Wheatgrass had always been somewhat of a mystery to me, so I was thrilled to learn the whole story in Ann Wigmore's book Why Suffer... I'm sure others have that same vague skepticism towards wheatgrass as I had so I wanted to share with you Ann Wigmore's first experiences with it... here is a little excerpt from her book Why Suffer, entitled "The Wheatgrass Route"...

(This takes place in the early 1960's, I think)

"After growing the wheatgrass indoors and preparing the juice for some three or four months, I felt sufficiently equipped with the information needed to begin thinking of testing its effectiveness. Many medical men with whom I had talked assured me of the harmlessness of wheatgrass chlorophyll, and while none of them seemed to agree that it might help restore health, all seemed certain that taking reasonable amounts of this juice, freshly made, would not complicate any ailment which might be afflicting the individual who drank it….

… At the suggestion of a well-known New England medical doctor, who had become interested in my work, and wanted to see the effect of wheatgrass in actual operation, I confined my attention to those aging souls whose difficulties seemed beyond the aid of either drugs or surgery. By concentrating on this field we felt that I would not be infringing upon the domain of the licensed physician and if it were proven that wheatgrass could better the conditions of these unfortunates, the discovery would be an important addition to medical knowledge.
… I gave a little talk at a South Boston men’s club where my informant assured me there were “loads of incurables just sitting around waiting to die.” … A brief announcement during my talk brought a small crowd around me a few minutes later, each one describing the reasons for his chronic ill health. Some seemed proud of their designation of being beyond help, and all were anxious to become part of the plan for their own sake and for other sufferers throughout the world…
... With that… I laid out what my friends later humorously called, “Ann’s Wheatgrass Route.” I found I could handle at least a half score of these so-called incurables each day, taking the freshly-made wheatgrass juice to their homes. Many of these unfortunate men and women were actually bedridden, weak, emaciated, and unable even to make the journey down the often rickety stairs. But I took each one in turn, talking with him, listening carefully as each recited his story, and emphasized that as long as the spark of life was still within the body, there was not only hope for improvement, but possibly permanent relief from pain.
Of course, in the beginning my words were met with skepticism, but as the weeks passed these individuals began to feel the effects of the wheatgrass. They found that their aches and discomforts were lessening, and their cynicism changed to anticipation. Instead of being something that must be endured, my daily visits became joyful occasions.
… With very few exceptions, I saw them every day, giving each one a drink of freshly-made wheatgrass juice and watching the amazing results. I use the term amazing because what was accomplished was not merely the bettering of the nourishment of these individuals- it was far more than that. There was the bringing of hope and a new interest in life to each one of these human beings, who for the most part lived on meager pensions and were putting up fights not to be thrown into some old age home to await death. My visits, showing an interest in the welfare of each, bringing a smile, a cheerful greeting, and assurance of my belief that God was also there to help, seemed to instill new courage. I was made aware of a deep awakening inside those frail bodies by the gleam which came into their eyes. It was the combination of my encouragement plus the minerals, vitamins and trace elements in the wheatgrass juice that enabled each of them, at this late stage in their existence, to increase the strength and stamina which they had thought were gone forever.
During the year I personally ministered to dozens of these helpless, despondent human beings. As I look back upon the experience I can truthfully state that in not a single instance did this combination of physical and spiritual help fail to bring improved health.
I wish you could have been with me on one bleak October morning when I tapped on the door of a little room on the third floor of a drab brick house on Dover Street. As had been my custom for weeks, I turned the knob and prepared to slip into the dreary room to plump up the pillows of the frail patriarch on the creaking couch. A splendid surprise awaited me. The door opened as though impelled by an irresistible force, and standing in the opening, smiling proudly, was the old man who had not left his bed for a long time. It was a glorious sight! His watery eyes flashed as he held out his hand in welcome. “I dug these pants out of my suitcase,” he explained, looking down at the wrinkled garment apologetically. “They ain’t seen an iron in years, but I sure have got new iron or something in my blood.” And he chuckled with delight.

