The past six months I have been reading a lot about health food and trying my best to incorporate more healthy foods into our family's diet. Movies including "The Beauty of Truth", "Food Inc", and "Food Matters" have been enlightening. The book "Green For Life" by Victoria Butenko also launched me into this new world. The main idea of these books and philosophy is that 'living foods' (basically meaning raw food) are full of vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes which our bodies need to be healthy. When food is cooked, these elements are destroyed. So, my new favorite 'superfoods' are wheatgrass, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. I put chia seeds and hemp seeds in our green smoothies, oatmeal, cereal, granola, salads, dressings, yogurt, cottage cheese, well....basically anything that is not cooked. Chia seeds don't have a taste and hemp seeds have a bit of a nutty flavor but can be hard to detect. The wheatgrass I only juice; I put a 'shot' in our fancy coffee espresso cups and Mike and I each have one a day - he loves it :p. I grow wheatgrass here at the house. It does take a little time, but is a very simple process. It is not the most pleasant tasting thing, but the nutritional benefits are worth it! I listed some of the nutritional benefits of each of these foods below. I took this info from various websites; when people ask "Why are these foods good for you?" Or "What is in these?", a lot of the time I find that I either forget the details or do not articulate their benefits in a convincing manner. There is so much to learn!
Wheatgrass is probably the most well-known of these three foods I am mentioning. Perhaps it is even becoming a bit trendy since places like Jamba Juice sell wheatgrass shots and advertise its benefits. Ann Wigmore is the expert on wheatgrass. She has a few great books on wheagrass and sprouts. Wheatgrass is one of the superfoods that my Mom is using in abundance to combat her cancer - and it does seem to be making a difference! Praise the Lord!
Chia Seeds:
* 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain
* 5 times the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps
transfer calcium into your bones
* 2 times the amount of potassium as bananas
* 3 times the reported antioxidant strength of blueberries
* 3 times more iron than spinach
* copious amounts of omega 3 and omega 6, which are essential fatty acids…
Wheatgrass:
Vitamins
Wheatgrass contains high amounts of vitamins A, E and B. It also contains many minerals and trace elements: Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and Zinc.
Amino Acids
Wheatgrass also contains twelve amino acids including the eight essential amino acids: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, and lysine. Essential amino acids are those that the body cannot create, they must be obtained through one's diet.
Predigested Food
Wheatgrass juice is considered a predigested food. It does not require enzymes for breaking down proteins. Wheatgrass juice contains both amino acids and glucose therefore it is readily assimilated in the body.
Chlorophyll
Wheatgrass juice is rich in Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll has a molecular structure almost identical to the hemoglobin molecule of human blood. Chlorophyll in the wheatgrass juice helps the blood carry Oxygen to all the cells.
Chlorophyll cleanses the liver, tissues and cells and purifies the blood. Wheatgrass juice helps remove toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, aluminum, that have become stored in the tissues of the body.Wheatgrass juice aids in detoxification by breaking up impacted matter in the colon. It also helps fight infection therefore aiding the body’s natural self healing process.
Hemp Seeds:
Hemp seeds are nutrient-powerhouses containing:
* All 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) our bodies cannot produce.
* A high protein percentage of the simple proteins that strengthen immunity and fend off toxins.2
Eating hemp seeds in any form could aid, if not heal, people suffering from immune deficiency diseases. This conclusion is supported by the fact that hemp seed has been used to treat nutritional deficiencies brought on by tuberculosis, a severe nutrition blocking disease that causes the body to waste away.3
* Nature's highest botanical source of essential fatty acid, with more essential fatty acid than flax or any other nut or seed oil. 4
* A perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 Linoleic Acid and Omega-3 Linolenic Acid - for cardiovascular health and general strengthening of the immune system.
* A superior vegetarian source of protein considered easily digestible.
* A rich source of phytonutrients, the disease-protective element of plants with benefits protecting your immunity, bloodstream, tissues, cells, skin, organs and mitochondria.
* The richest known source of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. 5
Hemp seed oil has been attributed to helping: increase energy, soften skin, relieve arthritis and normalize blood cholesterol.
