Wait, what? Sunshine on sprouts? Well yes, of course!

Have you been reaping the benefits of this amazing little super food? You can buy them at your local food market (I have only found them at my local health food store) or better yet, and I highly recommend it, grow them yourself!I recently starting growing my own sprouts (about 6 months ago). In 3-5 days you can have enough sprouts to last a week, and if you don't want to eat them that quickly (oh, but you will), they store for weeks in the fridge.
There are serious sprout enthusiasts out there (with very good reason), and you can find all the information you ever needed to know. So I'm just going to add a quick explanation, because really, this could go on for pages, believe me!

Sprouts are a super food with high levels of protein, vitamins (A, C, E and B), minerals, trace elements (examples, zinc, copper, iron, iodine etc), chlorophyll pigments  (in my research, chlorophyll heals), and enzymes (to aid in digestion), which have all multiplied in the sprouting process, anywhere from 300 to 1200 percent in the most easily digestible form. Because sprouts are still growing at the peak of life force, they contain the greatest nutrient activity of any other raw food. Sprouts are an anti-oxidant (they fight free radicals) and anti-aging (the release RNA and DNA - only found in living cells).  Most of this information comes from a book by Dr.Gillian McKeith's called Living Food for Health. It's an incredibly informative read.

Simply put, sprouts have more nutrient impact in such a small portion than any other natural food. It is absorbed more effectively than supplements because your body recognizes it as a food.

As you can see, I buy my sprout seeds from Mumms (Canada, all organic and non-GMO). The cost is pretty low and this particular supplier does not charge shipping. And the best part is, it only takes 2-3 teaspoons of seeds to end up with a mason jar stuffed with all this goodness!

Below I have instructions for making simple sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli, salad mix, radish, garlic, sesame, etc (you can also grow sprouts in trays with soil or other specialized options).

 Supplies:
- glass jars (who doesn't have a few of these sitting in the cupboard?)
- some sort of a mesh material to allow for rinsing and draining the sprouts. At first I used nylons I had and secured them with rubber bands. Later I purchased tulle (you know, the ballet stuff!) and jars that had open lids. It all works the same, just up to you and what you prefer :)

Instructions:
Are you paying attention, I'm only going to tell you once. Soak the seeds. Rinse the seeds. Repeat. Complicated, huh? Okay, the seeds need to soak for 4-8hrs, depends on what type of seed you are growing. After they are finished soaking they need to be rinsed a few times a day. If you think you will miss a rinse, put them in the fridge (hold please), and then continue when you return.

A vigorous rinse with water is better and make sure you remove as much of the excess water as possible. Lie the jars on their side for maximum distribution of sprouts and ventilation.

I have come to realize that they may look kind of similar, one sprout to the next, but don't be fooled, they have very individual flavours! Something like alfalfa is very mild, sunflower has a hint of spice and amaranth can be bitter.

Here are two salads I made using my sprouts. You can add them along with your lettuces or simply replace them with sprouts only! Completely satisfying. I crave this stuff!  :)   I don't use salad dressing, instead I shake a little ground flax, hemp seeds, Vegetable mix from Club House (Roasted Red Pepper is yummy too!) and add a little organic olive oil. I had a garden this year (yes, those vegetable pictures are actually from my garden) and I was overwhelmed with tomatoes, so I dehydrated many! They add a great, powerful flavour.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog, it's pretty much a safe bet, that if it benefits your body on the inside, it's going to work fabulously on your skin. And you guessed it, my next experiment is a ground sprout mask! I'll keep you posted :)