Pound for pound seeds that have recently sprouted have more nutritional value then the adult plant. So why are we not choosing to eat them more regularly? What you may not realize is that as the plants sprout the goodness contained within the seeds is available to use in a form that is more digestible. During germination the amount of vitamin contained within them increases and proteins come readily available as amino acids which our bodies can absorb more easily. These sprouts are also a good source of enzymes which help the metabolic processes in our body and also make available to us minerals and other micro nutrients in a natural bio state. Plus they are rich in anti oxidants and phyto chemicals that help to boost our immune system.

If you are growing sprouts at home in a sprouter then allowing them some sunlight before harvesting will increase their chlorophyll content. It is this particular compound that gives plants their rich green colour and which are known to help build up blood in the body as well as cleanse it. There are some people who will sprout and grow wheatgrass shoots which contain high levels of chlorophyll and then to extract the protein rich juice from the young plantlets use a wheatgrass juicer.

Many health and juicing enthusiasts will also extract juice from other kinds of sprouts. If you want to gain the most nutritional value from fresh raw organic fruit and vegetables you should use a masticating juicer. The masticating juicer is now becoming more common in people's kitchen who wish to lead healthier lives. This type of juicer has the ability to extract juice from a great array of fruits and vegetables compared to the normal centrifugal juicers you see available on the high street. Also it is important to note that a masticating juicer can produce a far more nutritious juice.

The young sprouts that come from seeds and pulses recently germinated offer you an amazing source of high quality nutrition. It is fun and easy to grow your own bean or seed sprouts at home and is the most economical way of providing your body with vital components that it needs all year round.

To do this you need some kind of kitchen sprouter. As you will find sprouters come in different forms from the very simplistic hemp or jute "dip and drain" sprouting bag through to more elaborate self watering systems that need to be connected to a mains electricity supply. Although you can use sprouting jars most people tend to use the stacking tray kitchen sprouters that when full of fresh young salad sprouts look lovely on a window ledge. Also if you want to grow more than one type of fresh sprouts such as rocket, chive, garlic, basil and fenugreek together then using an Artisan terracotta bean sprouter is a great option. From every level of the pot will appear sprouts that can add more intense flavour to your favourite dishes when cooking.

Added to salads or stir frys fresh young sprouts make a wonderful tasting supplement to your diet, plus they are a great source of nourishment. It is easy to see why so many people recommend sprouting as part of healthy lifestyles and the added advantage of harvesting young whole plants yourself is they are a living food. However, these mini plantlets if sealed in a good bag or container and placed in a fridge can remain alive and vital for around a week. To refresh them before using add some water and leave on a window ledge for a short time so that they get all their vitality back.

Often nutritional therapists will recommend to their clients that they eat raw and living foods like bean sprouts due to their high nutritional value. But eating bean and seed sprouts grown in a home sprouter does not always seem the most obvious choice to some people, nor is drinking freshly prepared fruit or vegetable juices as well. But certainly these types of healthy lifestyle choices are becoming more and more common these days.

It has never been easier to educate oneself because of the amount of information available online. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of using your own bean sprouts then there is one author's books who you should read. Steve Meyerowitz the "Sproutman" as he is more commonly referred to because of his dedication to everything relating to sprouting.

For many years the Sproutman has been promoting health through eating a nutritional diet to a worldwide audience. His book "Sprouts. The Miracle Food" is one of many that he has written offer great information from sound scientific resources.

Organic Wheatgrass juice has been a staple for health buffs for several decades now. It contains one of the most complete lines of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients not ordinarily found in other vegetables and fruits. Because of its amazing healing properties in the body, those who pursue healing through alternative medicine almost always have to prescribe wheatgrass in one way or another.

One reason why Organic wheatgrass is powerful because is because it contains 30+ live enzymes, and abundance of chlorophyll which is almost identical to hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Aside from that it also has excellent detoxifying properties which purges the body off toxins while also cleanses the liver and the colon.

What is the difference between ordinary commercial wheatgrass, with organic wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass products are only as good as the soil they are planted in. Fertilizers and other unhealthy ways of growing wheatgrass completely destroys the essence of Wheatgrass! It reduces the nutrient yields, while attaching harmful pesticides and other toxicity to the wheatgrass juice. Only organically grown wheatgrass is acceptable for healing purposes!

What about powdered, or other commercial wheatgrass products?
If you just want to preserve your health and is not looking to cure any serious diseases, then any old wheatgrass product will do. But for serious detoxifying or healing purposes, ONLY freshly juiced organically grown wheatgrass is acceptable! Frozen or commercially available wheatgrass products do not contain the same levels of nutrition, and live enzymes which are crucial to cure the body. However the reduced nutritional value is acceptable for general consumption.

How much organic wheatgrass should I consume?
This entirely depends on your current health situation. Do consult a physician if you're going to use this for healing. But for general consumption, one to two glasses a day is sufficient.

Is there a way to make this more palatable (taste better)?
You are not restricted to just using the organic wheatgrass juice alone. You can mix and match with other fruits and vegetables as you deem fit. Most often times, they usually ask this with apple juice which improves the digestibility of organic wheatgrass juice.

As you probably have seen, there are far too many benefits to including organic wheatgrass juice in your regular diet. You may purchases this at your local juice bar which can be expensive. Or most others have done, grow their own organic wheatgrass at home, harvest and juice it themselves.

Growing and juicing your own wheatgrass juice.