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

She goes on to recount many similar success stories on her route, although I’ll stop here since it’s a book and I’m probably not supposed to reprint too much of it. But I did at least want to share some of it, since I had always wondered “Why wheatgrass, and why is it so popular?” The people on her route had suffered from various ailments including arthritis, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, digestive ulcers, oozing sores, etc. In concluding her accounts of the wheatgrass route she writes, “… my mission had been successful beyond my most optimistic dreams and I looked forward to events which would help me to move forward along a much broader roadway than the limited path of the wheatgrass route.”

So there's alot more to the wheatgrass story... if you're interested, I found Ann Wigmore’s book to be such a pleasure to read... I highly recommend it. She paints vivid portraits of her surroundings, beginning with her childhood in Lithuania as a shepherd, raised by her grandmother who was the village elder and natural healer. There were no trained doctors or surgeons in the village so her grandmother was it… Ann Wigmore was assisting in surgeries (on battle-torn soldiers) and cleaning blood from cloths since the age of like, 4 I think.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2008 01:20AM by sunshine79.

I should add that besides the wheatgrass, Ann Wigmore was teaching the eating of raw, simple vegetarian meals as necessary for good health.

thankyou for sharing that ,sunshine. I too love ann wigmore and have grieved her death. Her books have enspired me. My parents went to see her in the ninteys and she was very empathetic and helpful for them.

Ann lived in Boston where she started the wheatgrass movement. Years later the Optimum Health Institute of Lemon Grove, California opened up. It's a three week live-in program, a spin-off of Ann's methods where wheatgrass juice, rejuvilac, raw, sprouted and fermented foods are served, and meditation, self actualization, wheatgrass enemas, live food preparation, sprouting techniques and exercise are the program. Add to that daily massages, chiropractic adjustments and hot tubbing makes it a memorable experience. Let's just say that after my three week stay I felt HALF MY AGE! That's where I became raw.

I have been interested for awhile in growing my own wheatgrass to juice at home. How would I do this or can anyone direct me in the right direction?

Thanks
RiverWillow

hi rwillow76

ask Wheatgrass Yogi

he knows all about wheatgrass

Riverwillow,

This commercial site gives instructions on how to sprout etc wheatgrass -

[www.sproutpeople.com]

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hi rwillow76
>
> ask Wheatgrass Yogi
>
> he knows all about wheatgrass

Thanks La_V for the endorsement. The Best
advice that I can give everyone is to drink Wheatgrass
Juice on a daily basis. Force yourself until it becomes
natural. Wean yourself off of a High-Fruit Diet Diet. Eat
more and more Greens to 'balance'......WY

I had my first shot of wheatgrass juice yesterday. It cost £2 which is reasonable I think because I have heard of it costing £3 - £4 a shot. how does that compare with you guys in america?

I didn't think it tasted too bad; would probably grow on one, although it felt terrible strong and repeated on me during the afternoon. Should it be taken on an empty stomach? It felt a bit harsh.

I also am going to look into growing it. I believe you have to have a special juicer? I know my juicer wouldn't cope with it. Is there an inexpensive manual juicer for the job; she asks hopefully?

wheat grass juice is best taken on an empty stomach, I live in washington state and a one ounce shot of juice runs about 1.50 to two dollers. I use an old hand cranker wheatenna juicer for my wheat grass and I have tryed growing it. Its not to hard to grow you need to just keep up with it and have a special place to let it grow. My cats like to lay on the trays so I am having a hard time.

pampam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My cats like to lay on the trays so I am
> having a hard time.


lol

la_veronique Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hi rwillow76
>
> ask Wheatgrass Yogi
>
> he knows all about wheatgrass

So do I. I was a commercial producer of organic wheatgrass certified by my county's dept of agriculture, had a 40'X40' wheatgrass shade house, sold flats to Whole Foods Market, sold flats and shots in farmers' markets county wide, delivered cut pounds of wheatgrass stored in green bags to folks with health challenges and shipped cut pounds all across America to those who couldn't find it locally. I got my advanced training at the Optimum Health Institute in the San Diego area. I was written up by three local newspapers when my business opened and am listed as a grower/shipper in a Wheatgrass paperback book. But that was then. I no longer am in the business.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2008 02:04AM by warm-glow.

