It’s been 31 days since I had refined sugar, and let me just tell ya…I feel phenomenal!!
My skin is clearer, my head is less foggy {far fewer headaches}, my energy level is more steady, and my jeans are loser {whoot whoot!}. It helps that along with cutting out the garbage, we’ve tossed in a heaping dose of the good stuff!
We’ve been sprouting more often, juicing almost every day, doing yoga 5 times a week, and have just made a point of eating more raw, whole foods throughout the day. Water intake has never really been an issue for me, but cutting my 5 cups of black tea & coffee back to two has been a great way to lessen my dairy and overall caffeine intake.
We’ve officially got 36 people in our Sugar Free & Fabulous facebook group, all working on weeding refined sugar out of our diets in some capacity, and while it isn’t “easy” for any of us, each one making the effort has noticed a difference in how they feel. Which just rocks my socks off!
I’ve had a couple of people ask me about sprouting, so I thought I’d give ya’ll a little overview here!
It only takes 5-7 days to have incredible, edible sprouts!
Believe it or not, you can sprout most seeds, legumes {beans, lentils, peas, etc.} and even a few grains, like barley and wheat. Some people even sprout nuts!
Once sprouted, the nutritional profile of the seed/bean skyrockets {not to mention the fact that it releases enzymes that make it far easier for your body to digest}! You’ve basically ended its dormancy and triggered the powerhouse of its life-creating potential.
We typically sprout a mixture of radish, red clover, alfalfa & broccoli seeds, with a few mung & garbanzo beans thrown in for good measure. I used to sprout each separately, one batch at a time, until I realized that they germinate at roughly the same time, and together make a great addition to any salad.
I would encourage you to purchase several kinds and just play around, discover which ones you like, and then create a mixture of your favorites – they all have distinct flavors and are reminiscent of what the plant would taste like fully grown (for instance, radish sprouts are quite spicy).
We’ve also sprouted wheat berries a few times and they’re amazingly sweet – great for tossing onto a breakfast parfait/muesli – so those are fun to try.
Chia seeds…well, we all knew we could sprout them before we knew how crazy good they were for us to ingest!
My kids eat sprouts by the handful…partially because they see us doing it…and partially because they’re just great eaters. Wholesome, real food is – for the most part – all they’ve ever known. I don’t say that to brag, but to encourage you to persevere…to provide great food, model great habits, and cultivate great eaters!
{Get ‘em while they’re young, momma!}
You can buy seeds online through numerous sprouting sources, or simply pick them up at your local health food store, like we do.
Sprouting involves several easy steps:
* Find the right jar – a large mason jar works perfectly with a simple piece of tulle over the mouth (under the metal ring) – see above, right. Cheesecloth and a rubber band work well too.
* Toss 3-6 tablespoons of seeds, lentils, beans – or whatever you’re sprouting – into your jar.
* Soak overnight (or 8 –12 hours), fully immersed in a few inches of fresh, cool water – this wakes your seeds up! Your seeds/beans will soak up a lot of water, so make sure there is plenty of it.
* Rinse and drain thoroughly 2 – 3 times a day (tulle under the lid-ring makes this super easy)…fresh, cold water in, swirl around vigorously, pour water old. Make sure your seeds don’t sit in water, so drain well.
* Circulation is essential so your seeds can breathe. After draining well, turn your jar sideways and turn a couple of times, spreading your seeds around the inside of the jar. Then simply lay it on its side, on your counter (in indirect light), until the next rinse/drain.
* in 5-7 days, your sprouts will be ready to devour! Give them a final rinse & (thorough) draining, and pop them in a container inside your fridge. Make sure they’re not at all wet before you put them in the fridge (a paper towel will help here). You can now store them for a week or more.
If you want to know more, The Sprout People website is a fabulous resource and covers everything you could possibly want to know about sprouting.
And while we’re on the topic of growing and greens, did you know you can grow your very own spring onions, celery and lettuce from the ‘stumps’ of what you purchased from the store?
Simply use up the good stuff, then place the base – the stuff we usually chuck out – in a glass with about an inch or two of water and watch those babies grow!
Oh, the brilliant resourcefulness that surges through our veins since Pinterest showed up on the scene!
