aspx?   activeIngredientId=1073&activeIngredientName=WHEATGRASS>.

 

THIS ARTICLE IS COPYRIGHT 2011 BY 877MYJUICER.COM – ANY REPRODUCTION MUST BE CREDITED!

 

What? You grow grass?  Isn’t that illegal?  Common words I hear when I tell people that I’ve been growing grass for the last 15 years.   They start to walk away from me when I tell them my Dad turned me on to it!

I first saw that beautiful grass at The Optimum Health Institute in CA. My parents were working there and my brother Michael had just started there too.  He designed and built the greenhouse along with my Dad, and also built up his reputation as being one of the master wheatgrass growers in the country.  A greenhouse filled with grass and sprouts is a site to behold.  The energy, the oxygen, the green!  Just breathe and be healed!  Why do we hold our breath?  I have been a practitioner of yoga for over 15 years and I know why. Breathing takes you into the present moment.  You cannot be in the present moment without the willingness to feel hurt.  That is a tough statement to comprehend, let alone “feel”.  But I’ll go into that in another excerpt.  Let’s get back to growing grass….

I watched and listened to my Dad and brother.  “When is my turn”?  I continued to ask myself that. I knew I would get there someday.  With their advice I was able to grow grass in my small apartment some 15 years ago.  Then there was a time I just didn’t have it in me to grow but wanted to drink wheatgrass juice, so I ordered it online.   I never knew when they harvested it.  It just didn’t taste like what I was used to.  I would occasionally be at a juice café and order a shot.  And again, I’d say, “Is this what these people think wheatgrass juice is supposed to taste like”?   Ok, that’s enough of this…..it’s time to start another business.  My reasons?  I wanted fresh cut, organic wheatgrass juice every day and I figured if I did, then someone else out there does too.  It’s easy enough.  I have my Dad and my brother, right?   And Michael even has a DVD with all the directions for growing wheatgrass and sprouts!  I can do this!

For a year I grew wheatgrass and sprouts and delivered an exceptional product to as many customers as I could.   Now I grow on my kitchen counter.  I grow on my dining room table.  I grow and sprout wherever I can, as much as I can.   Sprouting seed and growing wheatgrass may take some time to figure out.  Your environment has a lot to do with all the problems you may encounter.  I’ve learned that airflow is the biggest issue surrounding the mold problem.  Living in the northeast is challenging to say the least.  I now grow pea shoots in my sprouter.  No soil!  I know, that’s crazy.    Don’t tell my brother.

I can’t live without my sprouter, sprout bag, my colander, my green bags(to keep all my produce fresh longer), and some great trays for growing my sprouts and wheatgrass.  I keep a kitchen stocked with seed and a library stocked with books about sprouts and live food.  Because of the size of my kitchen and winter being upon us, I grow one thing at a time.   But there is no reason, with all the new sprouters and tray holders out there, that you can’t grow more than one sprout.  The hardest part is just getting started.  Sprout one thing at a time at first. Get really good at it and then start something else.  The theory behind sprouting and growing is basically the same with a lot of seed and bean.  The principals are the same too.   Keep good air circulation, don’t let the seed dry out, and keep it out of too much direct sunlight (sounds like the directions on how to keep a gremlin)!   Wheatgrass is baby grass. It needs to be nurtured.   And for goodness sake, keep your grass away from the pets!  You’ll have to grow a separate tray for them. My cat loves to chew it right out of the tray. I also juice it for him and give it to him in a dropper.  He loves it!  I’ve seen a dog totally tear a tray of wheatgrass apart, like it was catnip.  What a treat for them!  And during the long winter months, when dogs can’t get outside to chew grass, this is the perfect substitute for them. Wheatgrass juice, it’s not just for humans!  Keep on growing, folks!

This is my story on my journey into wheatgrass juicing!

If you’ve never heard of wheatgrass juice, you’re not alone.  There are a few entries here about it and one from my brother Michael!

Don’t underestimate the healing properties of wheatgrass and wheatgrass juice.  Growing wheatgrass in my apartment and drinking wheatgrass juice may have saved my life when carbon monoxide leaked inside due to an improperly installed gas heater.   Drinking wheatgrass for maintenance also helped me expel a chemical that I’d been using for way too many years  AND a poultice I made from the pulp of wheatgrass cured my six month old daughter of the croup overnight!

