The Power of Sprouts

Many do not realize the healing power of sprouts but the founder of the Hippocrates Health institute, Ann Wigmore, dedicated her life to rediscover the healing and culinary properties of sprouts. Her institute treated people, over many years, for many different disorders. Sprouts were found to contribute extensively to the immune system, as excellent detoxifiers. Being biogenic, sprouts are attributed rejuvenation qualities (creative life force). This contributes to the vitality and stamina experienced by thousands who consume them regularly. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, and relevant enzymes to assist its digestion.

Sprout History

Medicinally and nutritionally, sprouts have a long history. It has been written that the Ancient Chinese physicians recognized and prescribed sprouts for curing many disorders over 5,000 years ago.
In the 1700's, sailors were riddled by scurvy (lack of Vitamin C) and suffered heavy casualties during their two to three year voyages until Captain James Cook had his sailors eat limes, lemons and varieties of sprouts; all abundant holders of Vitamin C. These were, predominantly, were credited for preventing the mariners' casualties.

It is really only in the past thirty years or so that "westerners" have become interested in sprouts and sprouting. During World War II, Dr.. Clive M. McKay, Professor of Nutrition at Cornell University. Dr. McKay led off with this dramatic announcement: "Wanted! A vegetable that will grow in any climate, will rival meat in nutritive value, will mature in 3 to 5 days, may be planted any day of the year, will require neither soil nor sunshine, will rival tomatoes in Vitamin C, will be free of waste in preparation and can be cooked with little fuel and as quickly as a ... chop." Dr. McKay was talking about soybean sprouts. He and a team of nutritionists had spent years researching the amazing properties of sprouted soybeans. They found that sprouts retain the B-complex vitamins present in the original seed, and show a big jump in Vitamin A and an almost unbelievable amount of Vitamin C over that present in unsprouted seeds. While some nutritionists point out that this high vitamin content is gained at the expense of some protein loss (conversely, the protein actually becomes more bio-available), the figures are impressive: an average 300 percent increase in Vitamin A and a 500 to 600 percent increase in Vitamin C. In addition, in the sprouting process starches are converted to simple sugars, thus making sprouts easily digested.

*Always choose organic seeds for sprouting to avoid genetically modified seeds as well as any chemical residues.

Health Benefits Galore
I often recommend using sprouts in the daily diet of my clients as an easy power-packed addition to any meal – particularly for people who have a hard time getting in their daily recommended intake of vegetables. Sprouts are one of the few fast foods that are healthy and they’re delightfully easy to incorporate into the diet. If, for instance, you often have eggs and toast for breakfast– accompany with a handful of sprouts to enhance your vegetable intake for the day. Or use a variety of them instead of salad greens in the colder season for a meal that’s more nutrient-rich and less work for your digestive system.

Be sure to explore beyond the standard alfalfa sprouts; some of my favourites include: broccoli, garlic, clover, rasdish, sunflower and mixed bean sprouts, available at local supermarkets in the produce section. At home you can extend the variety even further with mung sprouts (traditionally found in Chinese cuisine), fenugreek, mustard (spicy!), flax and many more. The possibilities are endless; you can sprout just about every grain, seed, nut or legume endowed with the potential for the next generation of new plant life. In general you will see the increase of fibre and chlorophyll (which is itself rich in nutrients and health-giving properties such as magnesium), 15-30% more protein, a variety of enzymes, Beta-carotene (Vitamin A’s precursor), B complex (especially heart-friendly Niacin and Riboflavin), Vitamin C, E, K calcium, phosphorous and iron, though mineral content does not increase as much as the vitamins do.  All that and the vital energy within the sprouts are tranfered to your body when you eat them. 

We all need alittle more of that, don't we?

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Some of the results of adding sprouts to the diet include: weight loss, improved hormone balance (including improved thyroid function and PMS symptoms), general body cleanse/detoxification, improved digestion & liver function and even the prevention of many of our culture’s most prevalent diseases; osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease.

Alfalfa sprouts, soybeans, clover and oilseeds (such as flaxseed) are the most significant dietary sources of the phytoestrogens such as isoflavones, coumestans, and lignans, respectively. Studies in humans, animals and cell culture systems suggest that these dietary phytoestrogens play an important role in prevention of menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease. _________________________________________________

Sprouts are likely the most vitally alive and nourishing foods we can eat. We can sprout all year round and benefit from their low-calorie, high-nutrient density which supports an improved metabolism – great for those trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. They also provide the nutrients of leafy greens when they are not in-season. And the amount of nourishment per dollar surpasses most any other food – so they’re also very economical for those of us who are watching our budgets a little more closely these days.

