Better than Wheatgrass: Raw Veggie Juice and Sprouts

May 30, 2013 | By Dylan Charles

Dr. Mercola
Re-blogged from Waking Times
If you want to improve your nutrition and are itching to grow your own food, sprouts are an ideal choice.
Virtually all sprouted seeds and grains fall in the "superfood" category, and they're really easy to grow, even if you don't have a lot of space or an outdoor garden. But what about green grasses like wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass is grown from wheat seeds, and contains high amounts of chlorophyll. Most people juice it, but wheat grass is also available in supplement form.
My main objection to wheatgrass is I believe vegetable sprouts like sunflower, broccoli, and pea sprouts are far more beneficial as a food if you want to improve your nutrition.   If you're going to grow sprouts, I wouldn't put wheatgrass at the top of the list.
As reported in the featured article by the Chicago Tribune:¹

"Its health benefits and curative powers were promoted in the 1940s by Ann Wigmore, a Lithuanian immigrant to Boston and holistic health practitioner.
Wigmore believed humans could benefit by following the practice of dogs and cats by eating grass and regurgitating to feel better.
She developed the wheatgrass diet, a program which, in addition to consuming wheat grass juice, avoids all meats, dairy products and cooked foods, and focuses on 'live' foods such as sprouts, raw produce, nuts and seeds.
The diet and its many touted health and curative claims — detoxification of the body, controlling diabetes, prevention of bacterial infections, the common cold and fever; and protection against ailments like skin problems, gout and even cancer — took off and continues to be alive and well today."

Potential Benefits of Wheatgrass

As you can see, Wigmore's inspiration for eating wheatgrass is not really based on its nutritional content but rather the idea that humans might benefit in the same manner as some animals which, upon eating grass, vomit and thereby feel better.
Many alternative health practitioners believe in wheatgrass as being highly beneficial. The Hippocrates Health Institute,² for example, has a long list of purported benefits of wheatgrass, including the following (for the full list, please see the HHI web site):

• Increases red blood-cell count; cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract; simulates metabolism
• Stimulates your thyroid gland
• Reduces over-acidity in your blood and relieve peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal complaints
• Detoxifies your liver and blood and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants
• Its high chlorophyll content may help oxygenate your blood. Keeping a tray of live wheatgrass near your bed may also enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help improve your sleep
• May help reduce damaging effects of radiation, courtesy of the enzyme SOD—an anti-inflammatory compound

They also claim there are a number of health benefits you can reap simply from topical exposure, such as rubbing some juice onto your skin or adding wheatgrass to your bath.

"[Wheatgrass] can double your red blood cell count just by soaking in it. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen found that no other blood builders are superior to green juices and wheatgrass. In his book 'Health Magic Through Chlorophyll'

He mentions several cases where he was able to double the red blood cell count in a matter of days merely by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Blood building results occur even more rapidly when patients drink green juices and wheatgrass regularly."
Others, like Mother Nature Network,³ point out that there are no medical studies to support Dr. Jensen's findings. According to Dr. Chris Reynolds,⁴ who goes by the moniker "Dr. Wheatgrass," the benefits of wheatgrass are primarily biological, not nutritional.

"Reynolds argues that there is plenty of evidence to support wheatgrass extract's role in supporting biological functions, including one preliminary study in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research,⁵ which suggests that fermented wheatgrass extract 'exerts significant antitumor activity."

The study concludes that the extract requires further evaluation as a candidate for clinical combination drug regimens," Mother Nature Network writes.

Important Details to Know BEFORE You Use Wheat Grass

Wheatgrass contains large amounts of chlorophyll, and is thought to have a wide variety of health promoting properties; however these benefits are largely related to the quality of how it is grown.  Like any food or supplement, quality is highly variable and if you chose to use it, this is important to pay attention to. It is far less expensive to grow your own, but more importantly you can typically grow a much higher quality grass.
Harvest time is crucial and that is typically around one week after you germinate the seeds at what is called the "jointing stage."  Some stores that sell wheat grass will harvest it once and then let it grow again for a second harvest  Some also sell frozen wheat grass but this is far less effective than freshly harvested wheat grass.
Most wheat grass tastes very bitter  Many believe that they need to grow it in direct sunlight but this actually contributes to the bitterness. Expose the grass only to indirect sunlight, and harvest it right at the jointing stage when it is at its sweetest.One of the complications of growing wheat grass is that it is very easy to be contaminated with mold due to it's tightly bound roots in moist soil. If this occurs, the mold can make you sick. Mold typically grows at the bottom of the wheat grass near the soil. Keeping a gentle breeze blowing, keeping the humidity low, and reducing the quantity of seed so the growth is less dense are three approaches to help limit this.
If you decide to use wheat grass you need to be very careful though, as excessive amounts of wheat grass can cause you to become very nauseous and catalyze a healing crisis that could make you very sick.  It is also not a food but a detoxifying herb and should not be consumed every day for long periods of time.
It is not uncommon for people who drink wheatgrass juice daily for several months or years to develop an aversion to the taste, or even become nauseated by it. Since it is such a highly detoxifying medicinal herb that can cause cleanse or "Herxheimer" reactions,  it's a good idea to use wheatgrass juice judiciously. When first starting wheatgrass you should only use one ounce once or twice a day, gradually working up to two ounces.

The Benefits of Raw Juice

While I'm not convinced that wheatgrass is an ideal choice as a food, there's no doubt that sprouts and green juice play a significant role in optimal nutrition. At the end of this article, I'll review growing your own sprouts, but first, let's look at juicing.
Virtually every health authority recommends that we get 6-8 servings of vegetables and fruits per day and very few of us actually get that. Juicing is an easy way to virtually guarantee that you will reach your daily target for vegetables. There are three main reasons why you will want to consider incorporating vegetable juicing into your optimal health program:

1. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. This is important because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body's ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to "pre-digest" them for you, so you will receive most of the nutrition, rather than having it go down the toilet.
2. Juicing allows you to consume a healthier amount of vegetables in an efficient manner. If you are a carb type, you should eat one pound of raw vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight per day. Some people may find eating that many vegetables difficult, but it can be easily accomplished with a quick glass of vegetable juice.
3. You can add a wider variety of vegetables in your diet. Many people eat the same vegetable salads every day. This violates the principle of regular food rotation and increases your chance of developing an allergy to a certain food. But with juicing, you can juice a wide variety of vegetables that you may not normally enjoy eating whole.

Drinking your juice first thing in the morning can give you a natural energy boost without resorting to stimulants like coffee. Since the juice is already in an easily digestible form, it can help revitalize your energy levels within as little as 20 minutes. For more information about juicing, including detailed recommendations for the types of vegetables to use; different types of juicers, and other helpful tips, please see my three-part interview with Cherie Calbom, better known as The Juice Lady (Part 1, part 2, and part 3). Below, I give a quick overview of juicing, and how to find a juicer that doesn't cost a fortune.

http://youtu.be/e8GJARFCz2c

Sprouts—A DIY Superfood

Wheatgrass is not to be viewed as a food; it is a potent healing agent if used carefully and cautiously. There are other sprouts that fill the role of food very well.  Sprouts are important to optimize your health, as they are an oft-ignored powerhouse of nutrition. They can contain up to 30 times the nutrition of organic vegetables grown in your own garden, and allow your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat.
During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable. Furthermore, both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted. The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains, sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

• Support for cell regeneration
• Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
• Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
• Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty of iron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of overall nutritional value, and sprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sprouting peas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium.

Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

I used to grow sprouts in Ball jars over 10 years ago but stopped doing that. I am strongly convinced that actually growing them in soil is far easier and produces far more nutritious and abundant food. It is also less time consuming. With Ball jars you need to rinse them several times a day to prevent mold growth. Trays also take up less space. I am now consuming one whole tray you see below every 2-3 days and to produce that much food with Ball jars I would need dozens of jars.
I am in the process of compiling more specific detailed videos for future articles but I thought I would whet your appetite and give you a preview with the photos below. For now you can get instructions on how to grow them by viewing a step-by-step guide at rawfoods-livingfoods.com.⁶ One of the important details that many fail to do is to cover the sprouting tray with a cover that not only puts the sprouts in darkness but has a heavy weight on it. The weight is necessary to produce a high quality sprout. It needs the exercise to simulate breaking through the soil.
Sprouts are a perfect complement to fermented vegetables. My current salad consists of about half a pound of sunflower sprouts, four ounces of fermented vegetables, half a large red pepper, several tablespoon of raw organic butter, some red onion, a whole avocado and about three ounces of salmon or chicken. It is my primary meal. In the late afternoon, I typically only have macadamia nuts and home made coconut candy in addition to drinking 16-32 ounces of green vegetable juice. I break it up occasionally by going to a restaurant with friends.

