We met with Dmitriy Malakhovskiy, co-founder and director of Ecoway Technologies Pte. Ltd., which is engaged in several interesting projects in the field of environmentally friendly technologies and healthy eating. Dmitriy’s company became the first in Singapore to produce and sell natural freshly squeezed wheatgrass juice using the shock freezing method to preserve all its beneficial properties and components. Let’s together understand the powerful impact of the wheatgrass cocktail on our body!
— Dmitriy, around the world, people have been eating wheat sprouts for a long time, but who was the first to warm up to this drink?
— The use of this green cocktail in the Western world dates back to the 1930s as part of an experiment conducted by agrochemist Charles Schnabel. With impressive results, Schnabel introduced wheatgrass into his family’s diet. The experiment was so successful that two large corporations, Quaker Oats and American Dairies Inc. invested millions of dollars in further research to develop and manufacture herbal products for humans. By the 1940s, Schnabel’s products, including wheatgrass juice, were on sale in major drug stores all across America and in Canada.
— More and more people on social networks write about wheatgrass, and recent studies show that the global trend in the consumption of this juice is growing steadily every year. Which countries are leaders in this area?
— The US remains the leader in consumption and distribution. Just imagine that you can buy it there even in ordinary cafes and supermarkets. And in some stores, they practice harvesting juice directly from the grow tray, that is, the grass is cut and squeezed in front of you. According to the latest data, one in five people in America consumes wheatgrass juice.
The healthy cocktail is also popular in Australia, Canada and some European countries. By the way, according to forecasts, by 2025, China will become the leader in terms of production and consumption of wheatgrass juice.
— Some call wheatgrass a vitamin-mineral premix, others – the elixir of youth and a building material for blood and cells, and some claim it to be a natural energy drink. So what is the beneficial effect of this juice on the human body?
— Wheatgrass is not an artificial mixture of ingredients and by no means a dietary supplement. Its composition is completely balanced by nature and therefore is much better absorbed by humans.
You will be surprised to learn that the juice contains about 70% chlorophyll, about the benefits of which there is a huge amount of information and scientifically proven facts. In addition, wheatgrass is a treasure trove of minerals and vitamins that are of great importance for vital processes of the body. It contains vitamins A, C and E, group B vitamins, as well as important micro and macro elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, selenium and others
Diabetic patients, note: by improving metabolism in the body and normalizing blood sugar levels, wheatgrass is an important aid in the fight against type 2 diabetes.
This is especially relevant for Singapore, because, according to the latest study, 8.6% of the country’s inhabitants suffer from diabetes (data for 2017). Unfortunately, the number of cases, is growing every year. According to the Ministry of Health, 19,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes in Singapore every year!
— So it seems then that I can plant wheat seeds, wait until they germinate, harvest, squeeze in a juicer and pamper myself and my family with the healthy drink?
— If it were that simple! (Laughs.) I’ll tell you about our production as an example.
We do not use soil or chemicals. The main work begins with wheat seeds, which are poured into soaking containers for 12-24 hours. Then the swollen wheat seeds are laid out on trays for further germination. Automatic irrigation and lighting systems start their work at strictly defined periods of time. It is also important to adjust the temperature and humidity level of the room. The grass takes about seven days to grow. When young wheat sprouts reach the required height, they are carefully cut. Then, using a special juicer, the juice is produced and sent for instant freezing, which preserves all the useful properties of our product.
Our company adheres to strict rules and regulations for food production. The workshop is more like an operating room, where people work in surgical coats and shoe covers, at a certain temperature, light, sterility – everything meets the required standards. The result is a product that meets international standards!
— Dmitriy, it seems that the launch of your product on the market and the creation of the Ecoway Technologies project is the result of a team effort?
— Good point! The process of creating a company, a new product and entering the market is a very time consuming but interesting experience. There are those who were involved in the technical part of the project, there is a main partner with whom a strategic and financial plan for the development of the project was developed. A great contribution, especially at the initial stage, was made by my wife Olga, who covered the entire creative part of the project and many operational issues, and there are many people who have provided various advice and practical assistance along the way. Undoubtedly, without all these people, this project would not have worked out!
I recommend drinking wheatgrass immediately after it is made, but in our case – immediately after thawing it, in this case you will get the maximum benefit.
— Dmitriy, would you share your recipe for the perfect wheatgrass cocktail? When should it be imbibed? In what doses?
— The best time to have this healthy cocktail is in the morning on an empty stomach before breakfast.
The recipe for the perfect wheatgrass cocktail varies depending on your taste preferences. Some people prefer to drink it as is after having thawed one bottle (30 ml) of wheatgrass. To do this, all you need to do is put it in a glass of room temperature water for 7-10 minutes. Some people prefer to mix it with any other juice or a drink of their choice. This is also quite permissible, because even in this form, all the useful properties and components of wheatgrass will not disappear and will enter the body!
— And now the most important question: when should one expect the positive health effects of wheatgrass? What do people who have completed the course notice most frequently?
— It is similar to vitamins. First, a prerequisite for obtaining a noticeable and tangible positive health effect is that a person completes a course lasting from one to two months or longer and has the juice regularly throughout the course.
We have a lot of feedback from all sorts of people, among the most frequent: improved tonus, an increase in energy and performance, normalization of digestion, as well as a positive effect on skin, hair, nails. Let’s not forget that this is only the visible part of the benefits of wheatgrass juice. There is also a huge positive effect on the body and the work of internal organs, which cannot be seen from the outside!
— Dmitriy, what is your company planning these days?
— We have plants to make the product widely used. Nowadays, wheatgrass juice is bought mainly by people who are interested in the principles of healthy eating, food novelties and superfoods. But, as you yourself can see, recently, people have become more open to new niche products, which are gradually becoming familiar components of people’s diet.
Remember, some time ago, products based on fructose instead of sugar could be bought only in specialized stores, now they are literally available in any supermarket. What about soy milk, gluten-free products, goji or coconut milk products? These appeared on store shelves as an experiment and stayed there for a long time. It will be the same with wheatgrass juice, I’m sure!
Trivia:
In 1993, the Buran Ground Station-Laboratory was opened in Russia, where technologies were developed for the program of sending a person on a space journey lasting 50 years. As a result, a unique setup called Fitocycle was created, designed for growing wheat sprouts on board a spacecraft. It would provide the astronauts with food, drink and medicine, all in one product. During the experiments, it was found that wheatgrass juice is the most powerful of all known immunomodulatory and immune stimulating products of natural origin and is capable of maintaining the immunity of astronauts at a high level in the aggressive environment of space.
You can learn more about wheatgrass juice and order a course for yourself at www.ecoway-market.com
Instagram: @ecoway_technologies