A great website for getting started at home is: http://www.sproutpeople.com/index.html but all you really need to start is a few seeds and a jar with a lid with some holes punched in it and some filtered water. Different seeds require different treatment and time to sprout (see website for details)

Enjoy and be better-nourished!
Lisa Marie

The Body’s Great Need for Water

“Water is the basis of all life and that includes your body. Your muscles that move your body are 75% water; your blood that transport nutrients is 82% water; your lungs that provide your oxygen are 90% water; your brain that is the control center of your body is 76% water; even your bones are 25% water”

I want to speak about the importance of water as a follow-up to my cleansing post last week. You water intake is a great way to start positive, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle. It’s cheap, easy and profoundly affects your health. Please read on…

I was introduced to the concept of the body’s real need for water several years ago when I worked in the supplement industry. I already knew of the basics of human need for regular hydration but one particular book, The Body’s Many Cries For Water - by F. Batmanghelidj M.D. really opened my eyes to just how important water is and just how so many of us ignore our own needs and therefore suffer, unnecessarily, due to this self-induced dehydration. It manifests as many different ailments and occurs from minor to severe.

“The simple truth is that dehydration can cause diseases. Everyone knows that water is good for the body. They seem not to know how essential it is to one's well-being. They do not know what happens to the body if it does not receive its daily need of water."


“We misinterpret thirst signals as pain, and treat them with drugs which silence instead of cure the problem. Because dehydration eventually causes loss of some functions, the various signals given by water distribution system regulators during severe and lasting dehydration have been translated as indicators of unknown disease conditions of the body. I discovered that histamine is a vital chemical messenger in the brain. Histamine has a most important function not written about in medical textbooks. It is in charge of water intake and drought management in the body. It is less active when the body is fully hydrated, and becomes increasingly active when the body becomes dehydrated."
"To hush the body's call for water by masking the symptoms with drugs is like turning out the dashboard light that signal us that our car is about to overheat."


"Every function inside the body is regulated by and depends on water. Water must be available to carry vital elements, oxygen, hormones, and chemical massages to all parts of the body. Without sufficient water to wet all parts equally, some more remote parts of the body will not receive the vital elements that water supplies. Without sufficient water to constantly wet all parts, your body's drought-management system kicks into action. The histamine-directed chemical messenger systems are activated to arrange a new, low quota of water for the drought-stricken area. When histamine and its subordinate "drought managers" come across pain-sensing nerves, they cause pain. This is why dehydration produces pain as its first alarm signal. If the dehydration persists and is not corrected naturally with water, it becomes symptom-producing and, in time, develops into a disease condition." (All above quotes from www.watercure.com)

This information is a real eye-opener and, as I stated above, should be the foundation of any new diet/lifestyle change when trying to improve one’s health. Isn’t it inspiring to have something so potentially simple, inexpensive and profoundly healing at your fingertips?

One of my goals is to empower people to make positive healthful changes. To help people understand just what potential they have to be their own healers (and disease-creators) and how easy it can be with some basic understanding and a good ‘filter’ to be able to sift through the overwhelming amounts of bias and poor advice out there – much of which has only your $$ in mind.

My first recommendation in lieu of the above info is for you to start every day with one large glass of fresh, filtered water. If you already have a glass upon waking then strive for 2.
Then, drink water throughout the day, but only on an empty stomach – any significant amount of water should be consumed either 20 minutes before a meal or at least 2 hours afterwards to ensure you adequately hydrate yourself and not interfere with your digestive processes.

Speaking of filters…

Get yourself an inexpensive filtration system that does not filter your water too much such as solid-carbon filters or ozonation. Processes such as Reverse-Osmosis and distillation also effectively remove potentially harmful impurities but unfortunately they also remove the life-giving properties of water such as the minerals naturally occurring within. From my research I’ve found ozonation to be one of the best options for home purification without removal of the essential natural nutrients in water. However, I personally use a more affordable but still very efficient, sink-side, tap attachment home filtration system (see photo above) composed of solid carbon (In my opinion, better than the store-bought loose carbon filters, ie: Brita) and you could get an under-the-counter one instead, if you prefer. Here are some stats I discovered on a trusted website (www.ewg.org) where you can do your own research and find what suits you best:

In 2006, researchers from Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada found that the use of activated-carbon filters is one of the most effective ways for households to reduce THM and HAA concentrations in drinking water (Lévesque, 2006)


EWG research shows that pitcher and faucet-mounted systems are typically the most economical, with yearly costs typically in the range of about $100. Counter-top and under-counter systems tend to be more expensive at the outset, though the yearly maintenance costs are often not that much higher than the pitcher and faucet-mounted systems.

I encourage you to simplify in 2010; reduce your stress by breathing deeply, listening to your intuition, drink clean water and eat cleaner food throughout the day. I will do my best to offer you some guidelines through my blog which can help you on your way.

Yours in health, Lisa Marie

To Cleanse or Not To Cleanse?

At this time of year I get a lot of questions about cleansing/detoxifying the body: What are the best packaged cleanses? How long should I cleanse for? Is this the right time to cleanse?

