Wheatgrass Juice: Get the Equivalent of 2.5 Pounds of Veggies in One Shot!

This spring I picked up a packet of wheatgrass seeds from a small store in town. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with the wheatgrass and didn't know much about it in general other than it was probably pretty healthy stuff since you can buy shots of it at one of my favorite smoothies shops. 

So I planted it and in no time I had lush wheatgrass in my garden. It can grow an inch per day! I decided to juice it because I wasn't sure what else to do with it. I dumped a handful of wheatgrass in the Vita Mix with a couple cups of water and viola wheatgrass juice!

Clearly its easy to make but why should you drink this bright green slime? Wheatgrass juice is considered to be a complete super food in itself. It is 70% chlorophyll (the stuff that makes plants green and allows them to absorb energy) and "Chlorophyll has the power to regenerate our bodies at the molecular and cellular level and is known to help cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems" (energieseforlife.com).   

Other benefits of wheatgrass juice are:

It boosts the immune system and the nervous system.

It enhances the capillaries and reduces high blood pressure.

Wheat-grass juice prevents graying of hair and removes dandruff

It improves digestion and metabolism.

Gargling with wheat-grass juice relieves sore throat.

It is an excellent skin cleanser.

It improves blood disorders. 

It contains antioxidants which repair damaged cells and rejuvenates aging cells.

It treats acne problems. It removes the acne scars.

Wheat-grass juice removes weakness and fatigue. It is immediately absorbed in the blood stream and gives instant energy.

It purifies the blood and cleanses the kidneys, liver and urinary tract.

It increases the red blood count. This is one of the proven benefits of wheat-grass juice.

It is an appetite suppressant.

Wheat-grass juice is suitable for diabetics as it regulates blood sugar levels.

Wheat-grass juice is very beneficial for cancer patients.

Read more here

To top it all off drinking a one ounce shot of wheatgrass juice is comparable to eating two and a half pounds of vegetables! Who doesn't want the benefits of this amazing super food?! Whether you go to the store and buy it or grow and juice it on your own wheatgrass is a must have!

Thanks for reading!

-Shanny

The Wonders of Kombucha

Several months ago I developed a love interest called Kombucha. It is a lightly fizzy, kind of tart beverage made from fermented tea that has amazing health properties. It was the beverage of choice of the ancient Chinese and has been around for over 2,000 years. You know if the ancient Chinese thought it was something special then it is! The history of Kombucha is very interesting (at least to me), but I won't ramble on about it. You can read more about it here. 


I love the taste of Kombucha but am even more in love with the health benefits of it. I am sure you all have all heard about probiotics in yogurt and how they are great for regulating the digestive system. Well, kombucha is a probiotic drink! It helps balance bacteria and yeast levels in the digestive track which results in an stronger immune system. Kombucha is also loaded with antioxidants that protect the body's cells from damage of free radicals which have been found to play a major role in cancer. If that wasn't enough this wonder drink also acts as a great detoxifier. This means it helps rid our liver and body from harmful toxins that build up over a period of time. These toxins slow the body down, make you feel like crap and can cause illness.  Detoxifying the body has been found to prevent and in some cases cure cancer. These are just a few of the benefits of drinking Kombucha. To see the entire laundry list of benefits read these articles:


Kombucha Health Benefits- Food Renegade 
Health Benefits of Kombucha- Kombucha Kamp


Clearly, I fell in love with this beverage, what it was doing for my body and how it made me feel. It is typically sold at speciality health food stores such as Whole Foods and Earth Fare for around $3.50 per bottle. At one point in time I was drinking one almost every day and even if I bought a case of it and got a 10% discount I was still spending way too much money on it each week and figured there was probably a way to make it on my own and save money like I do with everything else. I did some research and headed to the kitchen. In order to ferment the regular ole sweet tea and turn it into Kombucha, I started growing my own "Mother" or SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). 

The "Mother"

The bacteria and yeast feed off the sugar in the tea and create natural CO2 (carbonation). As your "mother" grows the tea ferments and all of the amazing health benefits come into play. Essentially you are growing yeast and bacteria on tea and then drinking the byproduct of it. Disgusting huh? When I tell people about Kombucha this is what I usually tell them first just to creep them out then proceed to show them pictures. If you are openminded enough to try it long enough to experience the benefits I promise, you will be in love too! 

This is a picture of my "Mother" in action. Don't be scared you remove it and don't even have to touch it when you bottle your brew :).

Now get off the computer and go get a bottle of your own to try!

-Shanny