>

New message from GaiaPortal 5-31-13 : "Substantial Shifting ....

Re-blogged from Kauilapele's Blog

GaiaPortal 5-31-13…"Substantial Shifting of Gaia Energy Structures Occurs at this Moment" by kauilapele

Just noticed this GaiaPortal post, right now. Perhaps this relates to what I sensed earlier today, in the last post.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Substantial Shifting of Gaia Energy Structures Occurs at this Moment

Substantial shifting of Gaia energy structures occurs at this moment. Although the process of reshaping Gaia's Higher D energetic patterns has been ongoing during the past 12 years, significant acceleration occurred during the end of year gateways, and in this now moment, particularly, increase in rate of formation of structures, leading to final so-called "Golden Age" grid, is occurring.

Those aware of these energies may have sensed a strong energetic shift during the past several hours. Tiredness and "out of place" sensations are due to this shifting out of outgrown Gaia energetic patterns and acceleration of formation of Golden Age patterns.

Light Worker types attuned to the needs of Gaia will understand necessary movement patterns required by them for assisting the planet into the final grid arrangements. Understanding that movement is being called for this Higher Purpose, will ease any incurred disruption energetics.

We of ÉirePort say, to all those called to service, "Enjoy the Ride…"

Please read what James Gilliland has to say .......

James Gilliland – Gamma Ray Bursts, Solar Flares, Cosmic Rays, Shifts In Human Consciousness

Posted on May 31, 2013 by ContraMary

Re-blogged via J.Haines from www.eceti.org www.bbsradio.com www.worldpuja.net

 

