Anna Hunt, Staff Writer
Waking Times

There are a million and one ways to tweak human health and consciousness, but food should always be at the top of the list. The impact that quality food has on our well-being is above and beyond all else, which is why the father of modern medicine, Greek physician Hippocrates, as well as the Chinese physicians of antiquity looked to food and diet as the end-all-be-all of good medicine for the human body.

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

The food system is in our modern world has been completely bastardized and the nutritional value and content of even our modern vegetables has been scandalously compromised. For this, caring for health and wellness requires more than just eating a well-rounded diet, and nowadays, one must have a few tricks up their sleeve to get the right nutrition that our bodies need.

Wheatgrass is one of the most powerful food hacks that you can employ in your daily diet to supplement your best efforts to eat healthily.

Growing fresh wheatgrass at home is the best way to take advantage of all of the enzymes and nutrients that this medicine has to offer. Bulk red winter wheat berries can be found in most health food stores, or purchased online. Sprouting wheat berries is easy to do and it takes about 7 to 10 days for the grass to emerge at a suitable length for juicing. For this process you’ll need to find or purchase a juicer sturdy enough to get the most of your grass, like a stainless steel table top juicer.

Committing to sprouting and juicing your own wheatgrass can be daunting for some, and these days many juice bars, health food stores and good restaurants offer fresh juice for sale in shots or as additives to other drinks. They’ll do the messy work of juicing for you, but it will cost much more per ounce than doing this at your own home.

Wheatgrass also comes in organic powder form and in this way it is an excellent and affordable supplement that you can easily take daily in smoothies, shakes, or in simple juices, it even comes in pills, which is pretty convenient for some.

The top reasons to add wheatgrass to your daily diet are:

1. Wheatgrass is highly nutritional as a supplement to your regular diet. With over 100 unique vitamins and nutrients, wheatgrass, especially fresh juice is one of the most nutritionally packed foods you can eat. Extremely high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Niacin, Riboflavin, and Thiamin, this powerful plant also includes high concentrations of many important minerals such as Manganese, Zinc and Copper.
2. Wheatgrass is great for the blood. As one of the best natural sources of chlorophyll, wheatgrass juice and powder helps to build healthy red blood cells, which aids in oxygenating the body.
3. Wheatgrass boosts the immune system and cleanses the body of toxic garbage. With so many vitamins and nutrients, wheatgrass naturally boosts the immune system, and it also has a strong detergent factor to it, helping to drain the lymphatic system of toxic and dead cells.
4. Wheatgrass helps to alkalinize the body. Diseases and chronic inflammation require an acidic environment to overcome the body and human health. There are many dietary changes you make to reduce the acidity of your body, and wheatgrass is at the top of the list for its strong alkalizing effects.
5. Wheatgrass decreases appetite and boosts metabolism, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight, and to lose weight.

As a point of interest to many people who are concerned with good health, wheat grass is gluten-free and does not contain the proteins associated with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The glutens are contained within the seeds and not the grass, so harvesting the grass for juice gives you the nutritional value of the grass and sprout without the gluten.

Some say that an ounce of wheatgrass juice is the equivalent of eating an entire pound of fresh vegetables, and many consider this superfood to be key in curing many chronic and deadly illnesses.

The benefits of adding wheatgrass to your daily diet are immense, and if you decide to try it out, stick with it regularly for at least 3 weeks to a month while being mindful of the effects it has on your health. You’ll no doubt notice your energy level improve at least, but, you if you’re paying attention you’ll probably notice your eyesight, digestion, and other aspects of your health improve as well.

Read more articles by Anna Hunt.

About the Author

Anna Hunt is writer, yoga instructor, mother of three, and lover of healthy food. She’s the founder of Awareness Junkie, an online community paving the way for better health and personal transformation. She’s also the co-editor at Waking Times, where she writes about optimal health and wellness. Anna spent 6 years in Costa Rica as a teacher of Hatha and therapeutic yoga. She now teaches at Asheville Yoga Center and is pursuing her Yoga Therapy certification. During her free time, you’ll find her on the mat or in the kitchen, creating new kid-friendly superfood recipes.

Sources:

– http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/everydaymedicalissues/f/Are-Wheat-Grass-And-Barley-Grass-Gluten-Free.htm
– http://www.allthingshealing.com/Think-Green/Wheatgrass-Green-Mighty/
– http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/900675/2
– http://thechalkboardmag.com/50-reasons-to-drink-wheatgrass-everyday
– http://earthmother-intheraw.blogspot.com/2010/06/wheatgrass-king-of-alkaline-foods.html
– https://www.wakingtimes.com/2013/11/20/21-amazing-benefits-eating-wheatgrass/
– http://behealthy.today/wheatgrass-benefits-side-effects/

This article was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Anna Hunt and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of WakingTimes or its staff.

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