I credit my parents for starting me on my journey with wheatgrass and living food.  Over 20 years ago, they both checked into Optimum Health Institute in CA and changed the direction of their lives as well as mine.  They started working there along with my brother and later moved on to Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, where my brother Michael is now a Master Wheatgrass Grower and manages their greenhouse.

While visiting my parents in CA at Optimum, my 6 month old daughter came down with a horrible cough.  My Mom suggested a poultice.   This was 17 years ago and I knew about wheatgrass juice, but not what I could do with the pulp.  Sure, why not.   So we put a poultice made of wheatgrass pulp dipped in the juice, directly on her chest.  And yes, you guessed it, the next morning she was free of her cough completely.   I wish I could say, at that moment, I was totally hooked on wheatgrass and living food.  It took me a few more years.  I was vegetarian at that time and was juicing wheatgrass and attempting to grow it in my house.

My first juicer was an electric Miracle Juicer.  I took it right off the kitchen counter of my parent’s house.  (Hey, I wasn’t the only one. My sister and brother stole the next two)!  It was what I used for many years.  Wheatgrass was the only thing I was juicing at the time.  I grew it in my small apartment and did the best I could.  Some days I could drink it and others I just couldn’t get it down.  I drank it for maintenance….I drank it for healing. And I continued to make poultices.   But I was still working on emotional issues and I was avoiding turning to a living food lifestyle.

Fifteen years later, because of my connections with Hippocrates Health Institute, I was fortunate to have the director, Brian Clement, come to speak in my small town in Vermont.  I certainly listened, but I wasn’t ready to hear it.  So I continued to juice wheatgrass.  Not finding the space or time to grow it, I ordered it online.   I drank it for 4 months straight, feeling better and better.  Then one day I just couldn’t get it past my lips.  I called my parents.  My Mom, said “Just drink it any way you can get it down.”  My Dad said, “It’s all emotional.”   He was absolutely right.  The emotion that I wanted to “share” with my Dad at that moment, convinced me even more to at least attempt a living food lifestyIe.  I certainly had come to a point in my life where conventional treatments weren’t working anymore.  So again, Brian Clement came for a visit.  And this time I heard it.

The next day I emptied my kitchen cabinets and started juicing and eating more living food.  I was now eating better than I had my whole life.  I still have that Miracle juicer and I brought out my Vitamix (I hadn’t used it since I bought it years ago) and I purchased a Champion Juicer, a food processor and a spiral slicer.  I juiced every fruit and green I could get my hands on.  I made green smoothies.  I made raw ice cream, raw treats, raw foods. I was hooked.

A year later, when I started growing wheatgrass in my business, I purchased the Manual Healthy Juicer for wheatgrass and greens.  With my manual Healthy Juicer, I could juice up to 100 shots for tasting at our local Health Expo without getting tired.   If you don’t want to wake up the family with the sound of an electric juicer, this is the one for you.  They’ll wake up to the smell of fresh squeezed wheat grass.

Don’t hesitate getting started growing your own wheat grass. Growing grass is one of those things you just have to start doing.  It may take a couple of tries to get it right, but you will get it right.  Don’t forget about making a poultice.   Placing it on everything from your gums to your toes, is just another way to heal using wheatgrass.  The pulp can be used on any skin irritation, from rashes to warts, scars to ingrown toenails.  Think drawing out toxins, think oxygen, think alive, think GREEN!  Again, don’t underestimate it.  Try it for yourself.

Donna, Yep, I really juiced that, Bergonzi-Boyle

Ok…so first of all, how awesome is it that Michael was up to do a guest blog post?!  Michael is an incredible guy, and I can’t give him more authority in his knowledge on the subject of wheatgrass, leafy greens, and all that has to do with juice.  Bottom line is – he knows his stuff.  He has just come out with a new DVD with a great (hilarious) lecture on the background of wheatgrass, how to grow it and how to actually juice it!

Ok Mike…heres..well, the mic!

From Michael Bergonzi:

Hello 877MyJuicer world!  Michael from Hippocrates here.  It would be my pleasure to inform people of GREENS and how amazing they are!