Rarely am I asked: Is it appropriate for me to cleanse at all? Everyone seems to assume that they’ve been naughty so they MUST need cleansing to get rid of the ‘toxins’ they’ve taken in.

It seems that this time of year generates a lot of these questions as it symbolizes a new beginning, new goals, not to mention leaving behind that end of year indulging. If I were to choose, I’d say springtime is probably the best time to cleanse as it coordinates with our inherent bodily cycle which moves naturally into cleansing mode at that time of year. But it can be done anytime if it feels right for you.
This is a bit of a complex issue but I’ll try and keep things simple. I’d like to start by clarifying a few guidelines about the safety and appropriateness of ‘cleansing’.

First, please refrain from engaging in total fasting (no food at all), especially if you are not experienced in doing so and certainly not without supervision of a certified health practitioner. This can actually be dangerous if you do not know exactly what you are doing or how your current state of health is.

Second, consider the fact that many of us who suffer from symptoms that make us feel ill or low energy or even diseased are deficient and cleansing can worsen that state of deficiency. So, cleansing as we know it may not even be the way to go at all (speak to a Holistic Nutritionist or Naturopath for more specific guidance).

The grand paradox: we live in a society that generally over-eats, yet the majority of us are malnourished.
So many people assume that that ‘toxic’ feeling will be alleviated by cleansing – and, yes, often that does happen temporarily, as your body is relieved to be less encumbered, but it can set you up for more deficiency in the long run. When you have deficiencies your body may lack the building blocks to re-build what it needs to be well again.

Third, I recommend committing to cleaning up your diet, gradually but surely. A good start would be to designate one day a week to eat totally clean (see below for guidelines). This makes it less likely to get steered ‘off-track’ by trying to have a perfect diet right away (many are feeling so stoked right now to get started). Any drastic changes will greatly increase your likelihood of standing in front of the boxed cleanses again in a few months back where you started.
You’re wiser to find a sustainable diet that works for you and that makes your body feel better.

If your weekly ‘cleansing day’ works for you and you want to increase to twice weekly then go ahead and graduate yourself, you are on the right track.

If you really are confident that you can jump into something more intense because your diet was already pretty darn good then start by doing a week or two of really clean eating and then continue with one/twice weekly as maintenance-cleansing to prevent significant toxic build up from happening again.

Here are some great examples of simple meals to eat on your ‘clean day’:

Homemade organic veggie or bone stock (must be organic!)

Salads with easy-to-digest herbs and veggies: avocado, celery, onion, garlic, watercress, ass’t sprouts (including bean sprouts for those who seek more protein), radish, thyme, ginger, etc. Avoid raw salad greens/lettuces as they are difficult to digest and are relatively low in nutritional content

Veggie stir-fry’s with steamed brown rice + optional tamari sauce (a healthier soy sauce alternative that contains enzymes and probiotics bacteria - wheat free varieties would be ideal) or just cold-pressed olive oil or virgin coconut oil for enhanced nutrition and flavour.

Freshly juiced root veggies (ie: carrots, parsnips, beets, turnip, burdock, sunchokes) w/ cold-pressed olive oil or virgin coconut oil to enhance absorption of vital vitamins and minerals in the veggies and to keep you ‘grounded’.

Pre-soaked (8 to 24 hours) or sprouted organic nuts and/or seeds.

Non-glutinous grains ie: millet, quinoa, brown/wild rice, teff, buckwheat (not actually a grain), arrowroot,…w/ olive or coconut oil (as above).

Tempeh, au natural, or with a small amount of tamari

Fresh small fish (for those with higher protein needs), accompanied by sautéed veggies. *Use above mentioned oils and low temperatures for cooking.

Fermented foods (lactic acid fermented ones, that is) such as kefir (if you tolerate dairy), sauerkraut (no vinegar added!), miso, kimchi, dosa, crème fraîche, sourdough, kombucha…


Foods to AVOID (in general):

Conventional animal products

Conventional produce, especially the most highly sprayed ones (see www.foodnews.org)

Refined flour and sugar

Pasteurized dairy

Unsprouted, non-organic wheat

Alcohol

Soda/Pop (even the ‘natural ones’)

Coffee

Corn

Additives/Preservatives (almost anything in a can or box)

Artificial sweeteners

Anything modified/hydrogenated/skimmed

Canned foods

‘Fast food’ soy products such as soy dogs/burgers and various other texturized soy protein products.


Note: when I say ‘organic’ I always mean certified organic. Get to know your labels and what certification boards are legitimate (ask questions, demand honest answers!). These sites can help: www.eatlocal.org or www.organicconsumers.org

Best of luck in achieving a healthy, clean body!

Contact me if you would like to work with me directly to ensure a healthy sustainable diet is achieved; one that is specific to your needs.