Wheatgrass: The Holy Grail of Foods

“Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food”, said the Father of Western Medicine, Hippocrates, the great physician of Classical Greece. I want to share with you the innumerable benefits of a thing as simple as Wheatgrass. Called as the ‘green blood’ by dieticians and the Holy Grail of foods, wheatgrass has a never ending list of benefits. In this blog, I have tried to provide a glimpse of this unending list.

Chlorophyll has been called “concentrated sunpower” owing to it being the very first product of natural light. Wheatgrass is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll. Wheatgrass’ molecular structure of Chlorophyll closely resembles to a substance called Hemin found in blood. Presence of chlorophyll makes wheatgrass high in oxygen and anti-bacterial. It washes away drug deposits from the body, neutralizes toxins, purifies liver and reduces blood sugar problems. Chlorophyll also has anti-septic benefits which help neutralize infections, heal wounds faster and reduce breath and sweat odor.

Wheatgrass also helps in rebuilding bloodstream, restoring fertility (owing to its high magnesium content) and removes scars and heals acne. It can also prevent tooth decay and if held in mouth for five minutes, it can substantially reduce tooth aches. Wheatgrass also helps with skin problems like eczema and psoriasis and is an excellent skin cleanser. It also helps in delaying grey hair growth.

If wheatgrass is grown in organic soil, it is known to absorb 92 of the 102 known minerals from the soil. It increases the life of herbivorous animals as it has what is called the ‘grass-juice factor’. 30 ml wheatgrass juice is equivalent to the nutritional value which one gets from vitamins, minerals and amino acids in one kilo of fresh green vegetables. It also has various enzymes and is a complete protein (20%).

Some other benefits of wheatgrass are as listed:

• ·         Helps reduce gastrointestinal problems like constipation, diarrhea and ulcers
• ·         Protects liver and blood and strengthens cells
• ·         Fights tumors and helps in combating Cancer
• ·         Boosts natural immune system
• ·         Restores alkalinity to the blood and purifies it
• ·         Combats Blood Pressure problems, Menstrual Problems, Insomnia, Asthma, Paralysis, Arthritis and Leukemia       
• ·         Combats Thalassemia and Anemia
• ·         Energizes and rejuvenates the body
• ·         Overcomes nutrition deficiencies
• ·         Helps in weight loss/gain along with dietary controls
• ·         Slows down aging process

A glass of wheatgrass juice has 5 times the iron in spinach, 7 times Vitamin C than in an orange, 30 times Vitamin A than in fresh milk, 11 times Calcium than in fresh milk and is equivalent to 1 kg of fresh organic vegetables.

Wheatgrass has innumerable benefits and can be easily incorporated in your diet. 1 tsp of wheatgrass powder can be mixed in a glass of warm water and had on an empty stomach. A simple and inexpensive addition to your diet can lead to benefits which will significantly improve the quality of your life.

Naturopathy: Origin and Concept

 Naturopathy is a science-based form of treatment which is based on, as its name implies, the elements of nature. This form of treatment dates back to 19^th century when it was originated by the Greek Father of Medicine-Hippocrates. The study basically deals with the five basic elements of nature - Jal (water), Vayu (air), Agni (fire), Akash (sky) and Prithvi (Earth). The body is composed of a defined proportion of these elements which if changed leads to an imbalance causing ailments.

Naturopathy as a science bases itself in the Greek concept of four humors which have origins in the ancient Egyptian Medicine. The four humors include Blood, Yellow bile, Black bile and Phlegm which stand for the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. These humors affect heart, liver, spleen and brain in the same order and are represented by the elements of air, fire, earth and water. Any imbalance in their proportion in the body leads to sickness and disease.

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) has defined naturopathy as:

"A distinct system of primary health care-an art, science, philosophy, and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. These principles are continually re-examined in the light of scientific advances. The techniques of naturopathic medicine include modern and traditional, scientific, and empirical methods" (AANP, 1998).

Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges states that there are six basic principles in Naturopathy which are as follows:

•   Belief in the natural healing powers and tendency of the body to heal
•   Identifying underlying causes which are beyond symptoms
•  Using most natural ways to treat
•  Helping patients maintain a good health by teaching them natural ways
•  Understanding body as a combination of physical and spiritual aspects
•  Focusing on overall well being and primarily prevention

Naturopathy identifies each patient’s sickness subjectively and treats them using non-toxic and natural therapies. Naturopathy focuses on the body’s natural tendency to heal and motivates this predisposition using natural elements and energy of nature.