Wheatgrass What?!

  Hey friends! I have discovered something absolutely amazing and want to share it with the world!

That amazing thing is wheatgrass!  There are a couple diferent ways you can consume wheatgrass:
 You can grow it yourself, juice it, and drink the juice
 You can buy the capsules and take the capsules
 You can buy the juice and drink it
 You can buy the powder and mix it in a drink


 For me, I thought the frozen juice was the best option. I don't have the patience to grow the grass myself, nor do I have the special wheatgrass expeller juicer.  I also didn't want to mix the powder in with 8 oz of water and have to sit there sipping on it. I wanted to take it as a shot and be done with it. 


What is wheatgrass?  Wheatgrass is raw, living, potent food! It is one of the most potent healing agents on the planet! The grass itself comes from the wheat plant when it is young, potent, and full of rich green chlorophyll. When the grass is squeezed, a dark green juice is produced, and this is wheat grass. 


Here are some of the benefits of wheatgrass:


 From this website: 
 It is widely known that wheatgrass is used as alternative cancer therapy as it increases red blood cells, the chief responsible in carrying out oxygen to every cell. The increased oxygenation can help to offset the carbon monoxide and increases the endurance of an individual. It can also produce immunization against dietary carcinogens. Likewise, wheatgrass can also boost the important enzymes we need to rejuvenate the body and metabolize the nutrients properly. These enzymes are also in charge in dissolving the tumors.

 Our bones, glands, kidneys, liver, spleen, muscles, hair, and many of our body parts can also benefit from wheatgrass. Other people even use it to clean their gums, eyes, sinuses and teeth. The chlorophyll serves as an excellent purifier that can refresh breath and treats bad odor.


 Wheatgrass can aid in losing weight as it stimulates metabolism, circulation and suppresses the appetite.  The high fiber content of wheatgrass is crucial in waste elimination and flushes out the accumulated waste products in the body system. 


  From WebMD:
Wheatgrass is also used to treat various disorders of the urinary tract, including infection of the bladder, urethra, and prostate; benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH);kidney stones; and in "irrigation therapy," the use of a mild diuretic along with lots of fluids to increase urine flow.


From this website:
Wheatgrass is an energizer . The vitality obtained from wheatgrass juice is remarkable. Two ounces of fresh juice equals 3 pounds of organic vegetables in vitamins and minerals, or the equivalent of two cups of coffee.
Wheatgrass juice is nutritious . Wheatgrass juice contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed for human maintenance. It is a whole meal and a complete protein with about 30 enzymes and is approximately 70% crude chlorophyll. Wheatgrass is also an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur, cobalt, and zinc


This is what is IN wheatgrass:

 Ok, so what does this mean to me and you? From all these sites plus more, plus all the things I've read in books and seen out in the public, the following facts were my favorite:

•  wheatgrass contains 70% of essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that we need to live. That's HUGE because it's just a tiny shot of green liquid!
• one shot is equal to three POUNDS of vegetables! I dont' know about you but I'd rather take one shot than chew 3 pounds of veggies!
• one shot gives you energy equal to two cups of coffee, without the caffeine! This is also great news for me because I have been trying to break my addiction to coffee. 
• It is a natural, healthy way to boost energy without caffeine, energy pills, etc. This is also great news since I work night shift and am generally feeling tired and drained. 
• It could help my kidney stone situation. I first experienced kidney stones at the age of 18 and have been lucky enough to only have one more kidney stone attack since then, however;  my Grandma died of kidney cancer at the age of 54 and my Dad has been hospitalized for kidney stone problems. I am proactively working to create a healthy lifestyle so that I can eliminate kidney stones from my life and not die of kidney cancer.

Obviously, after reading these great things about wheatgrass, I couldn't wait any longer. I went to this cute little healthy food market located literally right outside the doors of my hospital, and this is what I found:

Frozen wheatgrass shots.

One serving is two little packets, which is 2 oz. I run them under warm water for a minute or two and down the hatch they go.

 How did it taste? I was expecting to have a sour face, like after a shot of tequila. I was expecting to gag on it, and then have to force myself to keep it down. In reality, none of this happened. It wasn't the best thing I've ever tasted, but it wasn't the worse, by far. It tasted like juiced grass. Knowing all the benefits, it was more than worth it. 


How do I feel? So far, so good. Clear headed and energized, which is huge because I usually need coffee to even wake up, and I haven't felt clear-headed since before I went to night shift. I'm sure my fellow night shift workers can relate. Working night shift you feel as if you are living in a haze, even on your days off.
 I've taken three servings so far because I got the wheatgrass the day before yesterday. Last night at 6 pm I was able to go to the gym and have a productive lifting and cardio workout even after sitting in a boring lecture class from 8 -4. This morning I skipped my morning coffee and had the wheatgrass instead. Baby steps!

How much does it cost?  The powder, pills, and frozen shots are all different prices. My box of frozen shots were 18.99, and there are 20 shots. I think that's completely reasonable. At the smoothie store, one shot is 1.75. I have said this before, and I'll say it again: You cannot put a price on your health. I am trying to be as patient and compassionate as possible with people who pay hundreds upon hundreds of dollars in medication each month yet tell me "it's so expensive to eat healthy". 
 Here's the truth, and it's going to hurt, but I'm going to be blunt:  If you ate healthy, you wouldn't have those hundreds of dollars of medications each month.


  Sad story time:  Each morning, afternoon, and night, when I'm passing meds at the hospital, I see pills for blood pressure, pills for thyroid, pills for cholesterol, pills for blood sugar, antibiotics for everything from kidney infections to skin infections and everything in between. Each pill is easily at least 100 dollars a month. I'm not exaggerating. I used to take a pill for my complexion and it was 540 dollars a month. Some people I take care of are taking 18 pills a day. I'm not good at math, but I know that's a lot of money. These same people hear I'm vegan and say "But that is so expensive, to have to buy fresh produce or organic food!" I'm not Mr Moneybags over here rolling in money. A few of you know what kind of financial situation we've been in the past year. If I can do it, anyone can do it. It's actually more economical and financially sound to live this way. 


 What price do you put on your health? For me, there is no price. Health is life and without your health you have no life. 




I don't believe that you can sustain life off wheatgrass, but I do think it is an essential component in a healthy lifestyle, because it contains so much of what our bodies need. I will keep you updated with how I'm feeling and what great things (if any) wheatgrass is doing in my life!

 It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday in Charlotte without a cloud in the sky, so I'm off for an outdoor run then for some hiking in the state park! Have a wonderful, blessed, beautiful weekend!