By Marissa Vicario
Guest writer for Wake Up World
If anything ever screamed healthy, it’s wheatgrass! The popularly-juiced, nutrient-rich grass is rich in chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and supplements. But to many, wheatgrass remains something of an enigma. We dug deep to uncover some of the most interesting (we think!) facts about wheatgrass.
1. Nicknamed “liquid gold,” one serving of wheatgrass juice is the rough equivalent of one and a half pounds of dark leafy green vegetables.
2. Because of its high chlorophyll content, wheatgrass has a strong alkalizing and detoxifying effect on the body.
3. Growing wheatgrass at home is easy from seeds or whole grain wheat berries, by hand or with a sprouting kit. Perfect for having wheatgrass on hand for smoothies at all times!
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4. Like all chlorophyll-rich green plants, wheatgrass is high in oxygen and therefore an excellent source of natural energy.
5. Wheatgrass is superior to other green plants because it has more than 100 elements needed by humans.
6. Most often, wheatgrass is found as juice but powder supplements are also available and can be mixed into juices, smoothies or water. The best time-saving supplements are from freeze-dried organic wheatgrass juice powder
7. Known to improve digestion, wheatgrass only takes one minute to digest.
8. Even though the word “wheat” is in its name, wheatgrass is gluten-free.
9. The best time to have wheatgrass juice is on an empty stomach and one hour before eating so that all the beneficial nutrients are completely available to the body for absorption.
10. Depending on how toxic your body is, wheatgrass juice can cause headaches or increased bowel movements as the body detoxifies. Otherwise, expect lots of energy as the only side effect.
Green Java Smoothie with Wheatgrass
Updated November 2014
About the Author
Marissa Vicario is the founder of Marissa’s Well-being and Health (MWAH!). As a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Marissa works with urban professionals who want to lose weight, control their cravings and feel more energized without dieting, deprivation or calorie-counting. After spending more than a decade as a junk food vegetarian, Marissa navigated her way to health, becoming an expert in balancing wellness with a demanding workload. She regularly lectures on wellness, teaches cooking classes and is a healthy lifestyle blogger and freelance writer. Marissa received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, is certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and is a graduate of Northwestern University and New York University. Visit her blog at www.whereineedtobe.com.
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This article was republished with permission from Live in the Now, one of the fastest growing natural health newsletters. Visit LiveInTheNow.com to browse their complete library of articles, or subscribe to their newsletter.
