Sunday, February 1, 2015

Wheatgrass Info

  It's funny since I've been reading and studying about Wheatgrass and putting it into my recipe's, I've been getting quite a few questions about this grass in emails.  Most of the emails ask the same question, "Does this contain gluten"?  The Answer to this question is, "NO"!   I had an allergy test when I was young and the test results showed I was allergic to Wheat, Corn, Milk (All Dairy), Peanuts, Mold, Dander (from animals)!  Seriously the list went on and on.  I remember my Mom saying to one of her friends, "I have no idea what I'm going to feed this child"?  As, it turns out after having kids my body readjusted and the reactions weren't as upsetting to my stomach.  I occasionally would get sick from something but I'd still eat different foods if I was out, because I didn't want to be "That Person"!  Funnily enough I moved to an elevation a few years ago and this has made me feel ill again when I eat different things.  So, I've been trying to pay more attention to what it is that makes me not feel good.  For me it's wheat.  Now, the wheatgrass actually doesn't make me feel ill.  So, I kinda feel like I'm the poster child for wheat allergies and can tell you from experience that this is a source of nourishment and DOES NOT give me a reaction.  It turns out that Wheatgrass (although it is grown from a grain), metamorphoses completely into a vegetable with none of the allergic proteins common to glutenous grains.  This grass is non-toxic in any dose, but you may experience detox symptoms if you have too much at first.  Wheatgrass is a powerful purgative for the liver, and too much could release too many poisons too quickly. (This is why you might feel nauseous).   Wheatgrass is an extremely important body cleanser and natural food.  It's suggested that you juice your own but I would caution two things.  First, if you are growing it indoors you could have mold grow on your wheatgrass (In which case you are putting mold into your body...NOT GOOD). Second, You need to purchase a special juicer that extracts the juice from the grass.  This is time consuming not to mention expensive.  (NOTE: You used to be able to buy Wheatgrass in ice cube trays at Whole Foods or your local Co-Opt.  They no longer sell it, but you can buy it in a powered version and once opened you need to put it in the freezer.  I buy, Amazing Grass Brand, but really I believe all of them are the same.
  This amazing grass was first popularized by Dr. Anne Wigmore.  I will attach her story at the bottom because I feel like she has an interesting life story.   After treating her own cancer she started treating others with "incurable" cancer and had success.  She is the founder of the Hippocrates Institute and if you can get your hands on any of her books I would.  They are amazing reads.  I've attached the "ANALYSIS OF WHEATGRASS", from her book so you are able to see all the benefits Wheatgrass has.  Wheatgrass truly is amazing.

In this Picture from a post I took a picture of the Wheatgrass Container! Hope this helps!

Questions from Emails to me:

 1) What is the one thing you have read that makes you believe in Wheatgrass?

* This was a hard question to answer but after much thought I would have to say after reading some of Anne Wigmore's story and her book, I was most impressed with her outcome after treating herself with wheatgrass.  She started taking wheatgrass to cure her colitis but the most amazing thing happened.  Her white hair turned a shiny brown.  You might be thinking this an odd response but, medically speaking they say it's harder to turn back your hair color than it is to cure colitis.  So, this got my attention.

2) Where do I get it?

*I purchase mine from Whole Foods or Spouts here in town but,  you can also purchase it by mail order, direct from growers or from a juice bar if you are lucky enough to have one in your town.  (I don't here... bummer).

3) What does it do to your body?

* I read that there are three important things Wheatgrass can do for your body.  1) Blood purification  2) Liver detoxification 3) Colon cleansing.   The third one has been becoming more and more important lately because of new research from Alex Volinsky and Parasites.  I don't want to get into the Parasites now but, with the rage of eating RAW, more and more people are actually making themselves sick.

4) How do I take it?

*Well, In my case I mix it into a smoothie!  I'm slowing going to be able to drink it in a shot glass.  But, I know you also can take it rectally or buy it in tablet form. 

ANALYSIS OF WHEATGRASS
Taken from Ann Wigmore’s “The Wheatgrass Book” 

"CHLOROPHYLL
Of all the valuable compounds contained in wheatgrass juice, chlorophyll is one of the most important. There are two vital aspects of chlorophyll.
First, it converts the sun’s energy into a form that plants can use. It is sort of a living battery. The same life force in nature that explodes into greenery every spring can be transferred into the human body via the consumption of wheatgrass juice.
The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood.
Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, a Japanese scientist and health educator, is a leading advocate for the use of grass as food and medicine. He reasons that since chlorophyll is soluble in fat particles, and since fat particles are absorbed directly into the blood via the lymphatic system, that chlorophyll can also be absorbed in this way. It is his opinion that inside the body the magnesium ion in chlorophyll is replaced with an iron molecule, making new blood. In other words, when the “blood” of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

