A bottle of expired wheatgrass can be a wealth of inspiration.

This morning as I walked into a basket of product that had been expired I thought about how all of these supplements could have gone to good use had the right person needed them or known when to take them. This is a common occurrence, with all the products on the shelf and so many choices some are more popular than others and eventually some will end up in the expired product pile. The good news of this is although they cannot be sold to the public the integrity is not lost. I picked up each bottle and looked as I marked them as rubbish and as I came to a large bottle of wheat grass pills I think to myself these are so good for you why not just have some? So along with my morning shake I grabbed five out of the bottle knowing that they would be good for a few months after the expiration date and drank them down with a slurp of my shake.

Wheat grass is an interesting little plant, if you get the fresh juice the taste is sweet but strong. So strong in fact, that some people get nauseated just trying to swallow a small 2oz shot. Pills, if processed correctly, can be closely effective to the actual juice and can sometimes make it easier to get your daily dose of this miraculous green food without the taste. I've drank fresh juice and taken wheat grass pills for a long time and personally I have never had an issue with either. Wheat grass falls under the "greens" category in the health food realm and is a complex green because of all the astounding benefits that can come with drinking it.

Those of you who might be gluten intolerant or have Celiac Disease might think that wheat grass, no matter how wonderful, cannot be had by you because it is actually wheat. You're in luck, wheat grass although in all reality "baby wheat" it is still too young to have flowered and since the gluten comes from the flowering part there is no problem with taking wheat grass if you are gluten intolerant. No gluten means no issue so feel free to enjoy!

Wheat grass itself is made up of 70% chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives the grass, and all plants for that matter, their green color, but it is so much more than that. Chlorophyll helps mammals build red blood cells. Red blood cells are what help us carry oxygen throughout the body. Higher oxygen means better breathing and better efficiency of your entire respiratory and cardiac systems. Anemic persons often feel run down because their red blood cell counts are low and as a result it makes them utilize less oxygen and their cells become deprived. It has been said that with just a few days using chlorophyll one can help to reverse anemia.

Wheat grass being full of chlorophyll will certainly help to not only give you energy but can free one from anemia and give your body rich oxygenation which helps a whole host of processes in the body. Many a scholar have said that cancer cannot thrive in an oxygen rich environment, if wheat grass contains high levels of chlorophyll and chlorophyll helps oxygenate the blood, one could postulate that taking wheat grass could in effect be a good ally in the fight against cancer.

I felt a tad bit run down this morning. Last night was a tough one. The temperature dropped to the frigid low 40s during the night. I know, I know, those of you east of the Mason-Dixon and all those in the north are laughing at me right now because I dare to say the 40s are cold, but hey I was born and raised in Southern California, if it dips below 60 we might as well be in a blizzard. So all night I had to fight with Marcelo, who is Mr. Warm-blooded like his father, to keep covered up in the cold night air. Needless to say I did not sleep all that well. When I felt such low energy this morning the wheat grass gave me the boost I needed to get my day going. I could have reached for some coffee, but caffeine to me is fleeting. Although I spent a long time in my youth hanging out at coffee houses around Orange County, ultimately I'm a tea drinker and the "morning cup of joe" rarely peaks my interest. This morning though I knew I needed some up, so the five wheat grass pills would serve just that purpose. It wasn't 15 minutes after I took them that I felt great and ready to tackle the world. Wheat grass is digested within the body in just minutes. I suppose taking the pills makes it a little tougher to digest because the juice has to be extracted from the pill via the stomach and into the intestines but it did serve a purpose today for sure.

Wheat grass is great at detoxifying the liver and helps to cleanse the body from environmental toxins. What a better way to start the day than from a boost like that? Monday mornings are a tough one for everyone, I am not immune. I don't generally make the best breakfast choices but I do my best to try. It's usually some type of protein bar or a shake when I'm busy working but both can have a good bit of sugar in them, even if from natural sources. Wheat grass again to the rescue because it helps to regulate blood sugar and since I had asked for extra blueberries in my morning shake I needed all the help I could get.

I'll be honest here for a moment, I am not a fan of conventional deodorants. From Alzheimer's being linked to aluminum and parabens being linked to breast cancer I personally am in no hurry to get either one of those terrible maladies or a host of other chronic ailments linked to conventional body care products so I try to stay clear of off the shelf anti-stink sticks. Although I have finally found a good healthy alternative that actually works most of the time nothing is a guarantee when it comes to alternative and natural methods to control armpit odor. We are mammals of course and as much as we don't want to stink it is part of nature and so nature cannot always cover itself up. With that being said, wheat grass can again come to the rescue in this situation. It is said to be a body detoxifier and deodorizer. If you have stinky breath that is coming up from the pits of your stomach, the kind that no amount of teeth brushing can help there is a solution. If you can't always "raise your hand if you're Sure..." then wheat grass can be your best friend or at least help you keep a best friend. Take it for a few months and see if those embarrassing smells don't start to clear themselves up.

If you hold it in your mouth for five minutes wheat grass juice can help to detoxify your mouth and prevent tooth decay. Gargling with it can help end a sore throat and don't forget to swallow because wheat grass can help with digestive upset as well. It has proven antibacterial properties as well as a great amount of vitamins and in combination they can help promote a friendly environment in the gut for healthy bacteria to thrive and multiply. This can have a major impact on digestive health. It's said to be pretty high in magnesium and can help relax the bowels and ease constipation as well.

Not only is it an amazing tonic that is perfect for young and old it can be used inside as well as outside the body. Using it directly on the skin has been said to help alleviate the problems of eczema and psoriasis. Oh the list goes on and on. It is amazing how such a simple little green grass can provide so much goodness. So now it's evening and as I sit here and write this blog I think about all the energy I had today. I can't help but assume that the wheat grass I took in the morning was the culprit.

As I mentioned before, sometimes and especially if you're not used to it, wheat grass in juice form can be a bit harsh. It might cause a bit of a headache, though some would argue that is the detoxification of your cells and if wheat grass is really digested in minutes one could understand how this could happen quite quickly. It might even make you a bit uneasy in the tummy but this will likely pass quickly. And there is always supplements in pill form like I took this morning for those who have trouble with the idea of stomaching a thick green shot. In the long run however, if you decide to make wheat grass part of your daily wellness regimen know that you'll be doing wonders for your body, from cleansing your blood to even helping you age more gracefully, for wheat grass is very nutrient dense and the antioxidants are abundant and phenomenal.

So go ahead, instead of reaching for that coffee mug in the morning head to your local health food store and pick yourself up some wheat grass supplements, they come in both pill and powder form. Or if you care to walk on the wild side go find yourself a crisp 2oz shot of wheat grass and see if you don't have just a little more pep in your step all day!!