As I visit different stores and talk with people, one of my favorite questions I receive is “How can I use Wheatgrass?” I love that the person is, first of all, wanting to try something new and secondly, seeking out information to help themselves on a journey to better nutrition!
So, what is the best way to use Wheatgrass?
The best way to consume Wheatgrass is to drink it freshly pressed within 5 minutes of juicing. When you juice Wheatgrass, you take out the fiber and allow the nutrients to be readily absorbed. ‘
Don’t we need fiber?
Yes, fiber is good, but save it for your fruits. We want to juice our veggies and blend our fruits in smoothies. Remember fiber slows absorption and fruits have a lot of natural sugar. Leaving fiber in fruits, slows the absorption so we can slow down the sugar rush. Ever drink a fruit juice in the morning and find yourself starving about an hour later? By taking the fiber out of the fruit and drinking the juice, we have sent our bodies on a glycemic rollercoaster. We hit a high and then start to plummet to the bottom where we are reaching for something else sweet to “fix” our low. Throwing fruit in a smoothie will allow the body to slowly absorb the sugar, evening out that glycemic curve.
I don’t have a juicer, can I still use Wheatgrass?
Yes, you can add fresh wheatgrass to your favorite smoothie, but in a small amount. It works best with a Vitamix or Ninja Blender. While it is best to juice, you still receive benefits from adding to your favorite smoothie. There are also options like purchasing Wheatgrass already pressed for you. Flash freezing it will help preserve the nutrients. The only way to buy wheatgrass unpasteurized is to buy right from the farm.
Shockingly I was in a juice bar (PART OF A LARGE CHAIN) and asked if I could see the Wheatgrass they used to make their fresh Wheatgrass shots. Their response was SHOCKING!!!! They use POWDER and water for their shots! Why would anyone make the effort to go to a juice bar to buy powder and water? By sheer nature of walking into a juice bar you would think you were actually buying juice!!!! It would be like Starbucks using instant coffee and mixing it with water for a cup of coffee. Please ASK WHAT IS IN YOUR SHOT BEFORE YOU BUY FROM A JUICE BAR!!!!!