Wheatgrass Smoothie

I am addicted to smoothies.  Ever since I got a magic bullet this christmas, I have been making them at least every other day.  Something about the sweetness of the fruit and the healthy nutrients you can add, makes them soooo delicious!  So today, when Stacie took me to Sprouts market in Seal Beach after our insane pilates class, I was pumped when I saw wheatgrass.  I’ve heard of so many juice bars, vegetarian, and raw foods restaurants that sell shots of wheatgrass juice.  I’ve been wanting to try it out.  So, I took the plunge.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it or what exactly it is good for, so I went to the closest source.  The internet.

As it turns out, you want to make sure to really blend the wheatgrass into juice.  You don’t really want the chunks of grass, just the juice.  It has been known to have all sorts of benefits, but to be honest, looking online I’m still not really sure what exactly it does. People have claimed this stuff to do all sorts of things.  The juice is a mega-substance:

• 30mls of freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice is equivalent in nutritional value to 1kg of leafy green vegetables
• Wheatgrass contains over 90 minerals, including high concentrations of the most alkaline minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium
• It contains the essential enzymes: Protease (assists in protein digestion), Cytochrome Oxidase (a powerful anti oxidant), Amylase (facilitates digestion), Lipase (a fat splitting enzyme), Transhydrogenase (strengthens the heart muscle) & Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) (found in all body cells and is known for its ability to lessen the effect of radiation and slow cellular aging)
• Just one teaspoon of Wheat Grass powder, weighing a mere 3.5 grams, is nutritionally equal to an entire spinach salad weighing a full 50 grams – it packs a punch!
• Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots!
• Wheat grass juice helps your body to build red blood cells which carry oxygen to every cell. By increasing the oxygenation the body you can help offset smog and carbon monoxide and increase your endurance during physical exercise
• It also contains 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein

The Main Health Benefits:

#1: Wheatgrass Builds Blood

#2: Wheatgrass Cleanses the Body

#3: Wheatgrass Has High Amino Acid Content

#4: Wheatgrass Fights and Protects Against Illness

ALL of the facts came from this blog.

I can’t tell you if any of these are true. But it is known as a detoxifier, energizer, illness curer, and skin cleanser.  I really don’t know what to believe, but I wanted to see how it affected my body personally, to see if I noticed a change.  So, here’s to trying!

Wheatgrass Smoothie Recipe

1 spoonful ground flax seed

1 spoonful hemp protein powder

1/2 c. frozen mixed berries

1/2 c. orange juice

1-2 inches wheatgrass

This is the typical smoothie I make with whatever frozen fruit I have at the time (minus the wheatgrass).  I also sometimes squeeze fresh lime juice into them.

First, I added the flax seed, protein powder and fruit.  Then threw in the orange juice, about enough to cover the fruit.  If there’s not enough liquid, the frozen fruit will be too thick.  Then blend!

Now for that wheatgrass.  The first thing you should know is that it literally smells like freshly cut grass, a smell I personally enjoy.  It made me that much more excited to try it! So I cut some off and put it in the blender.

I tried blending it by itself, but I quickly realized that  there wasn’t enough in there to really blend well.  I read somewhere that in order to get the most benefits from the juice, you’re supposed to drink it right after juicing, so putting in more grass wasn’t an option.  I ended up adding about 1 tsp. of water and this was the result.

I wanted to try the grass by itself, so I wanted to make sure I blended it separately.  Also, I strained it to separate the juice from the leftover grass.

The taste was not what I thought it would be.  It was just like what you would imagine grass and water together would taste like; watered down grass. I guess I thought since it was so good for you, it would taste like it was full of vitamins, maybe a little grainy and thick.  But instead, it was thin, smooth and refreshing.  So, I took the plunge and added it to my smoothie.

One of the big things they say about wheatgrass is that all the chlorophyll is super good for you.  You can see how green it is compared to berry smoothie.  I re-blended it quickly and ate up!

Here’s an idea of how much grass I used in this.

The smoothie tasted a lot like the wheatgrass.  Its flavor is very strong and you can taste it over the other berry and orange juice flavors.  But it complimented them well and I was pleased with the results.

A note on the wheatgrass: I saw a lot of warnings stating that wheatgrass can cause nausea or diarrhea if you take too much at a time or if you have other food or drink in your stomach.  Most people recommend taking a little bit and slowly increasing your dosage.  Who knew a grass could be so powerful in so many ways.  It’s kind of crazy.  So far, so good for me.  But you never know!

Now for the rest of the day, I will be attacking my new bike and hitting the books.  Check it out!

Meet the new murray!  I’m in love with this bike.  I cannot wait to ride it around!!  Today, I’m switching out the seat for a more comfortable one and adding a back rack so that I can carry things on my bike.

These books look all pretty and interesting… so hopefully they will be since this is the other part of the rest of my day.

What are your thoughts on this whole wheatgrass thing??