Spring has sprouted

 

           Health Amplified

Spring has sprouted

One of my early childhood memories is of a glass jar with seeds in it standing on the kitchen counter. It had a thin blue, breathable dishwashing cloth over the opening, sealed with an elastic band. I remember watching and waiting for the little shoots to appear. We ate the sprouts on sandwiches with Marmite, or in salads.

Spring has sprung, or shall I say sprouted! Little buds and blossoms everywhere, fresh birdsong in the morning. It’s time to plant and grow. Why not start growing your own sprouts straight out of your kitchen? Alfalfa seeds, lentils, mung beans, chickpeas, fenugreek. Alfalfa seeds are the quickest and easiest to grow. Make sure that your lentils are whole and not the split ones.

 

Why eat sprouts?

Sprouts are the first that appear on germinated seeds of beans, grains etc. Fresh raw sprouts are a rich source of vitamins B, C, iron, fiber, folic acid and phytonutrients, magnesium etc. Sprouting helps specific enzymes become activated during certain stages of germination. The nutrition from the sprout is more readily available for the body to absorb it.

 

Sprouts are easy to grow, very affordable and highly nutritious. If you don’t feel up to the challenge, then buy some sprouts at the supermarket. Add to sandwiches and salads. These are a bit of a challenge with kids! Maybe they can help grow them and mom and dad can eat them?!

 

I’ve recently started using mung beans that we found in a local health shop. It sprouts so easily and the unsprouted bean can be made into a wonderful soup when cooked with onions, carrots, turmeric and cumin. These little green beans can pack a punch. They are one of the healthiest sources of plant protein, if you have a look at the amino acids or building blocks in nature.

 

Benefits of mung beans:

·    Anti-oxidant

·    Anti-microbial

·    Anti-tumor effect

·    Lowers cholesterol

·    Lowers high blood pressure

·    Fights obesity, keeps you fuller for longer

·    High protein content

·    Decreases PMS symptoms

·    Easier to digest than many other beans

 

How to sprout:

-Place 3 Tbsp seeds, lentils or mung beans into a clean glass jar. Cover seeds with water.

-Cover jar with a muslin cloth or new blue dishwashing cloth. (It also comes in a roll.)

-Cover with an elastic band.

-Soak in water overnight.

-In the morning, discard water through the cloth with the cloth still on.

-Open up the jar, fill with water, close cloth again and drain water.

-Repeat process at night.

-Continue rinsing and draining morning and night for 3 days. Shoots will start to appear.

-Let the shoots grow a bit.

-Scatter into a plate and leave open for about an hour.

-Seal in a Tupperware, keep in the fridge.

-Eat within 4 days.

WARNING! MAKE SURE THAT YOU REMOVE ANY SEEDS, GRAINS OR LEGUMES THAT DID NOT SPROUT. YOUR TEETH WILL THANK YOU LATER…

Sticking to the topic of tiny bits. A good friend of mine recently introduced me to toothpaste in pellet form. This is a very interesting concept! You put the small tablet in your mouth, bite down until it disintegrates. Wet your toothbrush and start brushing. Rinse as usual and you’re done! No mess, no fuss.

You can find it online at  https://shopearthly.co.za/, a proudly South African brand. These toothpaste bits are bought in a biodegradable refill bag and you can store it in a small metal tin (also available from them.) Just refill as needed. It comes in mint flavour, as well as teeth whitening activated charcoal. Some of the ingredients include activated charcoal, spearmint, sodium bicarbonate and xylitol.

This company is all about natural ingredients, no nasty chemicals and preservatives and is environmentally friendly. No more toothpaste holder wastage. They also sell bamboo toothbrushes and nifty bamboo toothbrush holders. Have a look at some of their other products that include soap-, shampoo- and conditioning bars. It contains some luxurious ingredients like olive oil, coconut oil, dried rose petals and essential oils.

I think these can make wonderful, unique gifts for someone, even if it is toothpaste and a toothbrush holder!

Happy sprouting!

Lizelle