Sprouts!!

Mmmmmmm.

I wonder if most people don't care for sprouts, or find them tasteless or what not. I love them! My mom makes fresh sprouts every so often and they are so yummy to put on a sandwhich with or in place of lettuce and top salads with.

I'm a firm believer in eating things straight from the ground, the tree, or the animal - no processing involved. And of course, organic is better because you don't want to ingest harmful chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers that you absorb into your body. Sprouts are fun to grow because you can do it inside of your own house!

Why Sprouts can be so good for you:

"In the life of a plant, sprouting is a moment of great vitality and energy. The seed, after having remained quiet for an often long period of time, becomes more and more active and begins its journey up through the topsoil and into the open air. When it sprouts, a healthy seed activates many different metabolic systems. It converts some of its sugar content into vitamin C, to act as an antioxidant in the new open air environment. It also begins to synthesize a variety of new enzymes, many of them necessary to handle oxygen metabolism in the world above the soil. On a gram for gram basis, sprouts are richer in vitamin C than the older, more mature plants they eventually become, because this moment in their lifecyle calls for a high level of vitality." http://www.whfoods.com/

They carry plenty of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and enzymes, all necessary for the body to function optimally. In addition to providing the greatest amount of these nutrients, sprouts deliver them in a form that is easily digested and assimilated. In fact, they improve the efficiency of digestion. Sprouts are also deliciously fresh and colourful!

Mung bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts are probably the most common commercially available sprouts but other easy and healthy sprouts are red clover, radish mustard, lentil, adzuki, garbanzo, pumpkin, and sunflower.

So how do you grow your own yummy sprouts??

• You need a glass jar, preferably quite a large one because depending on how many seeds you use, these babies will GROW!!
• Mesh screen or fabric such as cheesecloth or nylon tulle
• Rubber band
• Fresh water - preferably pure and clean!
• Seeds of your choice, preferably organic! You can buy in bulk because seeds typically last for a year or more if stored in a cool dry place.

1. Soak! Put 1 to 4 tablespoons seed in a wide mouth jar. Cover with mesh and secure with rubber band. Add water, swirl, and drain. Add 1 cup cool water and soak for 4 - 8 hrs.
2. Rinse! Twice a day, refill jar with cool water, swirl, and drain. Invert jar and prop at angle in sink or bowl.
3. Enjoy! It won't take long before they start to sprout! In a few days when sprouts are about 2" long or so, eat them! We transfer ours to a covered container or ziploc baggies and refrigerate to store.
   

Chew Your Food!!

Did you know that digestion begins in your mouth, not in your stomach?? It begins the moment we start chewing. The act of chewing mechanically breaks down our food. Our saliva contains enzymes that contributes to the chemical breakdown of our food. And while we chew, we are telling the rest of our digestive system to get ready. When food is not chewed well enough, and we swallow large portions of food to big to be broken down, incomplete digestion occurs. Nutrients do not get extracted as they should!! AND! Undigested food becomes a source for bacteria in the colon. We do not want this!! Health comes from out gut. Our gut is not just another organ, it is more like it's own brain!! If we aren't chewing, we aren't helping the gut to do it's job - which is to extract from our food the nutrients we need to stay healthy.
Stop and think about when you put food in your mouth. How many times would you say you chew before you swallow? Two or three? Five? Ten?? Most of us chew our food only about seven times before we swallow. It should be closer to the number 35! Usually our modern day busy and stressful lives contribute to how fast we wolf down our food. Other times it's just because that is what is ingrained in us and we never took the time to teach ourselves to chew more and eat slower. Eating slower can help you chew more. Also, put your fork down in between bites and grind that food down to dust!! You don't have to count how many times you've chewed each forkful, but chew that food until you can't tell what it is you put in your mouth. Your bowels will thank you!

Fermentation

Fermentation is especially effective in releasing important nutritional compounds through "pre-digestion" that would otherwise pass through the human digestive system, undigested and unused. Modern vinegar-based fermentation techniques used for large-scale commercial production do NOT produce the same benefits as lactic acid fermentation, which is driven by beneficial microorganisms. This natural biological activity produces enzymes that break down foods into usuable compounds and inhibits putrefying bacterial growth. The proliferation of lactobacilli and other friendly microorganisms in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility, increases vitamin levels, and produces helpful enzymes as well as natural antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances.

Fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut, pickled carrots, beets, or cucumbers are some of the most health-giving foods on the planet. Raw cultured or fermented vegetables provide the body with beneficial microorganisms known as probiotics and an abundance of enzymes. They are also a rich source of vegetable nutrition in many countries where the winters are cold. Cultured/fermented vegetables are very easy to make are are readily available at health food stores everywhere.

Fermented dairy (NOT pasteurized or homogenized) has high health benefits:
It provides calcium that builds bone in children, and it also helps prevent or slow the development of osteoporosis that plagues so many elderly.
It lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol.
It attacks bacterial infections, especially those that cause diarrhea. It soothes stomach linings irritated from drugs or harsh foods.
It prevents dental cavitites and chronic bronchitits.
It stops the growth of some cancers, including colon cancer.
It boosts mental alertness and energy.


More information on how to make your own properly fermented foods or where to buy can be found in The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin.