Hamilton Herald Masthead

Editorial


Front Page - Friday, May 2, 2014

Are you wheatgrass enough?


HEALTH CORNER



April Sherrill

Recently, my best friend Ashlee and I were out and about and we came across an organic juice bar. Being spontaneous, we decided to go in and see what it was all about. 

Now, I am not going to lie, I am not one of those people that considers themselves a health nut but I do eat plenty of healthy items. Well, this place caters to the health conscious people that I envy.

According to their website they purchase locally grown and organic to lower their carbon footprint and maximize nutrition benefits and minimize environmental impact. You can purchase from a variety of juices that contain: beet, carrot, apple, mango, celery, kale, cucumber, ginger, lemon, lime, pineapple, cayenne, cilantro, wheatgrass, onion, garlic, etc. … 

You can also choose from a smoothie of the same ingredients with a coconut milk base. They also serve lunch and dinner that range from quinoa burgers to bean and grain bowls to lettuce wraps.

Now, since I had my best friend/soul sister/and the girl I would trust anything with help me decide, I opted to be brave and get a juice and a 1 oz. wheatgrass shot. 

Okay, if you are not familiar with wheatgrass or have heard of it like me but don’t necessarily know what it’s about, listen up. There are many reasons why you should want to digest wheatgrass, however, I cannot promise that you will ever hear of this girl drinking it again.

I have done research on the top reasons why you need to drink this green super drink, but I narrowed it down to some of my favorite ones. According to the website thechalkboardmag.com, wheatgrass juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available today. To get the full benefit, though, the chlorophyll must come fresh from a living plant. 

Chlorophyll contains enzymes and super- oxide dismutase, a copper-containing protein found in mature red blood cells. This enzyme decomposes superoxide radicals in the body into a more manageable form, thereby helping to slow down the aging process. Chlorophyll contains growth and development of unfriendly bacteria. 

It can be extracted from many plants, but wheatgrass is superior because it has been found to have over 100 elements needed by man. If grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the known 115 minerals from the soil. On top of that, chlorophyll neutralizes toxins in the body.

The compound also helps purify the liver and improve blood sugar problems. 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.” 

Because one ounce of juice equals two pounds of produce nutritionally, it naturally shuts off the appestat in the brain. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the human diet helps prevents tooth decay. 

If I am reading and learning about this superhuman green juice correctly, then it is beneficial in the following ways: prevents tooth decay; slows down the aging process; gives you high amounts of minerals and elements needed by the body; rids and neutralizes the toxins in the body; purifies your liver; controls blood sugars; increases your heart, vascular system, intestines, uterus, and the lungs; and gives you two pounds of vegetables normally found in one ounce. 

Sheesh, who knew this little green shot could do so much.  

Another reason that wheatgrass juice is great is its benefits that touch blood disorders of all kinds. This really hit home with me considering I have a blood disorder and when I went to the doctor to have my INR checked a couple of days after the shot it was pretty thin. I was taken off my Coumadin for two days because of its thinness. This tells me that the shot probably helped keep my blood thinned out plus, I was still taking my medicine and it resorted in a high reading. 

Mystery solved!  

Wheatgrass is one of the single best things you could ingest for yourself. 

The benefits of it in your diet are undeniable. My only problem is that it is nasty; it’s straight do-not-let-it-hit-your-tongue-nasty.

I tasted some and it sent my body into a healthy shock. I threw up for four hours afterwards. It was not so much a success for me, but my friend had much better results than I! 

If this is something you do on a regular basis I would truly like to know how you do it. Do you get used to the taste? Is there something that you chase it with to make it better? Taste aside, the benefits are unmatchable and if you get a moment, you need to check them out.

So tell me, do you subject yourself to these shots?

Source: http://thechalkboardmag.com/50-reasons-to-drink-wheatgrass-everyday