There is so much hype about superfoods out there. Some of know what they are and some of us are programed that they are just a silly fad for food manufactures to make money. Well, I LOVE SUPERFOODS, they are our friends!!! They are so simple yet densely packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
When we introduce new superfoods into the body, it shows our body that we love, honor and respect it. Pay attention to how your body responds when you eat certain superfoods. Notice the sensations you feel. Do you feel satisfied, full of energy or relaxed and clear headed?
A large majority of superfoods are plant based, but not all of them. Every month, I will be going over a new superfood and all the awesome benefits each one has and why they are our friends. The first one in our superfood series is Sprouts.
Sprouts are our friends because they contain so many nutrients packed in that little form of life. Did you know that in the Depression Era, sprouts were going implemented to help feed all the starving people in the United States? Only 1 cup of sprouts per meal, per day is enough proper nutrients for the body to thrive, and very well at that. It was an extremely cheap and healthy way to achieve everything in one little seed. The only reason why it was not started is because the War had ended and the Depression was soon over. This is one way that people can save money and start getting high amounts of nutrients in your body.
What kind of health benefits do Sprouts have? For starters, Sprouts have over 100 times more enzymes than RAW fruits and vegetables! Wow! How is that for a health benefit? During the process of soaking and sprouting, the protein molecules change to become more beneficial to the body. Some of the foods whether they be nuts, seeds, grains or beans have shown in studies an increase in vitamin content up to 20 times original value of the food within just a few days of sprouting.
Alfalfa is the most common one that people are aware of in the grocery store. Alfalfa Sprouts contain all 8 essential amino acids and 6 more amino acids, equaling 14 total. It also has more minerals and vitamins than any plant besides Moringa. They also contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B17, D, E, K and U which are very high numbers. Minerals such as boron, calcium, iron, zinc, silicon, magnesium, potassium, chromium, cobalt, manganese, sodium, selenium, phosphorus and molybdenum are also found in these awesome sprouts.
Sprouts are high in antioxidents which protects our DNA from damage and slows down our aging process.
Sprouts are super rich in Chlorophyll which is great for detoxing the liver and cleansing the blood. You can even replace sprouts instead of lettuce in your salad and have quite a bit of extra protein.
They are so many varieties of sprouts. They can be seeds or legumes like flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower, radish, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, broccoli, mung beans, peas, or quinoa. Nuts don’t have to be sprouted, just soaked to release the nutrients. You can soak, almonds, cashews, macadamia, pecan, walnut, pistachio, hazelnut and brazil nut. If almonds are truly raw and pasteurized they can be actually sprouted for 3-4 days. By the way, Sunflower sprouts are my favorite! They have a slight sunflower seed taste.
You can also sprout your own for so cheap. There is never an excuse again to not eat healthy! All you need is water, sprouts or seeds, and a sprout bag, or a jar with cheesecloth or special sprouting lid. It’s that cheap and simple. If you aren’t into sprouting your own, there are foods you can look for that in readily available in the stores.
There are many varieties of crackers, breads, muffins, and cereals. You can also find sprouted lentil pastas and all varieties of rices and quinoas.
You can put sprouts in and on so many things such as:
Crackers
Salads
Soups
Smoothies
Sanwiches
Be on the lookout for my upcoming membership site. There will be a whole class on all the How To’s of sprouting and what we can do with them.
