Sprouts are a miracle food.
Sprouting is the process of germinating various kinds of seeds to be eaten raw or cooked, raw sprouts being the most nutritious. The great benefit is they can be germinated indoors at anytime of the year. When seeds are soaked and sprouted, they turn into a nutritional powerhouse. There are numerous nutritional benefits as well as many ways to use your homegrown sprouts!
The Facts about Sprouts
- The nutritional content of sprouts is many times greater than the original food value of the seeds and beans from which they sprout.
- Pound for pound, a salad made from a variety of sprouts, compared with the traditional lettuce salad, would cost less than half as much yet provide five times as much protein, six times as much Vitamin C and seven times as much of the B Complex Vitamins.
- Whole dried peas have no Vitamin C, yet when sprouted for 48 hours, provide more Vitamin C (ounce per ounce) than fresh oranges.
- Sprouts save food preparation time since they require no cleaning, peeling or chopping, and can be cooked (if desired) in a mere fraction of the time required for most foods.
- Sprouts have the highest concentration of nutrition per calorie of any food.
- Broccoli sprouts carry potent anti-cancer agents.
- Sprouts are actually freshly germinated edible seeds such as beans, grains and nuts.
- As a 'living' food, Sprouts continue to grow vitamins after being harvested.
- Captain James Cook had his sailors eat sprouts, limes and lemons for their Vitamin C content to aid in curing scurvy.
- During WW11 when the United States was concerned about a possible meat shortage, the scientific community advised the government that the consumption of germinated seeds was the best and the cheapest alternative to proteins in meat.
- Sprouts contain an abundance of highly active anti-oxidants that prevent DNA destruction and protect us from the ongoing effects of aging.
- The most powerful enzyme-rich foods are sprouted seeds, grains and legumes. Sprouting increases their enzyme content as much as 43 times more than non-sprouted foods. The enzymes in Sprouts help our body digest the nutrients in our food and boost the life-giving activity in our body.
- Sprouts save food preparation time since they require no cleaning, peeling or chopping, and can be cooked (if desired) in a mere fraction of the time required for most foods.
GROW THEM YOURSELF!
- Select a Sprouting vessel. Many different types can be used but one simple vessel is a glass jar with a piece of cloth secured over its rim. There are tiered clear plastic sprouters available allowing you a number of seeds, beans, and nuts to be sprouting at the same time. Whatever vessel you choose, water must be allowed to drain from it because sprouts that sit in water rot quickly.
- The seeds, beans or nuts are moistened with clean water 2 times per day
- Each seed, bean or nut has its own ideal sprouting time but usually after 3-5 days they are ready to eat!
- If left longer, they will develop leaves and turn into bay greens which are also edible and nutritious.
- Sprout growth can be slowed or halted by refrigeration.
The Five Rules of Sprouting
1. Rinse often.
2. Keep them moist, not wet.
3. Keep them at room temperature.
4. Give them plenty of room to breathe.
5. Don't put too many in any one container.
Eating and growing sprouts is a great way to have fun with nature and eating them provides huge amounts of raw energy for your system. Enjoy as many as you can!!
With Gratitude,
Alex is a renowned speaker, (R)evolutionary teacher and world traveller, having lived and studied in the United States, South Africa and Costa Rica. She has a BA in Environmental Studies, a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a qualified Yoga instructor. She is a continuous source of inspiration to thousands of women around the world and has spent her life tirelessly researching ways to maintain a fully balanced life.
