Going Green this Year

Provident Ponderings  Jan. 2012

Many of us give lip service to “green leafy vegetables” but shun letting them cross our plate or palate.  There is probably no other single category of food that could change our lives for the better this year, than adding generous portions of “greens” to our diet. 

Our son, Quentin, regularly blends a maxi-potion green drink using a healthy dose of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables:  kale, spinach, broccoli, mustard greens, Swiss chard, melon, pears, and berries. By using them copiously in his daily “green drink” it has made a difference in his physical health. Right now Quent uses mainly spinach or kale for greens as that is what is growing in his garden. He advised, “Frozen mangoes and green grapes taste really good when mixed with kale.  We also have a lot of oranges on our tree so I’m doing a lot of kale/oranges.  Berries are supposed to have good anti inflammatory properties so I’ll use a lot of blueberries and strawberries.”

 Another Green Venue

       Recently I started sprouting seeds again in an effort to get the necessary “greens” for optimal health this winter. The nutritional value of sprouts is remarkable as they contain a greater concentration of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosamines, trace minerals, and bioflavonoids than at any other point in the plant’s life – even more than when the plant is fully matured. They also contain chemo-protectants which work against toxins, resist cell mutation and invigorate the body’s immune system.

When you consider most produce, loses nutrition each day it sits, the benefits of eating sprouts takes a decided triple leap into top spot as the most beneficial food around. Even though sprouting may seem sort of a “new age” thing to do, its nutritional value was discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago.  With Google at your fingertips you can quickly become an expert on sprouting, as well as finding sources of all types of seeds to use.

Benefits of sprouting

1.     Growing sprouts is economical. Seeds can multiply 8-15 times their weight. Depending on what you grow, you can spend as little as 25 cents for a pound of fresh sprouted indoor-grown organic greens. I usually sprout 1-2 tablespoons of small seeds at a time.
2.   . Growing your own sprouts in your home is ecologically sound. No airplanes, fuel or oil was consumed to deliver this food to you. No synthetic fertilizers or petroleum-based pesticides are added unless you do it. 
3.  3. Sprouts are fresh, LIVING foods. There is no loss of nutrients sitting in warehouses or on grocery store's shelves. Even after you harvest your sprouts and refrigerate them, they will continue to grow slowly and their vitamin content will actually increase. Compare this with store-bought vegetables and fruits, which start losing their vitamin content as soon as they’re picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.
4.  Another benefit to sprouting seeds and nuts is that it removes the enzyme inhibitors which are chemicals in nuts and seeds designed to preserve the life force within. Enzyme inhibitors are what keep the seed or nut in a dormant state until it is ready to bring forth the plant or tree within.  That is what sprouting does.  Sprouting takes the seed out of a dormant state and releases all sorts of nutrients and beneficial enzymes that are only accessible through sprouting. The nutrients and enzymes released from sprouting vary, depending on what you sprout.
5.  In addition to being highly nutritious, sprouted nuts and seeds are more easily digested by the body, making the nutritional content more usable by the body, Tests have shown that the nutrients in seeds and nuts are anywhere from 50% to 400% greater after sprouting or soaking. According to Rita Romano in her book Dining in the Raw, millet and wheat contain over 5 times the vitamin C when sprouted and the vitamin B content increases substantially as well. Sprouted nuts, seeds and grains are best consumed raw. Heating them above 116 degrees begins to destroy the healthy enzymes and reduces the nutritional content.
6.  Sprouts will stay fresh & hearty for a week or more when refrigerated, if you rinse them every day or two. You can even give the green sprouts an extra hour of sunlight after rinsing to keep them at their nutritional peak.
7. Seeds are also a wise commodity to have in your food storage.

Six Rules For Sprouting Seeds:

·        Rinse often, an easy task a child could do.

·        Keep seeds / sprouts moist, not wet.

·        Keep seeds / sprouts at room temperature.

·        Give them plenty of room to breathe.

·        Don't put too many seeds in any one container.

·        Keep them covered - no light.

I use plastic sprouting trays that are available on-line or at food storage or health food outlets. But when I first started I used a quart bottle. For a quart-sized jar, start with 1 1/2 tablespoons seeds inside the jar, screw on the fine mesh lid (for draining purposes) and partially fill the jar with warm water, not hot. Swirl it around to clean the seeds, then pour the water out. Refill with warm water to cover at about 3 times their depth & let soak overnight. For the next 3-4 days it’s just a process of rinsing and draining and watching them grow.  

Using Sprouts

There are many ways to use sprouts.  I’ve even used them on sweet potatoes, and even cheese cake! Here are more common uses:

·        Add to tossed green salads

·       Use in coleslaw, or as a topping for soups (cabbage, clover, radish)

·        Delicious in potato salad (mung bean, lentil)

·        Add to wraps and roll-ups (alfalfa, sunflower, radish)

·        Add just before serving stir-fry along with other vegetables

·        Blend into fruit shakes, smoothies or vegetable juices (my current favorite)

·        Replace celery or onion with sprouts in sandwich spreads

·        Mix with soft cheeses for a dip or in cheese balls (mung bean, radish)

·        Top cheese sandwiches, or tuna with sprouts; use instead of lettuce

·        Add to omelets or scrambled eggs

·        Combine in rice dishes or sushi 

                         Go wild, Go green this month!