in the use of wheatgrass juice1 and living foods for detoxifying and nourishing the body, mind, and spirit.
Dr Ann Wigmore dedicated her life to educating the world about the transforming qualities of the Living Foods Lifestyle. In her autobiography, Why Suffer: How I Overcame Illness and Pain Naturally (Avery, 1985), Ann tells of growing up in war-torn Lithuania. She was raised by her grandmother who exposed her to herbs and natural remedies as she observed her using them to help heal wounded World War I soldiers.
In her mid-teens, Ann joined the rest of her family in America where she quickly adopted the “new world’s” eating habits and customs. She had a disastrous automobile accident that crushed her legs, resulting in gangrene. The doctors recommended amputation of both legs, but Ann refused, although her family sided with the doctors.
She soon reverted back to her grandmother’s natural ways of healing, spending endless hours in her backyard in the sun, eating everything green she could find, mostly herbs, weeds, and grass, applying them also to her wounds. Slowly she regained her strength and eventually returned to her doctor, her wounds gone and legs healed. She recalls that the doctors “made no comment when X-ray films showed that the bones had knitted firmly.”
Later, when diagnosed with colon cancer, she stated that following an American diet had caused the cancer. Again, Ann applied various natural healing modalities. Within a very short time, the cancer was reversed. She continued to research and study various whole foods and diet approaches, which she said not only cleared up her medical problems but changed her life. After many years of experimenting with food, she found a way to grow simple and easy-to-digest indoor greens, known as sprouts.
With a desire to share her knowledge, Dr Wigmore authored many books and lectured in various countries. She was an inspirational pioneer in the raw food movement who promoted the healing properties of wheatgrass juice. She invented the wheatgrass juicer by adding a sieve to a meat grinder, thus making it possible for people to grow and juice their own wheatgrass. Wheatgrass, she found, was easy and cheap to grow, and it contained one of the highest nutritional contents of the grasses.
She soon founded the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston where she offered the Living Foods Lifestyle Program, which included wheatgrass, sprouts, Energy Soup, fermented foods, and her signature drink, Rejuvelac2. The Living Foods Lifestyle Program also involved exercise, deep breathing, and spiritual unfolding. Many of her philosophies are as old as Hippocrates (c. 460 BCE–370 BCE), who taught that, if given the correct nourishment, the body would heal itself.
Her work at the Hippocrates Health Institute produced testimonial after testimonial from guests who had cured themselves of various ailments including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cancer, gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreas and liver troubles, asthma, glaucoma, eczema, skin problems, constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, colitis, fatigue, arthritis, and anemia.
In February of 1994, Ann Wigmore died of smoke inhalation during a fire that destroyed the original home of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston. On that day, the world lost one of its great humanitarians and natural healers. Her work, teachings, and memory, however, live on. Today, there are several Institutes in the US that continue teaching the Living Food Lifestyle program, such as the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico, the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, the Optimum Health Institutes of San Diego and Austin, and the Creative Health Institute in Michigan.
Energy Soup
Energy Soup is the most important food in the Living Foods Lifestyle. It is the ultimate high energy, easy-to-digest nourishment made from blended sprouts and greens. Energy Soup is a complete meal and contains every nutrient that your body needs in a balanced form. Because it is blended, the nutrients are rapidly absorbed, enabling your body to cleanse and rebuild in the quickest way without burdening the system. Energy Soup was developed by Dr Ann Wigmore and has helped with many health challenges that people suffer from every day. It is used to both nourish and detoxify the body. Since it is easy to digest, it is vital for those suffering from allergies and digestive problems. It is instrumental for correcting nutritional deficiencies, restoring health, promoting energy and weight loss, and is very easily assimilated by the body. Energy Soup is the first step to healing and is optimal for rebuilding health quickly.
It is best to prepare Energy Soup as close to the meal time as possible to keep it fresh. If using Rejuvelac (see Nutritious ingredients in Energy Soup), Energy Soup can be eaten up to twenty-four hours after it is made because the high vitamin E content in Rejuvelac slows down oxidation. (If using filtered water, Energy Soup should be consumed within six hours.)
The following is a list of basic ingredients, used only as a guideline (see full recipe in Appendix 1). Use your own judgment and allow for creativity, but always include these basic ingredients. The recipe can be made for dinner, and leftovers stored in the fridge for the following day’s breakfast or lunch.
• 1 tbsp seaweed (dulse)3
• 1 cup water or Rejuvelac
• small handful bean sprouts (mung, green peas, or lentils)
• large handful organic greens (spinach, kale, collard, chard, purslane, dandelion, watercress, parsley, etc.)
• large handful of sunflower greens (sprouts)
• small handful of buckwheat greens (sprouts)
• handful of alfalfa, fenugreek, or clover sprouts
• peeled apple, pear, papaya, or piece of watermelon
• avocado (use avocado only when nuts and seed dishes are not eaten at the same meal)
Pour one cup water or Rejuvelac (see Rejuvelac) into blender with the tablespoon of dulse. Do not overblend. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients, beginning with harder vegetables first. Leave sprouts and avocado for last. (Makes four servings).
Extras:
• leafy greens (for more chlorophyll to cleanse and rebuild blood and cells)
• cilantro, dill, basil, herbs
The most important elements, and the ones you should use in the largest quantity, are the sunflower sprouts. (Ann Wigmore called these “greens.”) Instead of using avocado for the fat, you can use Flax Cream (see recipe in Appendix 1).
Sweeten your children’s Energy Soup with a whole-food sugar, such as banana, apple, or fresh apple juice. Energy Soup topped with chopped or blended papaya makes it more palatable for kids. Diced avocado, green onions, and/or tomatoes give Energy Soup different textures and flavor. Experiment, and don’t forget to chew your soup!
Nutritious ingredients in Energy Soup
Rejuvelac: Contains vitamins B, C, E, friendly bacteria, and enzymes for digestion. Rejuvelac prevents Energy Soup from oxidizing and enables you to keep your high-energy nourishment throughout the day.
Dulse: Any seaweed can be used, though dulse is preferred for the nutrition and taste. Dulse and kelp contain all the trace elements and minerals that we know of. Seaweeds provide some vitamins and are a great source of organic iodine. Using seaweeds ensures that you will be getting all of your trace elements and minerals in a balanced form.
Sprouts: Mung beans, lentils, and green peas (whole green peas and lentils, not split peas or split lentils). Mung beans contain protein, vitamin C, iron, potassium, and other valuable elements. Lentils provide protein, iron, and vitamin C. Green peas provide carbohydrates, vitamin A, iron, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C. Sprouts are loaded with enzymes and oxygen, which make them a high-energy food. Sprouts also contain high amounts of fiber. In the sprouting