I wrote the material below in response to an inquiry on another e-mail list.
I have corrected/modified it to produce a potential article for the newsletter
of the local raw foods group. I thought I would post it here in case any
find it of interest.

I note that some instinctos have a low opinion of wheat. Meanwhile, wheatgrass
juice is used as a healing aid in overcoming serious illness. Many raw vegans
cannot even comprehend the idea that a raw, instinctive diet can be healing.
(The idea that a diet that includes RAF can be healing simply "does not
compute" for them, due to their strong attachment to their dogma.)
Meanwhile, the reality is that a raw instinctive diet can be very healing.
So, we live in an interesting world - a world that does not seem to care
much about our personal theories/dogma (whether the dogma is raw or cooked,
veg or non-veg)!

Anyway, I hope that some readers here find the material below of interest.

Regards,
Tom Billings
[log in to unmask]



COMMENTS ON WHEATGRASS JUICE


The following is an edited version of material posted to the veg-raw e-mail
list in April 1997. It is in response to questions concerning wheatgrass.

Q: How significant is the high nutrient/chlorophyll content of wheatgrass juice,
given that one drinks so little of it?

Q: Chlorophyll is available in green vegetables. Why use wheatgrass as a source
rather than green vegetables?

Q: How important is wheatgrass in a raw vegetarian diet?

Answers:
Wheatgrass juice can be considered a "concentrated" food because of the high
nutrient content. Ann Wigmore claims 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice is equivalent
to 2 pounds (number might not be 100% accurate) of fresh, green veggies.

You can also view wheatgrass as a natural alternative to supplements. Some raw
fooders are very anti-supplement, while others use them. Personally, I find
that particular argument to be boring, as I consider it an individual matter.

Another way to look at wheatgrass is as a live, medicinal herbal juice. I
always found it somewhat humorous when Ann Wigmore spoke against the use of
(medicinal) herbs, while simultaneously promoting the use of wheatgrass
juice - a medicinal herb. (Note: I have great respect for Ann Wigmore, no
disrespect is intended here.) What is the strongest way to take herbs?
Answer: as raw, fresh juice.

In my opinion, the primary advantage of truly fresh wheatgrass juice - juice
made from raw, live, soil-grown wheat grass, is the apparent high level of
life force energy that it contains. It is one of the few truly fresh foods
available (sprouts are another). The grass is alive and growing right up to
the time it is juiced, and hopefully you are drinking it within a few minutes
or so of juicing. Most of us get our green veggies from markets, and they
were picked days ago and refrigerated - losing vitality the whole time.
(It is an even worse situation for fruit, which may be picked weeks before
you eat it, and in some cases, held in cold storage for months - losing
vitality the whole time.) In contrast, one can grow wheatgrass indoors, and
enjoy it when it is truly fresh.

I would not say that wheatgrass is essential for all raw fooders. Experience at
Hippocrates, the Ann Wigmore Institute, Optimum Health Institute, and
other places show that is is very helpful in assisting healing/recovery from
serious, sometimes supposedly "terminal" illness. However, that does not mean
everyone must use it. If you have serious health problems, then wheatgrass
juice should be seriously considered. There are many raw fooders who do not use
wheatgrass, and who enjoy good health. Also, there are even a few raw fooders
who make the bizarre claim that wheatgrass juice is "toxic". (Sarcastic comment:
one wonders what those people have been drinking!)

My suggestion would be to try it and see if it agrees with you. Consumption of
small amounts is the normal usage (as it is highly cleansing, many people
cannot tolerate large amounts at one time). If you find it agreeable, you
can vary the amount you consume to find the appropriate "dose" for you.

Finally, wheatgrass juice is more than just chlorophyll and nutrients. It is a
truly live food, loaded with life force energy. If your primary interest is
chlorophyll, you can get an adequate supply from consuming green vegetables
(celery, parsley, etc.), or, if you want supplements, any of the green powders
(such as dried barley grass, spirulina, etc.)

Tom Billings