ENZYMES are perhaps more important than any other active ingredient in wheatgrass. Hundreds of enzymes have been discovered in cereal grasses. The most important enzymes that have been isolated in wheatgrass are:
Cytochrome oxidase - an antioxidant required for proper cell
respiration
Lipase - a fat splitting enzyme
Protease - a protein digestant
Amylase - facilitates starch digestion
Catalase- catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water
and oxygen in the blood and body tissue
Peroxidase - which has an action similar to catalase, on a cellular level
Transhydrogenase - aids in keeping the muscle tissue of the heart toned
Superoxide dismutase (SOD)- crucial role in preventing aging. It acts
as an anti-inflammatory, neutralizes the toxic effects of superoxides.
(Superoxides can damage cells).



* It is interesting that 3 of the above enzymes, cytochrome oxidase, peroxidase, and catalase are found in relatively high concentrations in normal red and white blood cells. In the body of cancer patients however, their numbers are usually decreased significantly. Also, when the supply of SOD is low, cells become poisoned and lose their ability to renew themselves. They die prematurely.

VITAMINS AGAINST FREE RADICALS:

Vitamin C - as much per ounce as orange juice and more than most
vegetables. Important to the health of the skin, teeth, gums, eyes,
muscles and joints.
Vitamin A - the precursor to this Vitamin is found in the food of
carotene. It is converted into Vitamin A in the intestines. It has more 3 times as much carotene per pound then iceberg lettuce and about as much as other dark green varieties of lettuce. This type is harmless in
any amount, which is not the case when the Vitamin A is from animal
products. It can be toxic to the liver in large doses. Vitamin A is
essential for normal growth and development, good eyesight and reproduction.

Vitamins B-complex- facilitates the use of carbohydrates for energy
and aids the nervous and digestive systems. It is essential for normal
brain and body development, and for the adrenal glands. In relation-
ship to the other Vitamins, our need for Vitamin B-complex is small.
Vitamin E - and antioxidant and fertility vitamin. Without enough
we face muscle degeneration, sterility and slower healing of wounds
and infections. It also protects the heart. It is 10 times more easily
assimilated by the body than synthetic E.
Vitamin K - necessary for blood coagulation

MINERALS
* Wheatgrass has an alkalizing effect on the blood, due to it’s abundance of
alkaline minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Sodium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Cobalt, Potassium and trace minerals such as Selenium and Zinc. These are just some of the minerals.

AMINO ACIDS (PROTEIN)
*Proteins are composed of small proteinous “chains” called amino acids.
There are 8 “essential” amino acids. Wheatgrass has these 8, plus another 9 for a total of seventeen.
EIGHT ESSENTIAL:
Lysine - anti-aging and immune system response
Isoleucine - protein balancer and mental health
Leucine - alert and awake, high energy levels
Tryptophane - builds rich blood, healthy skin and hair. Works with
Vitamin B to calm nerves and stimulate digestion
Phenylalanine - aids the thyroid gland in the production of thyroxin
Theronine - stimulates digestion, assimilation of foods
Valine - activates the brain, aids in muscle coordination, calms nerves
Methionine - helps in cleaning and regenerating the liver and kidneys
Also aids hair growth and promotes mental calmness.
REMAINING NINE:
Alanine - a body builder
Arginine - especially vital to men
Aspartic acid - a helper in the conversion of food energy *
Glutamic acid - improves mental balance and smooth metabolic
function
Glycine - helps cells convert oxygen into energy
Histidine - affects hearing and nervous functions
Proline - becomes glutamic acid and performs the same function
Serine - a simulator of the brain and nervous functions
Tyrosine - aids in the formation of hair and skin and prevents
cellular aging.



