What You Need To Know About Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a magical little plant that at first glance, looks a lot like normal grass. It is tall and thin and grows out of tiny, taupe-colored seeds. If you’ve ever been to Booster Juice, then you have probably heard the hype. This tiny little plant contains the same nutrients as two and a half pounds of vegetables in only one ounce. It’s easy to grow wheatgrass at home in a small tray or pot. Once you buy the seeds, place them in the tray and water them daily. With access to sunshine, your wheatgrass should be sprouting in no time.

When it’s finally grown and ready to be picked, wheatgrass can be blended or put into a juicer to make it consumable. I initially blended mine, but it leaves a small film of the fibrous grass casing along the top of the blender. Needless to say, I discarded this with disgust without even considering the film on top may actually be healthy and full of nutrients. I decided after this that it might be worth investing in a juicer, which was a great idea. Every morning I now drink one shot of wheatgrass every morning, and once you see the health benefits, you’ll understand why.

Wheatgrass has a long and impressive record. It has been tracked all the way back to ancient Egyptian use. These Egyptians noticed the positive impact on their health after they began to consume wheatgrass. In 1930, Charles F. Schnabel used wheatgrass in an experiment. He knew the power of the super food and decided to note the affects it had when fed to a sick, dying chicken. Once the chicken had been fed wheatgrass for a few weeks, it was back to perfect health and even started producing eggs that were better quality than before the chicken was sick. This set off a demand for wheatgrass in many different countries; everyone wanted to experience the power of this super food.

Health Benefits

Why bother growing wheatgrass? Well, wheatgrass has become known as a super-food for good reason. Beliefs and studies about this plant vary. Some people believe it has healing powers and is able to heal the human body the same way it brought the poor dying chicken back to life in the 1930s. Those who don’t believe this can still attest to its vast amount of beneficial nutrients.

Wheatgrass offers countless benefits to the human body. Chlorophyll is a natural anti-inflammatory, and wheatgrass contains a vast amount of chlorophyll. Inflammations in all parts of the body will decrease, and your body will detoxify, often even eliminating bad breath! Wheatgrass contains more protein than meat or eggs, and it can amount to 25 percent of your daily intake. Protein is important for repairing muscles, bones, and skin. Wheatgrass also deposits enzymes that destroy toxins from your body, making it a powerful detoxifier. If this isn’t enough, wheatgrass also contains vitamin A, which is essential for a healthy immune system.

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If you’re trying to lose weight, adding a shot of wheatgrass to your diet every morning will aid in this. It has a very low calorie content. The calories it does contain are full of nutrients instead of fats. It contains zero percent of any fat whatsoever but contains minerals such as iron, calcium, and potassium. The sodium content is less than one percent. The natural source of protein and vitamins will help develop muscles and bone, simultaneously filling you up and curbing cravings for that sweet afternoon snack. With so many benefits listed, it’s hard to imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to try wheatgrass. Deodorizing your body, eliminating toxins, and increasing your energy levels all provide great reasons to give wheatgrass a try. One shot of this stuff a day and you’ll be feeling like a champion in no time!

How To Get It

Nowadays, there are many ways to get your daily serving of wheatgrass. It’s available in powdered supplements, liquid juice, or seeds. The best way to make sure you have a fresh supply of wheatgrass every day is to grow it yourself. It only takes a few minutes each morning to juice the grass and prepare a fresh shot of it. When buying wheatgrass in liquid form or making a large batch of it, take caution. When wheatgrass is juiced and exposed to oxygen, it can lose a lot of its nutrients. The juice will still be good for you; it just may not contain all of the benefits that a freshly squeezed competitor has to offer.

If you’ve decided to grow the grass at home, the first step is to get your hands on a large amount of wheatgrass seeds. These can often be hard to find. However, wheatgrass is actually grown from a specific part of the same seeds that are used to grow wheat. This means that any local farmer or feed store may be able to assist you in your search. Begin by asking around, especially in agricultural areas. If you haven’t had any luck from farmers or friends after asking around, there are always Internet websites that sell and ship wheatgrass, although this option may be a bit pricier. Once you receive the seeds, soak them in water overnight and then continuously rinse them the following day (at least three to five times). After you see a small sprouting tail emerging from the seed, plant the little sprouts into soil—and don’t be shy! For about a ten by ten tray, you should be using at least a half-pound of seeds. Water your plant every morning, allowing it to receive a good soak. When growing wheatgrass at home, often times there are issues with mold because of all the water and soil. To keep this problem at bay, invest in a mini fan to keep near your tray or pot of wheatgrass. Within a few days, you’ll have fully sprouted beautiful wheatgrass just begging to be juiced.