Warm-Glow.....You really put a lot of labor into producing your Wheatgrass. Years ago I sold my Wheatgrass at the local Health Food Store, but it got to be too much work for the money. I now just grow for myself.
Here's a picture of my Fasting Buddha sitting with my Wheatgrass. You might notice that I grow in stainless steel bowls instead of trays......WY

[img.photobucket.com]

It was a labor of love and I was on a crusade to help people after newly becoming 100% raw. The dream died during one winter's extreme cold snap when my flats were frozen solid for almost ten days and I couldn't produce any mature flats to satisfy my commercial account, Whole Foods Market. So I sold out to my competitor and closed down. My shade house was obviously not insulated or heated.

I find wheat grass totally nasty. Years ago I choked that stuff down despite the horrible taste because it was 'good for me'. I stopped because it irritated my stomach, and got wise to the awful taste. We aren't cows! I suppose that w.g. juice could have some medicinal value, but it would be like eating a number of other herbs which taste equally nasty and aren't a regular part of the human diet.

Mislu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find wheat grass totally nasty.

Follow your own Path then. I knew that Wheatgrass was my Path
when I first read about it in Viktoras Kulvinskas' "Survival into the 21st
Century". I got the "Amen", if you know what I mean......WY

that's an interesting reply WY since there has been a brewing controversy over it

since food is energy and people have different energy matrices

perhaps it is not so far out to say that if it doesn't match your energy

then gravitate towards the energy packets ( food) that DOES



HEY, warm glow

that's cool u did all that and it was a labor of love

it gives me a warm glow to know that

I agree with Mislu - I found wheatgrass juice to have a nasty, bitter taste. I did however, recently discover that there are companies that dehydrate wheatgrass and put it in tablet form. There are mix reviews on the nutritional comparison of juice v. tablets so I'm not sold yet. But I have ordered a bottle from a company called A.M. Organics. I hope to replace some of my daily vitamin pills with the wheatgrass.

I'll let everyone know how the pills taste!

The dehydrated tablets do not have the phyto nutrients that live wheat grass has. I personally dont like taking pills. My taste buds have changed so drastically since eating 100% raw that I no longer have the desire to eat cheese and some other cooked foods I enjoyed don't tast the same. There are some raw foods that I did not like at first because my taste buds were tarnished from eating cooked foods but now I desire raw foods. I know wheat grass has nutrients that surpass most foods I encounter and the cleansing that the chlorophille does is a important tool for those who desire to detoxify their bodies. I feel wheat grass is a blessing for the body.

Wheatgrass yogi,

Knock yourself out. I just don't think its really human food. How many thousands of years did people live without a juicer. People are usually not drawn naturally to eating grass of any kind. I am suprised that people started eating grains. It takes so much processing, sifting, pounding/grinding, fermenting and then baking. Or making noodles and the like, by passing fermenting.

Grass is for cows and similiar animals, they have several stomachs made for handling all that cellulose. Did you ever try and eat a whole bowl full of whole fresh wheatgrass, try it sometime and let me know how it goes.

Grass seeds are for birds, they swallow rocks to grind them up inside, we don't have the internal workings to grind seeds as they do. You can chew them after soaking them, it makes it a little easier, but its not really the most pleasant thing to chew.

Mislu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wheatgrass yogi,
>
> Knock yourself out. I just don't think its really
> human food. How many thousands of years did people
> live without a juicer. People are usually not
> drawn naturally to eating grass of any kind.

Yes, I know all about that, and you're right.
....Wheatgrass Juice is not Man's 'Natural Food'. But I'm
trying to improve on Nature. I'm just doing what HE told
me to do.
By the way, I just had 2 1/2 ounces of very delicious
Wheatgrass Juice. I use Carrots and Clay in my fertilizer
mix to make my Grass sweeter and more nutritious......WY

There are many varieties of wheatberries grown in various climates in North America. Some are hard red winter and some spring wheat. I found the nastiest tasting wheatgrass was from hard red winter wheatberries grown in Colorado. It grew short and matured early. The flats yielded minimal juice. The sweetest juice by far was from spring wheat from northern Minnesota. It was the fastest growing, had the tallest blades and yielded about 50% more juice per flat. Think about it. A seed acclimated for a northern region has to be quick growing and hearty. So all wheatgrass juice is not the same. Too bad some of you have never tasted the sweet stuff.

