June 28, 2017
I have recently started sprouting and believe it is an important part of a healthy diet. I originally started because I completely dislike the taste of broccoli and didn’t think smothering it in cheese sauce was the healthiest answer. Broccoli is a power house in the antioxidant world, it has the high amounts of Vitamin C and as part of the cruciferous family has strong anti cancer benefits.
I decided I would make broccoli sprouts and then in one gulp have it in my system. Another huge benefit of eating sprouts is they are easier to digest unlike broccoli in its full grown form. Plus they have 50 times more phytonutrients. I was buying broccoli sprouts from the health food store for a while but soon realized this would be much too expensive for something I could do at home for next to nothing.
I bought myself a 3 layered sprouting container and was on my way to sprouting all sorts of beans, nuts and seeds. The more I researched sprouts and the health benefits, the more it became apparent this was a gift that I had stumbled onto just because broccoli made me gag. Here are my top 5 reasons to sprout:
It makes food easier to digest
- Sprouting makes food, especially grains easier to digest as the starches are changed into sugar. Beans and seeds that are sprouted are almost pre digested for you compared to them in their natural state. With all the good quality enzymes assisting in the digestion process as well.
It makes protein more available
- The protein changes when seeds and grains and nuts are sprouted, certain amino acids are increased, like lysine for example.
Decreases anti-nutrients and Phytic acid
- Spouting neutralizes physic acid. this is part of the bran in grains that inhibits the absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron.
They can help the body to be more alkaline
- A body that is more alkaline has been shown to reduce risks of cancer, candida, digestive issues. Many people struggle with a more acidic body which leads to inflammation and in turn to many inflammatory diseases, which are on the rise everyday.
Increases absorption of many nutrients
- It is estimated that sprouts contain 100 times more enzymes than raw fruit and vegetables, this makes it easier to extract nutrients. You will get a great number of vitamins, minerals, protein and essential fatty acids from sports and also from other foods eaten at the same time.
A note of caution, it is easy to grow bacteria in this moist environment and so it is recommended to always wash your sprouts and better still to cook them. There are many recipes that include cooked sprouts online. You can also prepare sprouts with antimicrobial foods such as vinegar, onions or garlic. This will kill any bacteria kicking around.
There are many other good reasons to sprout and I encourage you to try sprouting all kinds of nuts, seeds and grains and find the ones you love the most. You don’t even need to spend 20$ on a sprouting container like you see in the picture, all you need is a glass jar and some cheese cloth to start. There are many good websites on the internet that explain different methods. I recommend the site bellow in particular. Just copy and paste it in your search bar!!
Have fun and feel amazing in the process!!!