Wheatgrass juice is increasing in popularity and with very good reason, it's just baby wheat, grown and juiced, but it's one of natures most powerpacked juices.

" It's not the food in your life, it's the life in your food " Anon

Never a truer word said, if you are on a quest to increase health making your own wheat grass juice at home will be a potent weapon in your arsenal to optimum vitality! So how do you grow it? OK! Here's a quickie guide.

We think for a couple of people looking to increase health levels you need to start three trays of wheatgrass every three days, so you have three trays maturing at about the right time! Its the 3x3x3 plan!

Simple soak your wheatgrass seeds overnight to get the germination process rolling, then spread the seeds over a potting tray with an inch of compost in the bottom. Water them again when planted, there is no need to cover them with more soil. I use standard potting tray from the garden centre.

When it's cold outside, wheatgrass will grow very slowly, so bring the trays in overnight to prevent growth stagnating altogether and mould setting in.

" Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so called scientific knowledge "

Thomas Edison ( You know, the inventor of the light bulb )

Wheatgrass is ready to juice in typically 10-12 days or at a height of approximately 10" (24 cms) to harvest simply slice the grass off at the root with a serrated knife. You can only juice wheatgrass in a single auger juicer or a twin gear juicer, centrifgual juicers will just end up with grass dancing around in the top!

One third of the tray's grass will give you two good shots of wheatgrass juice, personally I don't mix it with any other juice, it's taste will overwhelm pretty much any other juice it's in. If you prefer you can mix it up with any other fruit or veggie juice, just be prepared for a greener more wheatgrassy juice!

On the three trays every three days plan you will have three shots a day for two people, this is a good level to maintain optimum health and detox. If you are battling illness then more is required but start off slowly, wheatgrass juice is so powerful most people will experience it's detoxing side effects be it nausea or a headache. Stick with it, this is normal.

What can you expect? well look at it like this, you are growing your own organic wheatgrass, juicing it and drinking it fresh, it doesn't get much more potent than that! With a live organic juice from a baby green plant you are drinking sunshine itself! On a more practical note wheatgrass juice is a great multivitamin and mineral juice, will help regulate blood sugar and cleanse you on a cellular level! Keep your cells happy and you're in good shape!

Wheatgrass powders and tablets, obviously there is no substitute for the fresh stuff, but done properly dried wheatgrass is good stuff! It can be as high in protein as a fillet steak but without the animal lard! Dried you will get most of the goodness but the usual rule applies, there is NOTHING better than fresh

More information on wheatgrass and juicers and the author's juicers and equipment

Our immune system is an amazing and complex system, it fends off foreign bacteria and viruses which cause infections or illnesses. If you follow the advice of the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and Homeland Security, you would wash your hands often, cover your mouth when you cough and stay at home when you are sick. This is all very good advice, as your skin and mucous membranes in the mouth, nose and other areas are the first line of defense. However, if an intruder is introduced, it is up to the body's immune system to eradicate it.

So how do you build up your immune system? You could take lots of supplements, but still may not have a healthy immune system. You could go to your family doctor, but he really was trained to treat the illness.

Instead of the Standard American Diet that consists of 80% acid and 20% alkaline food, eat a diet of 20% acid and 80% alkaline. Vegetables and fruits are basically alkaline while meats, dairy, and processed foods are acid.

But for many folks it is hard to add in 5 servings of vegetables a day as recommended by the government. An easy remedy to that is to drink wheatgrass powder. Wheatgrass is more alkaline than any plant known to man!

Wheatgrass is a complete life sustaining food (some call it a Super Food) that contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll. All these nutrients help balance your body's pH. Maintaining a balanced pH level in the body is paramount for good health. Professor Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize in 1931 for discovering that cancer cells will not grow in a balanced pH environment. Many other diseases also will not thrive in a balanced body!

The normal pH range for humans is 6.8-7.2. By maintaining this level, the trillions of cells in the body are free to absorb the vitamins and minerals at optimum performance and properly excrete the waste. Your local health food store has test kits available for testing the body's pH.

Wheatgrass juice which provides a unique source of nutrition, also strengthens the immune system. When the immune system is functioning at maximum, it will be able to fight off disease just the way your body was designed. The answer then to "Can your immune system help fight the swine flu?", is a resounding YES. Not only the swine flu but other versions of the flu as well. Your best defense to any disease is to have a strong immune system.

Finding the right manual wheatgrass juicer is very important. Here are 6 tips to finding the best one...

1. Look for a juicer that is easy to set up and operate. You should be able to mount it to any surface easily and quickly. Also make sure it has cushioned pads on it to protect the surface you are using it on.

2. You'll need to decide if you want a heavy duty plastic or stainless steel juicer. The most heavy duty will be the stainless steel. Stainless is known for being very strong and it is very easy to keep clean. There are some heavy duty plastic juicers that can stand up to daily juicing but stainless is by far the best.

3. Make sure there is a warranty on the juicer and find out how long it is. Juicers usually have warranties somewhere between one and five years.

4. If you plan to travel or are on the go, look for a manual wheatgrass juicer that is small, compact and lightweight. There are many models available that are perfect for someone who travels and is on the go.

5. Look for one that is easy to clean. Keeping your juicer clean is very important and because you will probably be using it everyday, you want something that can be taken apart and put back together very quickly and easily.

6. Buy from a reputable dealer, preferably a company who specializes in juicers. They will usually have the best selection of juicers and will be able to help you find just the right one.