First of all, allow myself…to …introduce….myself.  My name is Michael Bergonzi, Greenhouse / Expo Manager / Health Educator Director at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL for the past seven years.  My career in the field of alternative health & wheatgrass began in San Diego, CA at the Optimum Health Institute back in 1990.  Growing grass for a living and not ending up in jail seemed like a pretty cool job!  Ok, I’ll take it!  Of course, the cost per one ounce is $1.00 rather than $350.00!  =)   Humor is important to healing!  I spent 8 years there, then worked for Ellen Tart-Jensen and Singer / Songwriter, Jewel for the next 3 years.  Getting out of the grass field (no pun intended) but staying in the alternative Health Industry as Ellen spent 11 years with Bernard Jensen, so it was an awesome ride.  In 2001, I came to Hippocrates in FL, the number one Alternative Health Resort in the Country.

Most people now a days have at least heard of wheatgrass juice if not actually tasted it themselves from a juice bar or health food store.  (There are always some people that enjoy drinking it, but no one ever hangs around those people!)  The taste of wheatgrass is not always a pleasant one and we are told that it must be our bodies that are detoxing.  However, that is not always the case.  For example, as a wheatgrass grower, I would bring a tray of grass to the health food store, ready to juice.  If they juiced it that day, it would not taste at all bitter or cause that nausea feeling.  But, they choose instead to put it in the store window for a display for people to see it, and now it stays in the window for two more days in which the sun shines on it, which it should never.  They haven’t watered it, which they should everyday, and now, that same sweet tasting wheatgrass has aged almost 80 years in two days.  It’s kind of like people, the older it gets, the more bitter it becomes!  =)  Wheatgrass should be harvested when a second blade becomes visible, and then the entire tray needs to be cut at the same time.  It may then be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week without losing it’s value and taste.

Let’s talk about the ‘greens’ on the planet Earth.  First of all, everyone can agree that we, as humans, are mammals.  Most of the mammals on this planet are living on leafy greens.  In fact, we are one of the few mammals that still eat meat and the only mammal that cook our food.  To say that protein only comes from eating meat is an uneducated statement.  Sprouts, sprouted beans and GREENS are the best source of proteins for our bodies.  Think about it on a bigger scale.  How is it possible that most every mammal (and you all agreed that WE humans are mammals) can live on eating just leafy greens?  Elk, moose, deer, giraffes, gorillas, elephants, horses, etc… and don’t forget the one that WE get most of our food here in the USA from, the COW!!!  Ahhhhhhh…  and here is the problem now a days.  You see, in the past, when you lived on red meat and dairy products, in-directly you lived on GRASS.  The cow was eating the grass; we were eating the cow.  It just makes sense.  We were getting the EARTH in our diets.  But, today, that is NOT the case.  Most cows are now trough fed, mostly grains, which are making their systems too acid base, and are having to be shot full of antibiotics, steroids and of course hormones.  They go over to the trough, eat as much as they can, and now want to take a nap because they are ‘full.’  (Ringing true to us as humans these days who drive through the fast food joint, meaning WE are being trough fed too!  Staying full, getting tired and staying sick.)  A cow taking a nap because it’s too full?  Are you kidding me?  So, the problem now is our red meat and dairy aren’t what they used to be.  We are not getting the GRASS (green / earth) in our diet any longer.  Look, I have been in this field now for 17 years, too long to judge anyone for what they choose to eat.  I just want to educate people on “what’s simple is TRUE.”  Get the Earth back in your diet, more oxygen back into your cells and exercise once a day.  (yoga, walking, stretching, etc…)

OK.  Is any of this making sense yet?  Let’s go to the first thing your body needs to live.  Before food, before water, you need OXYGEN!!!  Everyone reading this, please pause for a moment and take a DEEP BREATH…  Count to three on the inhale and three on the exhale.  Wasn’t that good?  Let’s face it, the only people that really focus on breath these days, unless you’re into yoga, thai-chi or meditation, are smokers!  =(   Personally, I smoked for 10 years, and I know why I felt the ‘need’ for a cigarette, because it would relax me.  Exactly, what are you doing when you smoke?  (You now have to leave your job and go outside the building.  Amen to that law, so you get a bit of stress relief too.)  You’re BREATHING DEEP, for the first time all day.  I am NOT encouraging smoking, however, I am encouraging breathing.  Try it without the “stick.”  Walk away from people, your job, etc… and go somewhere, by yourself, and spend 5 minutes breathing deep.  It’s amazing how much calmer you will be after doing this.