As many know we are getting bombarded by gamma ray bursts, solar flares, cosmic rays and other magnetic influences due to the alignment with Galactic Plane. As many are observing the unprecedented increase in earthquake, volcanic eruptions along with severe weather, what we are not seeing is how these energies affect human consciousness. The earth is expanding, busting at the seams, yet we are expanding as well. These energies affect the bioelectric fields surrounding the human body all the way down to the DNA level. We have subtle more refined bodies; a body within a body and these bodies hold consciousness and energy. What is held within these bodies or your fields is being activated, energized and there is nowhere to hide from this process. Try as you might that wounded little child will not have its way. Within the greatest of all tyrants, the cruelest, coldhearted people is a wounded little girl or boy. We all have this to one degree or another.  The wounds, traumas and wrong conclusions from past experiences are all being energized, activated and they are creating our tomorrows. The pain, sadness, anger, trespasses, unloving acts experienced in past lives and in childhood are all held within these fields. The higher consciousness and energy are activating them, bringing them up to the surface, magnetizing people, places and events to each and every one of us so that we may heal and release the past. Love is the ultimate power in the Multiverse and love is the catalyst for this healing process. It is the love of God/Creator/ Source/Great Spirit, what ever name you want to give it coming down through the dimensions that is activating this process. You will see this process acted out in many ways individually and collectively yet do not get caught up in the manifestations, become the observer, see the cause. A great master once said in every experience it all boils down to two things. Love and lack of love. Fear, anger, sadness, sorrow, transgressions, selfish, separative acts, even violent acts, all come from the lack of love. In most cases it is the lack of love experienced in our childhood and the experiences and environment in which we established how we see and create the world in which we live. Buddha said, "We are what we think, all that we are arises in our thoughts, with our thoughts we create the world." A little addendum can be applied to this and that is collectively we are all creating and there are a lot of wounded creators out there some taking the upward spiral, some taking the downward spiral. Although we focus on love, joy, bliss, service to others there will always be those with a different truth. The problem in addressing this is to not become what you are against. Again the answer is to become the observer, take responsibility and be accountable for your creations, the people and events you magnetized to you as a reflection of your consciousness and become an example. The best leaders lead by example. Do not get caught up in reactionary mind, try to hold the creationary mind focusing on what you want, not what you don't want, and detach from the things that no longer bring you joy. Mary once said worry is a form of prayer, we manifest what we fear and worry about. Sometimes our projections are so great we create problems that never existed drawing reactions out of others that by nature are peaceful, loving beings. There are times when firm boundaries need to be set, tough love which means telling people what they need to hear not what they want to hear is necessary. This must be done, however, with no need for acceptance and approval outside of self and with no attachment to the outcome. It is very hard to step back, hold our selves responsible and accountable for the people and experiences we magnetize to us especially if we are running any victim patterns or have not dealt with the wounded child. It is hard to let go of unhealthy patterns and be.lie.fs especially when there has been temporary gain by acting out these patterns. In today's society we have been programmed to look totally to the external, the external world will make us happy, provide our security, fulfill our hearts' and souls' desires; which is the greatest enslavement and tragedy. At the height of the internal world is a loving, joyous, powerful, manifesting God/Goddess created in the same image and likeness of God. On the way there you are going to experience all the blocks, wounds, traumas, and wrong conclusions from past experiences; which create the illusion of separation. The angry, sad and wounded little child is going to vehemently demand to remain in control during this process yet it is manifesting everything it is in fear of happening again and defending against even its own healing. It is a no win situation. The deeper the pain, sorrow, wounds and traumas the more the angry little child will act out, defend and refuse to let go. This is not rocket science it is all about consciousness and energy the vibrational continuum and an extreme jump in evolution. The source, God/Creator/Great Spirit is Love, Joy, Bliss unimaginable. As this consciousness and energy presses down upon the Earth everything that does not resonate with it has to heal. We are multidimensional beings and this consciousness and energy is moving down the vibrational continuum clearing out everything that does not resonate with it. The baser levels of consciousness are fear, guilt, anger, unworthiness, selfishness, and the false belief in separation. Defending the 'me' is in ignorance of unity consciousness. These base attitudes and emotions can no longer be held within our fields or in the Earth's fields. That grid is collapsing along with the manifestations that depend upon that grid. You are going to see this in your relationships, your physical world, your institutions; nothing will be able to maintain the lower frequencies as the vibrational lifting continues – and it is increasing exponentially. The hertzian or physical world as we know it will collapse, phase out as the new world phases in. The greatest pain, sorrow, suffering and insecurity will come from holding onto the old world, holding onto the anger, pain, and sorrow of the past. Trying to create from the wounded child something different than what wounded it from the wounded ego. I love the saying what are you afraid of other than what you are already creating? Why not go within, heal and focus on creating a different reality? Surrender the angry, wounded little child to the higher dimensional healers within. Stop sabotaging your life, blaming others, projecting the same patterns over and over expecting a different result. These unhealed wounds and traumas are in the process of being exponentially energized. The lessons will come around again and again, yet they will become harder and harder until we surrender and get to the core of what is creating them. Are we operating according to Universal Law? Is Universal Peace, Brotherly/Sisterly Love, Equality, Prosperity and Freedom for all the foundation in our lives? Do we understand the unified field and what it means to align with Unity Consciousness? Is there still the angry wounded little child playing the 'me' separation game, trying to create on the exterior what is lacking in the interior? Demanding love, respect, honesty, loyalty, and service to themselves, trying to fill a void, yet not willing to find the things they demand from others in their own expression? It takes brutal honesty, courage, and a willingness to be accountable and responsible for our creations, the people and events in our lives we manifested and magnetized to us are there to get through this process. Very few have the tools, the understandings, and the courage. The humility to own their creations, the wounded child, and make amends, which is why so much anger, pain, violence, and unloving acts are now coming to the surface. As we said resistance is futile. The angry little child, trying to create on the exterior from a broken and wounded interior is fruitless. There is no defense from our selves and the love of God; which is activating everything within ourselves, despite our denials is pressing forward. If you don't believe in a higher intelligence just think of Gamma Rays as 7the dimensional energies, the plane of bliss slamming the Earth over and over along with solar flares and ask yourselves what might be the affect? What happens when a higher frequency in introduced to a lower frequency? It is real basic physics 101. We are giving birth to a whole new world, a whole new us, and we need to heal and release the past if we are going to survive that birth. Observe your creations, your fields, your attitudes, emotions, release the past and surrender the wounded little child to the God within. There will be those who will resist this message to the degree that they want to continue with the wounded child driving their boat. There are those who will take this message and bash their friends and lovers over the head with it and project blame like a crazed addict addicted to their victim patterns. This information is for those who wish to heal them selves, understand the process Humanity and the Earth is undergoing. Release others to their own destiny and forget about the exterior. This is for interior work, for those who want to heal and become an example for others. Permission to pass far and wide. For any information about transpersonal healing sessions contact eceticustomerservice@gmail.com Be well, James Gilliland www.eceti.org www.bbsradio.com www.worldpuja.net