WHY SPROUT? IS IT GOOD FOR YOU? (2)

I’ve always been a “Sprouter”, on & off throughout my adult life. I’ve always known that sprouts were high in antioxidants and many vitamins and minerals, but I never really looked into it seriously. I would go through sprouting phases and I have a wonderful husband and 5 children who have gone along with my health-foody adventures over the years AND lived to tell the tale!

Now that I have my Auto Sprouter, which is great, it has encouraged me to experiment with various sprouts and I’m finding some great sprout mixes. Sprouts and Microgreens are a fabulous way to get your fresh veges – I mean “super-fresh” and “super nutrious”. I read in a study, published in the Soil & Health mag some years ago, that showed that when you harvest a vegetable the vital substances (minerals, vitamins, enzymes…) begin to break down and halve in the first hours after picking.

Most people know about “beansprouts.” I mean we buy them in the supermarket and vege shops; tufts of alfalfa, long, pale, leggy mung bean sprouts, pea stems, and the occasional broccoli or radish sprouts. However, it appears there’s a lot more to sprouting than meets the eye!

• One - If you’re going to sprout, buy seeds from a reputable supplier (like Happy & Healthy) and get organic. Don’t sprout your left over seeds from a commercial seed packet that you used to plant your vege garden last year because those seeds have most probably been treated with an anti-fungal, anti-mould chemical, preparation.
• Two – Seeds that have been heat treated (pasteurised) by the wholesaler or exporter don’t sprout very well at all. There are always a good proportion that just don’t activate. So if you have had this problem in the past, as I have, you will most probably discover that they are pasturised.
• Three - As we know sprouts have to be good for you, but did you know that some sprouts, in particular Broccoli Sprouts, have proven anti-cancer fighting agents in them? We have all come face to face with the devastating effects of cancer in either a family member, a friend, or a friend of a friend and it seems to be getting worse. Even though cancer is on the increase in our western society, we can take practical steps to minimise the risks with good nutrition and the quality of the food we eat. We can even go on the offensive by eating more Broccoli, or better yet Broccoli Sprouts (which have 40-60 times more anti-cancer agents than the mature vegetable).

We came across the following One News video, made in the nineties, that reports on the 
benefits of Broccoli and in particular, Broccoli Sprouts – enjoy.

Some Parting Tips:

1. Can you eat 3 tablespoons of raw sprouts per day? You’ll really up your antioxidant activity levels and your body’s cancer fighting ability if you do.⁴
2. Fresh is the absolute best. That’s one of the reasons home-grown sprouts are so good. No grower, no market, no vege shop between you and your sprouts!
3. Big savings for the household budget when you grow and consume your own sprouts. Much cheaper than buying them retail and better health in the family means fewer trips to the doctor (check out the all new Sprouting Chart).
4. With the savings that you will make with your own “micro-farm” harvests you can look at investing in some automated sprouting equipment, eg. the Auto Sprouter and the all “new” EasyGreen MicroFarm (with this little beauty you’ll never be out of sprouts or mico-greens) .

Our Mission is to provide you with healthy choices, through education and high quality products, to enable you to be happy and healthy.

Remember, you don't need to become a fanatic to eat well, just wise.
Penelope
www.happyandhealthy.co.nz