Not about just wheatgrass only...

Our ancestors didn't live as long as we do.

Our ancestors didn't have indoor plumbing.

It doesn't always make logical sense to look back for models of how to eat or live.

warm-glow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are many varieties of wheatberries grown in
> various climates in North America.

Warm-Glow....Would you provide me with a Link
to your favorite supplier of Wheat Berries? My favorite
source (Crystal Organics) has gone 'under'. Their seeds
were the Best I've ever found, but I'm running low and
need to re-order soon. Much obliged.....WY

WY,
What HE told you to do? A lot of people are trying to improve on nature. Supplements, drugs, steriods, GMOS, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, pesticides...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2008 05:02AM by Mislu.

I'm not WY, but I wouldn't compare wheatgrass to most "Supplements, drugs, steriods, GMOS, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, pesticides..."

Not even close.

It may not be for you, but it's hardly the same as the things you listed.

If you want to get back to nature completely, stop eating anything purchased in a store, grow your own, don't use a knife or fork, and don't use indoor plumbing.

Lee,
I am not sure where you are getting your information. I think it depends on who is telling the stories. If you believe xians, humans are living WAY shorter by several hundred years, or thousands of years...to only an ave of 76. Actually what is the average? I have heard that is declining, after many decades of increasing. I don't advocate the xian script, but just included that as an example of what I have been told about longevity by some other people.

I think the averages are what are making it appear that people are living longer. In the older days there was higher infant mortality. In some cultures you were not even named until your first birthday. I think it was because that spared some trauma for parents if a child didn't have a name, and it was likely that parents would loose several children before one survived beyond a year. But if one lived beyond the first year, it was much more likely that one would live to a great age in fairly good health. but then again, life in earlier ages was probably tougher on people in general. It generally wasn't the food that killed them. Hard labor, disease, war, famine, taxes...of course NONE of those things exist today right?

Looking back in time, and comparing cultural trends of various locations can provide some insight. Didn't the romans find food and wine prepared in lead containers to be a particular delight? What happened? Its little wonder that trend didn't last very or spread very far. Over harvesting lands created dust bowls and made famine worse, that should be a message for us all.

Japanese culture is said to produce people who have generally good health, and live pretty long. In particular one village is longer lived even than the regular japanese. They traditionally excluded grain of any type, not out of a fashionable dietary trend, but because they lived on a slope which made rice cultivation too difficult. Instead they lived primarily on a variety of root vegetables, some of which are very high fiber, and extremely low calorie. They also didn't eat a whole lot of processed food, perhaps none. It could be genetics, but I don't think its the entire story, as the younger generations have changed eating habits which include processed foods, fried foods etc... and their grandparents are healthier and stronger.

Wheatgrass bitter?
I'm reminded that "bitter" is one of the five flavors of Traditional Chinese medicine
and one of the six flavors of Ayurveda.

Bitter has a therapeutic function if that's what one needs.
Generally speaking, bitter can inspire some of one's own digestive enzymes to flow.

Mislu Wrote:
<big snip>
> Japanese culture is said to produce people who
> have generally good health, and live pretty long.
> In particular one village is longer lived even
> than the regular japanese. They traditionally
> excluded grain of any type, not out of a
> fashionable dietary trend, but because they lived
> on a slope which made rice cultivation too
> difficult. Instead they lived primarily on a
> variety of root vegetables, some of which are very
> high fiber, and extremely low calorie. They also
> didn't eat a whole lot of processed food, perhaps
> none. It could be genetics, but I don't think its
> the entire story, as the younger generations have
> changed eating habits which include processed
> foods, fried foods etc... and their grandparents
> are healthier and stronger.

Well, all of the above
plus there once was a tradition in Japan to do a series of exercises during the early stages of pregnancy that could cause the abortion of a fetus if it wasn't genetically sound or strong enough to survive.

If the baby wasn't meant to survive they wanted it dealt with long before it was born.

Ah, the myth of the pure past and polluted present.

Ok, I'm going to toss out my wheatgrass, modern plumbing, and eat with my hands now...

And I gotta buy me some "Supplements, drugs, steriods, GMOS, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, pesticides..." to go with my new lifestyle.