31 USES FOR WHEATGRASS JUICE:
from Ann Wigmore’s “ Rebuild your health”
1. Chlorophyll increases the function of the heart, affects the vascular system, the uterus, the intestines and the lungs.
2. Nature used chlorophyll as a body cleanser, rebuilder and neutralizer of toxins.
3. Wheatgrass juice helps to reduce high blood pressure, as the juice helps to remove toxins from the body and gives the blood iron, aiding circulation.
4. It purifies the blood.
5. It helps overcome dandruff. Rub the juice into the scalp, rinse and shampoo.
6. Douche with wheatgrass for vaginal infection.
7. It can help prevent tooth decay.
8. Hold it in the mouth for 5 minutes to relieve toothaches and sore gums.
9. It helps relieves sore throats.
10. Pyorrhea of the mouth - take wheatgrass, soaked in juice for 5 minutes, and apply to diseased area; or chew it in the mouth until it is dry and spit out the pulp.
11. It can overcome skin troubles.
12. When combined with easy to digest nourishment, it can keep hair from greying.
13. It aids in proper digestion.
14. It is an excellent mouth wash.
15. Use it as a skin mask to tighten skin.
16. Combined with Living Foods, it is great for blood disorders of all kinds, including anemia.
17. Pour the juice over you in a tub of warm water. Soak for 15 minutes and rinse off with a cold shower.
18. After an enema, wheatgrass juice implants are great for healing and detoxifying the colon walls, as well as cleansing the internal organs.
19. Wheatgrass juice is excellent for constipation and keeping the bowels open.
20. It disinfects and cleans out bacteria and viruses.
21. It has beneficial effects on the capillaries.
22. It helps overcome aging and gives energy to the sex hormones.
23. It neutralizes harmful inorganic molecules. Fruits and vegetables contaminated by sprays can be cleansed with wheatgrass placed in the rinse water.
24. Toxic metals - lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminum and excessive amounts of copper can be successfully removed with small amounts of wheatgrass juice, in increasing dosages.
25. Water can be purified by placing a bundle in it.
26. Wheatgrass is very healing for your pets. Pet birds benefit because of the rich diet they have from their seed intake. It helps to de-tox their livers.
27. It brings oxygen to your cells! 
28. It gives you added energy!
29. Wounds and skin problems can be healed by applying in to your skin.
30. It is an appetite suppressant.
31. It helps dissolve the fatty lipids in your blood, thereby lowering triglyceride and cholesterol readings."


FOUNDERS FILE: The Story of
Submitted by prokopton on Mon, 2009-01-19 21:35.
FOUNDERS FILE: The Story of Ann Wigmore


"I see a world without sickness...a world in complete harmony and in perfect physical, mental, and spiritual balance by following nature's laws of cause and effect.

- Ann Wigmore

Despite our historic love affair with grains and the worldwide abundance of grasses, no culture has ever cultivated the drinking of grass juice until the latter half of the 20th century. The popular consumption of fresh squeezed wheatgrass juice is due largely to the efforts and genius of one woman, Ann Wigmore.

Sickness and adversity lead to innovation

Born in Lithuania in 1909, Ann Wigmore had a rough beginning. She started out by being born prematurely. Then she was abandoned because she was a sickly baby and a burden to her parents seeking a new life in the United States. Her grandmother, a self-taught naturalist, rescued and restored Ann to normal health. She learned a lot about healing by watching her grandmother heal wounded WWI soldiers with herbs and weeds. But at age 16, she still had no schooling and couldn't even write her name! At the urging of her grandmother, she left for the United States to get a proper education and reunite with her estranged parents. She wanted to do well and adopted the American lifestyle, including a typical American diet. Eventually, this resulted in colon cancer. Then a terrible automobile accident shattered both her legs. Gangrene set in and the doctors recommended amputation. She refused, and against her own father's wishes was sent home.

My homecoming was not a happy one. Neither my father nor my mother would come near me, and only with the help of my uncle would l find something for breakfast.

Ann knew there was a better way. She returned to her previous "peasant" diet of vegetables, grains, seeds and greens and restored her health by doing what she saw her grandmother do. She picked wild weeds and greens and applied them to her feet. This was not the desperation of a diseased mind but the result of her grandmother's teachings about the healing powers of grasses and weeds. Ann developed a ravenous appetite for anything green. She nibbled on grass and sucked out its juice. She sat for hours in the warm summer sun watching the greenish-blue ring or the "creeping death" as her uncle sorrowfully called it rise up her legs. Winter was approaching and there would be no more fresh grass. What to do?

I asked God for direction. He supplied an exciting solution: the use of grains to grow greens right in the kitchen.!

One day, to her surprise, the little white dog who gave her so much needed love and affection started to lick her legs. This was the one part of her body he never touched! "My first thought was for the animal's safety," said Ann, "I impulsively raised my ann to move it away, when the injunction of my grandmother came to mind so distinctly I could almost hear her voice: `Instinct-guided creatures, left to themselves, do not make mistakes."

That puppy was the first indicator of Ann's recovery. Rest, sun, wild herbs, weeds and kitchen-grown grasses rejuvenated Ann's health. She knew she was not going to die. The doctors informed her father that she was apparently out of danger. According to Ann, "This infuriated him, because he couldn't accept that he was wrong in his decision to have my feet removed." It was several months before her feet were completely healed and she returned to the hospital for an examination. The doctors "made no comment when X-ray films showed that the bones had knitted firmly, said Ann. Years later, Ann Wigmore ran in the Boston Marathon.

