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By Kim Bright-Cassano
On the whole, our diets contain far too many acid-producing substances. Around the holidays, these things surround us and it's far too easy to overindulge.
Well, the holidays are over and once again many of us realize we overdid it. We consumed more sugar, caffeine, chocolate, carbs, fatty foods, alcohol or calories than we really needed. Our body is screaming at us with tiredness, bloating, extra weight, low energy, gastric upsets, poor elimination, aching bones, and reduced immune functions that manifest as colds or the flu. On top of everything, we're in an environment full of toxins we must try to handle on a daily basis. These toxins are things like air pollution, water contaminants, herbicides, pesticides, bacteria, fungus and mold. And let's not forget the artificial colours and flavours, preservatives, overcooked foods, white sugar, white flour products, white rice and hydrogenated oils in our diets.
What's a person to do? If it all seems like too much to tackle at once, it really isn't. It just boils down to the simple fact that you need to detoxify, rejuvenate, and rebuild your blood and cells. You've become over-acidic and need to rebalance your body's pH. On the whole, our diets contain far too many acid-producing substances. Around the holidays, these things surround us and it's far too easy to overindulge. At this time of year especially, we need to eat good quality, alkaline-producing food in order to undo some of our overindulgence. In my 25 years of work in the field of nutrition, I have never seen an easier way to do this than by using green foods in juice form.
The liver needs to be in good working order to be able to help the body get rid of toxic overload. Green foods nourish the liver with good quality minerals, enzymes, etc., so your liver can then help to eliminate toxic waste through the body's excretory channels. Using these foods in their juice form allows a greater concentration and availability of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, live enzymes, trace minerals, amino acids, and chlorophyll. Algae, cereal grasses, and leafy vegetables fall in this category.
If you decide to juice fresh green leafy vegetables, make sure they are organic; otherwise, you will have concentrated nutrients as well as the concentrated herbicides and pesticides used on those vegetables. Organic produce is becoming more readily available each year. Although organic foods cost a little more, their value makes them well worth it. On the other hand, if you want quality and convenience, you can choose from different cereal grasses, such as wheatgrass, barley grass or alfalfa, for example. These are in powder form ready to mix with water or juice.
Wheatgrass juice has been hailed as the "King of Alkaline Foods" and is my first choice to help restore that unbalanced pH quickly and easily. Wheatgrass contains choline and potassium to help repair and maintain liver health. It also contains an enzyme called indole that has the capability to deactivate carcinogens. Also present are vitamin K, calcium and magnesium, elements needed to keep your bones strong and healthy. As your body processes caffeine, alcohol, and those holiday foods rich in white sugar, your bones lose calcium.
Often, our inner-body toxicity will show up on the outside of our bodies in the form of skin blemishes. Wheatgrass juice not only cleanses the inside of your body; it can also be used topically to help heal the skin. A paste can be made from a small amount of powdered wheatgrass juice and a few drops of water. Apply the paste directly to the blemish, let it dry, and then remove it by rinsing the skin with warm water. You can even apply the paste as a mask to the entire face. You may look like the man (or woman) from Mars for a short time, but your face will thank you for it afterwards with shining, beautiful skin. Some people even add a teaspoon or two to tepid bath water if they have a more overall skin problem.
Like most things, all wheatgrass juice powders are not created equal. It has been my experience, with both topical and internal use, that low temperature freeze-dried wheatgrass juice powder is the best for nutritional content and convenience. Look for the brand with the highest mineral and protein contents.
Dr. Ann Wigmore, founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute, stated that one pound of fresh wheatgrass is equivalent to 25 pounds of fresh vegetables in terms of nutritional value.
The juice of wheatgrass is far more concentrated than the grass in its natural form. When the water is extracted from the juice (which is what freeze-drying does), we are left with the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals amino acids, chlorophyll and live enzymes. In only a spoonful of freeze-dried wheatgrass juice powder, you are consuming a tremendous amount of alkaline vegetables in a very small amount of space.
With the addition of powdered wheatgrass juice to your diet, you are well on your way to supplying the super nutrients that will help cleanse your body of those holiday hazards quickly and easily.
Here's to your healthy pH!
Kim Bright-Cassano
Kim Bright-Cassano has consulted thousands of people on their health for over twenty years. She's listed in the Who's Who of American Woman, Who's Who in Executives and Businesses and has been nominated for Woman of the Year. Kim established M.E.C.C.A. (Macrobiotic Education Center of Connecticut and Associates) where she educated people on how to live an overall healthier lifestyle which included cooking, creating a non-toxic home, wild food foraging, using chemical free cosmetics, organic farming, choosing organic, non-toxic clothing. This article has appeared in, and is supplied courtesy of VISTA Magazine |
