Sprouts
are one of the worlds most powerful and nutritious super foods that nature has
to offer. Sprouts are
the beginning life of a plant; these baby plants are loaded with nutrients,
minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, fats, phytochemicals, enzymes,
water and chlorophyll. Sprouts have the highest concentration of these
nutrients, vitamins, etc. than any other stage of a plants life. Sprouts are
ALIVE and continue to grow for some time after harvest. This period of growing
continues to add more nutrients. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the
fruits and vegetables found in your local supermarkets. The nutritional
benefits gained from eating fruits and vegetables decreases very quickly after
being picked and often they sit in the stores for days or weeks. You can never
really be sure that what you are eating is 100% organic, especially when the
standards of organic are slowly diminishing.
Sprouts
are full of life and 100% organic. As sprouts grow they suck up as much as they
can from their nutrient source. If the source is laden with pesticides, then
you’re eating mostly pesticides. Sprouts are the most nutrient-dense food per
unit of calorie. You can eat what you grow, just seconds after pulling them.
There is nothing more pure or life sustaining.
Organic
is very important for a couple reasons. The first and most important is what
you are NOT eating when eating organic foods. Conventionally grown foods are
loaded with pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and other chemicals. If these
chemicals are used to kill organisms that cause problems for plants, imagine
what it does to your body! Also, organic foods taste better, are more vibrant
and contain more nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Eating
sprouts brings about a sense of energy and general wellbeing that no supplement
or other food can accomplish. They are light, very low in calories but very
nutritious. A handful of sprouts can be more filling than a large nutrient void
cooked meal because with sprouts you actually feed the body what it’s craving.
If you eat a large cooked meal, your body is left hungry. Not only that, but
overeating is one of the worst things you can put your body through and it
causes a lot of other health complications.
It’s no
surprise that sprouts have been used for medical and nutrient purposes for
thousands of years but only recently, with advances in science are we able to
understand the curing properties of sprouts.
The
health benefits of sprouts.
Sprouts
are packed with high levels of antioxidants (vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
These antioxidants prevent or slow down oxidation which leads to cell damage.
Once this oxidation occurs, these newly formed, abnormal cells begin to
reproduce. This oxidation can be attributed to aging and most of the diseases
associated with living organisms. These antioxidants also stop the damage
caused by free radicals. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables lower the risk of
cancers, immune disorders and other health ailments. Slowing down aging,
preventing and treating diseases is a billion dollar industry and they are all
trying to recreate what is already found in nature. These sprouts are the basis
of life; they rejuvenate, reenergize and heal.
It is a
common belief that the cells of a living organism require an oxygenated and
alkaline environment to survive and reproduce properly. This idea was first
introduced to us by the Nobel Price winning Dr. Otto Warburg. He found that
cancer cells, bacteria and viruses could not survive in a body with high
amounts of oxygen and also one which was slightly alkaline (above 7 on the pH
scale). Sprouts happen to be a great source of oxygen and are also an alkaline
food. Based on this belief, eating sprouts has a beneficial impact on fighting
cancers and cleaning up the body.
Sprouts are loaded with enzymes. Enzymes are life’s force. Enzymes are catalysts for life and essential for all humans’ internal functions. Enzymes are destroyed with heat and processing, which is why a diet focused primarily around cooked food is linked to many health ailments. Raw foods are a great source of enzymes but just as the nutrients begin to diminish soon after picking, enzymes begin to die if they are not connected to a life-giving source (earth, trees, etc.). A very important aspect of enzymes is the aiding in digestion. The body produces enzymes used for digestion but when you eat foods high in enzymes the body has to use less energy because it doesn’t have to manufacture these enzymes. This principle makes sprouts very easily digested and assimilated by the body.
Sprouts are a great vegetable source of EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) These fatty acids are extremely important for many of the body’s functions. Most people eat a diet very low in these EFAs which has a very negative effect on the immune system.
Sprouts are also very high in fiber. Fiber is important in a diet for a couple reasons. First, it helps with weight control because they are low in calories but very high in elements which feed the body. This gives you the sensation of being full after eating only a handful. It helps with constipation and preventing certain diseases such as cancer, diabetes, gallstones and kidney stones. This occurs because the fiber in sprouts soaks up water which softens stools and allows for easier elimination.
Sprouts have high levels of flavonoids, or bioflavonoids. Although most often associated with their antioxidant activity they also have the means to stimulate the mechanisms that destroy cancerous cells and stop tumor growth.
Sprouts are low on the Glycemic Index. This is extra important for people battling diabetes and/or hearth disease. The Glycemic Index ranks foods based on their effect on the blood glucose (sugar) level. The low ranked foods have subtle effects while highly ranked foods have dramatic effects on blood sugar levels.
Sprouts are comprised of high levels of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll refers to the green pigment that is found in plants. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other health benefits. This chlorophyll is essential for the photosynthesis which is the process of obtaining energy from the light. Oxygen and carbohydrates are produced from water and carbon dioxide during the process. This is why sprouts have high levels of oxygen.
Sprouts are a natural detoxifier. They are exceptional at cleansing the blood, liver and other organs. Also, it’s a powerful chelator (removing heavy metals and other molecular toxins).
Sprouts contain phytochemicals. It has been suggested that phytochemicals can fight off
cancer-causing substances and may even cure cancer.
It is recommended that you soak nuts and seeds prior to eating them. Even soaking them for several hours activates enzymes activity and increases nutritional content. As you can guess, sprouts which are soaked for several days are exponentially more powerful and rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, proteins, chlorophyll and so much more.
Sprouts compete with meats for amount of protein per unit of calorie. So if you ate the equivalent amount of calories of meat as you would of the sprouts, you would be getting far more protein. It’s more than that though because animal proteins are acidic, high in saturated fats, hard to digest, usually laden with hormones and other unnatural compounds and eating animal products in general have been linked to diseases including cancer.
We hope that reading this has been enough of a reason to introduce sprouts into your daily regime. They can be eaten alone, juiced or mixed with other foods. Aside from their unbelievable nutritional benefits they vary in taste and colors and bring the fun back to eating.