Now, let’s take a moment and go back to how ‘wheat’ grass came to light.  A woman by the name of Ann Wigmore founded Hippocrates in Boston approx. 50 years ago.  She actually healed her own health issues by chewing on ‘lawn’ grass.  That’s right; I said lawn grass, not wheatgrass.  She began chewing on it and got sick for many weeks, but stayed with it till she eventually started feeling better and better.  She learned that the grass / greens were the most complete foods on the planet, as well as having other healing properties.  The wheat seed was chosen because of its sweeter, more palatable taste.  (Her cat picked it out.)  She also learned that the green / chlorophyll will increase the hemoglobin in the blood which then distributes oxygen to every cell in our body.  Take another deep breath!  Remember that oxygen is a good thing?  Ann started this because of watching the animals do it, as well as a statement that was made to her as a child, “Instinct guided creatures, left to them selves, do not make mistakes.”  (I LOVE that one.)  Most of us chewed on grass as children, if it was around.  Why then and not now?  We lost sight of our instinct.  Here’s a FYI on oxygen content on the planet these days:  100 years ago, there was over 30% and now it is at an average of 15%.  The most out there, if you live in a lush, green area, is 21%.  However, in downtown major cities it is down to 9% or less.  Does anyone remember ‘smog alerts’?  I do, but not since 1990, when they stopped telling people.  Fact:  Oxygen in the cells means less chance for cancer to survive.  GREENS = Chlorophyll = increased hemoglobin = more OXYGEN in your cells.  GET IT NOW?  Don’t forget, fresh wheatgrass juice is the best way to FEEL a difference.  Drinking 2 ounces / day on an empty stomach is optimum.

In closing, remember these two simple words: “Stay Present.”  If you liked my words and enjoyed the ‘Wheatgrass Growing’ and ‘Sprouting Seeds’ DVDs, then I have my very special DVD, ‘Conscious Communication’ available now as well as my new class called ‘Moving Beyond Fear’ on audio CD, both are my very favorite to teach.  There is much more to this life and even faster ways to heal the body when you are open to receiving the information.  Yours in the greenhouse at Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, FL, breathing in approx. 30% oxygen everyday, Michael Bergonzi

For questions on growing your own wheatgrass or sprouts, visit my personal website (which I am still working on improving) at www.hippocratesgreenhouse.com and send me an email anytime.  My email address in on my website.  I am also available for lectures and travel to help start up the wheatgrass business in your area.

Wheatgrass does the body good!  We drink it in the office…everday.  If you really want to learn about it, this is the article for you.  It is kind of long, so sit back and relax…or maybe just print it off.  Wheatgrass is by far one of the most potent substances available on this earth. Although wheatgrass (some people spell it wheat grass) is starting to catch on with mainstream America, many people are still unaware of all the powers this easy to grow substance carries.

This page will give you some in-depth information on what wheatgrass is, how to grow it, and what the heck is so special about it! If grown properly, cut at the correct time, and consumed immediately wheatgrass should not have a bitter taste. It should taste sweet! Michael Bergonzi of Hippocrates Institute is the wheatgrass grower there and produces some of the finest grass.

An analysis performed by Harvey Lisle which is provided by the Anne Wigmore Foundation showed 3500 mg. of wheatgrass to contain the following properties:

· 800 mg of Protein

· 600 mg of Crude Fiber

· 10 Calories

· 19 mg of Chlorophyll

Sources other than Ann Wigmore list these additional factors in Wheat Grass:

Features and Benefits of Wheatgrass:

· One of the richest natural sources of Vitamin A, B and C

· Contains “live enzymes” to aide in digestion and metabolism

· High protein content

· Contains all 8 essential Amino Acids

· High source of Chlorophyll – which has shown to be effective against radiation poisoning

· Chlorophyll is closely related to the Hemoglobin in blood

· Purifies blood

· Great skin cleanser – pour it in a bath for a refreshing soak

· Used as a mouthwash it invigorates the gums and draws out toxins

· Wheatgrass implants used in conjunction with enemas are great for cleansing the colon

· A study at the University of California (San Diego) showed wheatgrass and barley grass to contain an enzyme P4D1which has the ability to repair faulty DNA

List of benefits to the body:

1. Chlorophyll is the first product of light and, therefore, contains more light energy than any other element.
2. Wheatgrass juice is a crude chlorophyll and can be taken orally and as a colon implant without toxic side effects.
3. Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life.
4. Wheatgrass is high in oxygen like all green plants that contain chlorophyll. The brain and all body tissues function at an optimal level in a highly-oxygenated environment.
5. Chlorophyll is antibacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.
6. Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy.
7. Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows and bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)
8. Chlorophyll can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior be cause it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man.
9. Wheatgrass has what is called the grass-juice factor, which has been shown to keep herbivorous animals alive indefinitely.
10. Dr. Ann Wigmore has been helping people get well from chronic disorders for 30 years using wheatgrass.
11. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, refines them, and makes them over.
12. Wheatgrass juice is a superior detoxification agent compared to carrot juice and other fruits and vegetables. Dr. Earp-Thomas, associate of Ann Wigmore, says that 15 pounds of wheat grass is the equivalent of 350 pounds of carrots, lettuce, celery, and so forth.
13. Liquid chlorophyll washes drug deposits from the body.
14. Chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.
15. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.
16. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.
17. Wheatgrass juice cures acne and even removes scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months. The diet must be improved at the same time.
18. In The American Journal of Surgery (1940), Benjamin Cruskin, M.D., recommends chlorophyll for its antiseptic benefits. The article suggests the following clinical uses for chlorophyll. It neutralizes strep infections, heals wounds, hastens skin grafting, cures chronic sinusitis, overcomes ear inflammation and infections, reduces varicose veins and heals leg ulcers, eliminates impetigo and other scabby eruptions, heals rectal sores, successfully treats inflammation of the uterine cervix, gets rid of parasitic vaginal infections, reduces typhoid fever, and cures advanced pyorrhea in many cases.
19. Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body.
20. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet prevents tooth decay.
21. Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for 5 minutes will eliminate toothaches. It pulls poisons from the gums.
22. Gargle with wheatgrass juice for a sore throat.
23. Pyorrhea of the mouth: lay pulp of wheatgrass soaked in juice on diseased area in mouth or chew wheatgrass, spitting out pulp.
24. Drink wheatgrass juice for skin problems such as psoriasis.
25. Wheatgrass juice keeps the hair from graying.
26. By taking wheatgrass juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance, health, and spirituality, and experience a sense of well-being.
27. Wheatgrass juice improves the digestion.
28. Wheatgrass juice is great for blood disorders of all kinds.
29. Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
30. Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition. Pour green juice over your body in a tub of warm water and soak for 15 to 20 mins. Rinse off with cold water.
31. Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls. The implants also heal and cleanse the internal Organs.
32. Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping the bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
33. Dr. Birscher, a research scientist, called chlorophyll “concentrated sun power.” He said, “Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the intestines, the uterus, and the lungs.”
34. According to Dr. Birscher, nature uses chlorophyll (wheatgrass) as a body cleanser, rebuilder, and neutralizer of toxins.
35. Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
36. Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
37. Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals from the body

Frequently Asked Questions about Wheatgrass:

What is Chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll, which makes up over 70% of the solid content of wheatgrass juice is the basis of all plant life. Chlorophyll is often referred to as “the blood of plant life.” It closely resembles the molecules of human red blood cells.

How is Chlorophyll related to the human blood?

Both Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin share a similar atom structure to create their respective molecules, as shown below. The only actual difference in the two molecules is that of the metallic atom element. In human blood or hemoglobin consists of iron, while in Chlorophyll the metallic atom is magnesium.

What is the importance of Chlorophyll in blood?

Since Chlorophyll and Hemoglobin are so much alike in atom structure it allows it to be absorbed quickly and begin to build the blood stream.

What are enzymes?

Enzymes in laymen terms are like highly skilled workers on an assembly line. Each enzyme performs a specific function within the body while in harmony with other enzymes. They are important and required for everything we do, vision, thought, dreams, reproduction, breathing, digestion are all controlled by enzymes.

Why are enzymes so essential to good health?

With the important role of enzymes involvement in every body function, it is necessary that we intake adequate enzymes on a daily basis. Unfortunately, medical doctors have found that we don’t get all the enzymes we need from our cooked, over salted and over processed foods. This results in overall poor health situations. Wheatgrass juice can provide the additional enzyme intake your body requires for overall good health.

Is it true that enzymes aide in the prevention and curing of cancer?

Enzymes in short deter the cancer cells ability to hide from the immune system and spread throughout the body. It is not “medically proven” that wheatgrass can cure cancer – but Ann Wigmore associated her recover with wheatgrass.

What is the nutritional value of wheatgrass juice?

One ounce of Wheatgrass Juice provides the following:

· Equivalent in vitamins, minerals and amino acids found in 2.5 pounds of green leaf vegetables

· Rich source of Vitamins A, B Complex, B-17, C, E and K

· Excellent source of Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Sulfur, Cobalt, Zinc and 17 forms of amino acids and enzymes.

What are the benefits of wheatgrass juice consumption?

As a body cleanser Wheatgrass juice is a powerful cleanser and may start an immediate reaction with toxins & mucus in the stomach, possibly causing nausea. Chlorophyll brings toxins into the bloodstream that have been stored in cells or in fatty tissue. Start with 1 to 2 ounces and work up to more slowly. Drink it on an empty stomach.

As a body builder Wheatgrass juice is very high in enzymes & chlorophyll. It contains up to 70% chlorophyll, which is an important blood builder. The chlorophyll molecule closely resembles that of the hemin molecule, the pigment that combines with protein to form hemoglobin. The major difference is that the chlorophyll molecule contains magnesium as its central atom, and the hemin molecule contains iron. The molecular structure of these two substances is almost identical in every other respect.

As an energizer & appetite suppressant, the starch of the wheat berry is stored energy that when converted to simpler sugar is a quick energy source. It is especially good for athletes because it is a juice and is absorbed in 20 minutes. Wheat picks up 92 of the 102 minerals in the soil and contains all vitamins that science has isolated. Because 1 ounce of juice equals 2 pounds of produce nutritionally, it naturally shuts off the appetite in the brain.

As an antibiotic Science has proven that chlorophyll will arrest growth and development of unfriendly bacteria. It acts to produce an unfavorable environment for bacteria growth, rather than by any direct action upon bacteria themselves. Rapp and Gurney at Loyola University established that water-soluble chlorophyll inhibits the action of proteolitic bacteria (which break down protein into simpler substances) and enzymes; hence, taken internally via mouth or rectum, it inhibits purification of protein by some bacteria that are commonly found in the digestive tract of meat eaters.

And carcinogens. Dr. Chiu-nan Lai, Ph.D., (University of Texas System Cancer Center, Department of Biology, Houston, Texas) has determined through using the Ames Bacterial Mutagenicity Test that chlorophyll is the active factor in wheat sprout extract that inhibits the metabolic activity of carcinogens. A twenty-year study of 2000 telephone company workers has found that a natural ingredient in carrots and leafy green vegetables significantly reduced the risk of lung cancer in cigarette smokers. They determined that a diet high in beta-carotene negated the bad effects of 30 years of smoking. The National Cancer Institute reports that 19 of 21 studies over the years have indicated diets high in beta-carotene contribute to at least 40% risk reduction in developing some kinds of cancer.

For anemia Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) aids in rebuilding the bloodstream. Studies on various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction. The red cell count has returned to normal within 4 to 5 days of the administration of chlorophyll, even in those animals that were known to be extremely anemic or low in red blood cell count.

As a deodorizer Dr. F. Howard Wescott reported that when chlorophyll is taken internally in adequate quantity, it reduces or eliminates offensive body and breath odors. His studies showed it effective in neutralizing obnoxious odors in the body from food, beverages, tobacco, and metabolic changes (halitosis), and from perspiration due to physical exercise, nervousness, menstrual cycle, etc. skin disorders
The bland, soothing effect of chlorophyll (wheatgrass) ointments are very beneficial in treating various skin diseases including weeping & dry eczema, insect bites, infection, and first and second – degree burns.

How to grow wheatgrass:

What do I need?

A sprouter!  Check out our wheatgrass sprouters that we carry

How long does it take to grow?

Approximately 8-12 days (longer in cold weather)

What kind of seed should you use?

Use Hard Winter Wheat Seed (wheatberries)

How often do you water the grass?

Once a day heavily (until the tray drips)

How long do you soak the seeds before planting?

8-12 hours or overnight

Will the grass grow back the second time?

The second growth will grow, but at a loss of 50% of the nutritional value

How much light does it need?

Indirect sunlight – very little!

What about frozen or powdered grass?

These are good alternatives, but no substitute for fresh juice

What kind of soil should I use?

Basic potting/top soils with peat moss in the mix

So…what kind of equipment do you need?

Well, you need a wheatgrass juicer…I recommend the Lexen Electric Healthy Juicer, or the Healthy Juicer Manual. You should also get a sprouter and I recommend the Sproutman Sprouter.  Both available here!

Enjoy and Be Well,

Juicy Josh

www.877myjuicer.com