So a few weeks ago I tweeted about how I was eating like a mammoth in California and needed to detox my body with some wheatgrass shots. I was half serious because whenever I’d go to Jamba Juice I felt obligated to do a shot of it since that’s what everyone in California does and the guilt of eating Jack in the Box tacos and In-N-Out everyday was starting to knock on my conscience, er, arteries. Thanks to Brightcore Nutrition, I discovered I wouldn’t have to end my daily wheatgrass detox when I got back to Michigan just because we don’t have Jamba Juice. Brightcore offers wheatgrass powder and supplements to add to your daily vitamin routine.

If you’re wondering about this cow food I’m feeding myself, I’ll give you a little background. Wheatgrass is the greatest thing you can put in your body, ever. Derived from the wheat plant, the grass is extremely coarse and tough and cannot be digested by humans. Cows need 4 stomachs to digest it (can you IMAGINE the indigestion that comes with 4 stomachs? Ugh). I have always had wheatgrass shots at juice bars, specifically Jamba Juice, where they grow the grass in trays and use a juice press to squeeze out the raw enzymes. While it doesn’t exactly look appetizing, the shots don’t taste bad. They’re sweet and easy to swallow (twss), but then again I eat raw spinach on the regular so you may find my definition of “tasty” to be flawed.

So why are people doing these shots and why are they so good for you? Wheatgrass contains an abundance of nutrients including protein, beta-carotene, vitamins E, C, and B12, phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium. According to one research study, 15 pounds of wheatgrass is equivalent to the overall nutritional value of 350 pounds of ordinary garden vegetables. Because of all these vitamins and minerals, it is excellent for detoxing the body of heavy metals, cancer prevention and overall health. Another study showed that breast cancer patients consuming daily wheatgrass shots showed a decreased need for blood transfusions and bone-marrow building medications while undergoing chemotherapy.

I’ve been doing daily (ok, ALMOST daily) shots of the Brightcore Sweet Wheat powder wheatgrass supplement about 30-40 minutes before eating my breakfast (you’ll regret it if you don’t do wheatgrass on an empty stomach). I do one small scoop mixed with orange juice because quite honestly, this powder intimidates me and water isn’t good enough. When I first opened the bottle, I realized shit was about to get real. It smelled like intensely raw grass, like right after you mow your lawn and a hot rain comes and soaks into all the dead debri and then the worms come out and your dog rolls around in every inch of it because “omg dead things and bacteria!” At first I thought “alright, I shoulda told them I’d just take the pill supplements because I can’t do this,” but after the first couple shots, I realized it wasn’t much different than the freshly pressed juice.

Aside from the health benefits listed above, you can also feel the wheatgrass working in your body. Daily shots give you an added boost of energy, and they help clean your system and regulate your, um, movements. I feel lighter, healthier and less bloated. This is starting to sound like a tampon commercial. I don’t know if it’s mental or what but it inspires me to eat better, too. Have a cold? This will kick its ASS. No joke. Your immune system turns into Arnold Swarzenegger in that movie Pumping Iron, you know like when he was a killer body builder and wasn’t impregnating the nanny. If you want to give your body a quick nutritional boost and gain some energy for the day without the use of caffeine, wheatgrass is the perfect solution.

Lastly, Brightcore’s wheatgrass is grown outside in a garden and harvested every 60-100 days, rather than grass at juice bars which is typically grown in a tray, harboring bacteria and only cut whenever someone orders a shot. Bacteria festering in the trays gets into your shots, then your system, then probably comes out your ass in a not-so-pleasant way.

Would I recommend Brightcore’s Sweet Wheat supplements? Absolutely. The smell of the powder is intimidating, but after a few shots it won’t bother you one bit.