Can greens get rid of greys?! Absolutely!

I’m taking a break from banging on about sinister injections, dark overlords & the like to write a blog about grey hair.
Getting rid of grey hair is something I learnt about a good few years ago & was reminded of recently, so I wanted to share it – especially given the uncertain times we’re living in mean that hairdressing is sadly no longer a reliable industry since some idiot in no position to be making decisions about the nation’s hair, deemed it non-essential.

In times of stress we see more grey hairs & when we see more grey hairs we stress more; a horribly vicious circle that in my opinion needs interception.
I have to say here though, I am not anti-grey hair. I have many beautiful friends who have embraced their new hair colour with gusto & are an absolute inspiration to the rest of us.
For me though, I’m just not ready… I wholeheartedly intend to do all I can to keep the greys at bay, & if it ever stops working I fully intend to cover them all with (natural) dye.
So, spiel over – what am I talking about?

Grey hair being a thing that’s lost its colour & can’t get it back is nonsense.
Grey hair actually comes about from a build-up of hydrogen peroxide in the hair shaft.
This build-up is a natural process, & what then happens is an enzyme called catalase which we produce in the liver, comes along & breaks down the hydrogen peroxide, keeping the hair its natural colour.
When this enzyme is no longer produced however, the hydrogen peroxide doesn’t get broken down, & instead continues to build up, turning the hair grey.

An incredible woman aptly named Anne Wigmore (who also had the most unfortunate fringe I’ve ever seen), was a pioneer of green juices in the 70’s.
She had a full head of grey hair, & claimed to her students that its quite sudden return to brown was simply due to drinking concentrated green juices; predominantly wheatgrass.
“Yeh yeh, she obviously dyed it,” I hear you cry.
Maybe she did, but I for one am living proof that the theory behind the tale is correct.

After having my third child 9 years ago, along with the deterioration of other parts of my physique, I noticed grey hairs encroaching along my hairline at an alarming rate.
I was interested in concentrated greens anyway, but to cut a really boring story short, I started taking a lot.
What I found was that the grey hairs vanished (give or take the odd one)… & I never looked back.

What do I mean by concentrated greens?
Wheatgrass, spirulina & chlorella are my favourites, & I can personally vouch for their success.
At the height of my interest in them, I was growing & juicing my own wheatgrass. I have to be honest though it tastes like horse piss & I overdid it to the point where I could now smell it a mile off & want to vomit.
Now I take powdered or capsuled versions of all three & am in a much better place.

My current favourite is Organic raw kamut (wheat) grass juice powder, by Na’vi.

I do think that despite Anne Wigmore’s apparent triumph, catching them early may be key.
During the wheatgrass years, my partner Graham had a big bushy grey beard, & many people commented on how brown it seemed to be becoming.
Sadly, Graham’s fatigue & eventual defeat by the daily wheatgrass juice was reflected in his beard, which returned to its comfort zone of grey, where it remains to this day.

I however, am so far keeping mine in check (hair not beard).
A few months ago I fell off the wagon of concentrated greens & began noticing the greys again… So I upped my intake & they went again within days.
Given that I’m 42 & spend my days running around after 3 kids during an apocalyptic nightmare, I think that’s pretty good going.

Why greens?
Two reasons that I know of; they contain catalase (the very enzyme needed to break down the grey-inducing hydrogen peroxide), & are great for liver health, which in turn helps us to also produce our own.
The liver is another thing I often bang on about because due to its job as chief detoxifier, in today’s world it gets an absolute battering. This doesn’t mean our livers are diseased, it just means they are often very overloaded & tired, to the point where they just can’t cope with everything being thrown at them & don’t function optimally.

Another positive side effect of all these greens is that they are also the most alkalising foods on the planet. A slightly alkaline pH is one of the fundamental conditions our bodies are designed to hold, & the knock-on effects are huge, as the body will naturally be more balanced & able to function as it should. Disease thrives in an acidic body too, so being alkaline makes you a bad host for parasites & bacteria etc.
On top of all this, they are absolutely packed with all kinds of nutrients, antioxidants & enzymes.

*As a side note for those interested, castor oil packs, coffee enemas, clays & many other methods of detoxification are incredible ways to help the liver… I can’t recommend these without knowing someone’s history, but they might be something you want to look into; I imagine this might influence how well the greens work, as they’d have a helping hand with a lively liver.

How much to take?
Again, this is difficult to say. Always use cold-pressed, freeze-dried organic, & if you’re new to healthy eating or detoxing I would start slow & build up. Maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of powder or the equivalent in capsules a day, back off temporarily if you notice the classic detox symptoms of headaches, lethargy, nausea etc, then gradually build up. Personally I take the equivalent of about a tablespoon each day.

So there you have it; maybe a small feat compared to some health concerns, but nonetheless another example of the power of nature, the power of the human body & the absolute nonsense we’re fed about what’s possible & what’s not.

If you’re someone who spends a bit too long inspecting your hair in front of the mirror armed with a pair of tweezers in each hand, this is for you & I hope you find it of use.
For me it was too exciting not to share!