Living foods for living bodies

Ann tested her indoor grasses on her animal friends. Wheat became her favorite grass because the animals chewed more of it and it was sweet tasting, easy-to-find and inexpensive. To further her studies, she even adopted a sick, cancerous monkey. Ann nursed the monkey back to good health with creative techniques and live food recipes including sprouted seeds, fermented nut and seed "yogurt," and rejuvelac, a cultured sprouted wheat drink. These, along with wheatgrass, would later become the cornerstone of her Living Foods Diet.

Though she knew she had stumbled on something very valuable, she had no practical way of making it widely available. Most people would not eat their front lawn, no matter how sick they were! There had to be a better way. Then, at a local yard sale, Ann picked up an old cast iron meat grinder on the chance that it might grind the grass. With small modifications, such as the addition of a stainless steel straining sieve, this grinder became the first wheat grass juicer. It was a real innovation because commercial vegetable juicers could not at all manage the ligneous fiber of grass. This made possible her program whereby anyone could grow grass in their kitchens and extract the juice in their homes.

Ann began delivering fresh wheatgrass juice to bedridden ill and elderly people in her Boston neighborhood. Then in 1958, she turned an old mansion on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston into The Hippocrates Health Institute. It was founded on the principle of Hippocrates, the Greek father of modern medicine, who along with his Hippocratic oath, is often paraphrased as saying: "The body heals itself. The physician is only nature's assistant." Dr. Ann, as she was fondly called after she became a doctor of divinity, believed that the body can act as its own physician given the proper tools -- living foods. "Living foods for living bodies, dead foods for dead bodies," said Ann.

Many were healed by wheatgrass

Although Dr. Ann was neither a marketer nor a scientist, Hippocrates Health Institute, situated in the heart of Boston, attracted many celebrities and researchers who helped confirm and give testimony to the healing powers of grass. Among these Were Dr. Chiu-Nan Lai, Dr. G.H. Earp Thomas, Renee Taylor, Dennis Weaver and Dick Gregory. Even Yoko Ono purchased wheatgrass for juicing in her home. People came from all walks of life and all comers of the world, usually as a "last resort" with the hopes of beating cancer or some other degenerative disease.

Vibrating with health and vitality, Ann Wigmore is constantly on the run. Reaching out to all that are open to hear what she has to say, she emphasizes through her program that anyone can live a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.

-- Dennis Weaver, actor, 1984. Ann had two visitors who were enormously helpful in promoting her work. One was Viktoras Kulvinskas, who helped Ann establish the Hippocrates Health Living Foods Program. The other was Eydie Mae Hunsberger, who had breast cancer. Her surgeon told her, "You have an 80 percent chance to live one year and a maximum life expectancy of five years." Eydie chose a lumpectomy that removed the cancerous tissue. But her cancer spread to other parts of her body. Depressed and frightened, she looked everywhere. She ended up at Dr. Ann's door in 1973. After two weeks on Dr. Ann's program, Eydie was confident she was going to beat cancer. Two years later, with no trace of cancer in her body, she wrote How I Conquered Cancer Naturally, which was very successful and brought many people to Dr. Ann's door.

Dr. Ann has a long list of stories and testimonials from guests who improved their health with the help of wheatgrass. Wheatgrass and its sister, triticum barley, have by testimony helped guests with ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreas and liver troubles, asthma, glaucoma, eczema, skin problems, constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, colitis, fatigue, menstrual problems, arthritis, athlete's foot, anemia, bad breath/body odor, and burns. In addition, wheatgrass has served as a wonderful first aid for red eyes, wax in ears, congested nasal passages, bleeding gums, tooth pain, sore throats, and inflamed mucous membranes.

Ann tried to spread the word about wheatgrass to the U.S. government. She even went to Washington, D.C. But the political/nutritional climate of the 1970s was stubbornly closed-minded. She had a much greater reception from foreign governments and spent many years launching Living Food programs and research abroad. She visited some 20 countries on her world tour and was especially honored in India, Sweden, Finland and Canada. Ann learned that sickness disregarded all international borders.

Let us make a concerted effort to remedy the global problems by correcting the physical and mental imbalance in each of our lives...The industrialization of our society has created an artificial lifestyle in which humans are being led further and further from the basic truths inherent in nature and the...interrelatedness of all creation. My life has been and continues to be dedicated to the wellness of all humanity.

- Ann Wigmore, 1909-1994

In February of 1994, Ann Wigmore died of smoke inhalation in the middle of the night from a fire that destroyed the Boston home of the original Hippocrates Institute. She was nearly 85. Although she has passed on, her work continues through the efforts of the many lives she's touched. Her single clinic in Boston now has offspring in six locations in the United States alone and others in Australia, Sweden, Finland, and India. Her discovery and teachings have changed the lives of millions."

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