It is very easy to enjoy the health benefits of sprouting your own vegetables and grains.
Sprouts have enormous health benefits, add zest to a salad or can be a replacement for your salad. Listed below are the most popular seeds to use for sprouting, their health benefits, and sprouting times. You can purchase many sprouting containers or simply use jars already in your kitchen. Start with Organic seeds!!! I use a quart jar with a cheescloth lid which is held in place by its metal ring. Cover the bottom of the jar with your favorite seeds and cover seeds with water. Let the seeds soak overnight. Drain and rinse the seeds a couple of times a day. Keep in temperature of approx 65 degrees F. in a dark place. Continue rinsing 2 times a day until your sprouts are the length you desire. Put into light the last day if you wish more leaf growth.
Vegetable and Herbs to Sprout
Alfalfa
Alfalfa dries dampness, diuretic, appetizer, benefits the urinary system and intestines, detoxifies the body. Alfalfa cleans and tones the intestines and takes harmful acids out of the blood. Used for arthritis, edema, weight loss, bladder stones, plantar warts, chronic sore throat, fevers, gas pains, peptic ulcers, drug and alcohol addiction recovery.
Contains: protein, carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, sulfar, silicon, chlorine, cobalt, zinc, Vit. K & P and chlorophyll.
For a 1 quart jar full use 2 tablespoons seed, soak 6 hours. 5-6 days sprouting time.
Broccoli
Recently rediscovered for its anti-cancer properties. Broccoli is a diuretic, brightens the eyes and treats summer heat conditions. Used for eye inflammation and nearsightedness.
Contains: Vit A and pantothenic acid which benefit rough skin, Vit. C, sulfur, iron, B vitamins and chorophyll. Caution is recommend for those with thyroid deficiency or low iodine levels as broccoli contains chemicals that disrupt the body's ability to use iodine.
Radish
Moistens the lungs, cuts mucus, removes food stagnation, and detoxifies. Regular use of radish will help prevent viral infections such as colds and flus. Used to clear sinuses, hoarseness, phlegm, and sore throats, indigestion, abdominal swelling, removing toxins, gallstones, kidney stones and bladder stones.
To make a 1 quart jar full, use 1/4 cup seeds, soak 6 hours. Ready to eat in 5-6 days.
Mustard
Pungent flavour, influences the lungs, tonifies and moistens the intestines, clears chest congestion, improves energy circulation and dissolves stagnant or congealed blood. Use for cold and coughs to reduce the mucus associated with lung infections.
Use 1/4 cup for a quart jar. Soak 6 hours, ready to eat in 5-6 days.
Cabbage
Mucilaginous, moistens the intestines, benefits the stomach, improves digestion, beautifies the skin. Treats constipation, colds, whooping cough, mental depression and irratibility, rids the digestive system of worms, ulcers, skin eruptions, leg ulcers, varicose veins, arthritis, wounds and chronic cold feet.
Contains: High sulfur content, Vit. U, C, and E, and iodine.
Red Clover
One of the most useful anti-cancer herbs. Clears the blood of deadly toxins and used to treat any illness and to maintain good health.
Use 2 Tbls. for a quart jar. Soak for 6 hours, ready in 5-6 days.
Beans to Sprout
For a quart jar use 1/2 to 1 cup of beans. Soak for 12 hours, ready in 3-5 days.
Black Bean
Beneficial to the kidneys and reproductive system, builds yin fluids and blood, diuretic. Used to treat low backache, knee pain, involuntary seminal immission, infertility, hoarseness, laryngitis, kidney stones, bed wetting, urinary difficulty, and hot flashes of menopause.
Black Soybeans
Influences the spleen-pancreas and kidneys, improves blood circulation and water metabolism, diuretic, removes toxins from the body, quells wind conditions.
Used to treat rhuematism, kidney disease and kidney related conditions such as low backache, weak bones, and painful knees, relieves spasms, cramps, inflammations and chronic cough.
Fava Bean
Diuretic, strengthens the spleen-pancreas. Used to treat edema, swelling and diarrhea.
Chick-Pea
Beneficial to the pancreas, stomach and heart. Contains more iron than other beans and is a good source of unsaturated fats.
Navy Beans
Beneficial to the lungs, promotes beautiful skin.
Kidney Bean
Diuretic, increases yin fluids. Treats edema and swelling.
Lentil
Diuretic, benefits the heart and circulatory system, stimulates the adrenal system, increases vitality of the kidneys.
Lima
Benifits the liver and lungs, beautifies the skin, increases yin fluids, highly alkalizing. Neutralizes acid conditions that arise from high consumption of meats and refined foods.
Mung Bean
My favorite! Detoxifies the whole body, removes environmental toxins such as lead and pesticides. Beneficial to the gall bladder, liver, produces yin fluids, diuretic and reduces swelling. Used for edema, high blood pressure, food poisoning, diarrhea, painful urination, mumps, burns, boils, heat stroke, conjunctivitis, acidosis, gasto-intestinal ulcers, restlessness, impatience, urinary difficulties, and alcoholism.
Peas
Tonifies the spleen-pancreas and stomach, harmonizes digestion. Used to treat spasms, vomiting, hiccups, belching, coughing, constipation, carbuncles and boils.
Soybean
Strengthens the spleen-pancreas, influences the colon, moistens conditions of dryness, supplements the kidneys, cleans blood vessels and heart, improves circulation, helps restore pancreatic functioning, promotes clear vision, diuretic, lowers fevers, highly alkalizing, removes toxins, boosts milk production. Used to treat dizziness, childhood malnourishment, skin eruptions, constipation, edema, and food poisoning. Natural source of lecithin which is considered a brain food.
Grains and Seeds to Sprout
Sesame Seed
Moistening to the intestines, treats rheumatism.
Poppy Seed
Relieves vomiting and benefits large intestine.
Brown Rice
Diuretic, thirst quenching, nourishing, good for nursing mothers.
Wheat
Cooling, used with fevers, clears digestive tract, also calming and sedating due to wheat's nourishing effect on the heart.
Amaranth
Cooling thermal nature, dries dampness, benefits the lungs, high in protein (15-18%), fiber, amino acids (lysine and methionine), vitamin C, and calcium. It contains more calcium and the supporting calcium cofactors (magnesium and silicon) than milk.
Barley
Cooling thermal nature, sweet and salty flavour, strengthens the spleen-pancrea, regulates the stomach, and fortifies the intestines. Builds the blood and yin fluids and moistens dryness, promotes diuresis, benefits the gallbladder and nerves, very easily digested. Treats diarrhea, soothes inflamed membranes, alleviates painful and difficult urination, quells fever, helps reduce tumors, swellings, and watery accumulations such as edema.
Buckwheat
Neutral thermal nature, sweet flavor, cleans and strengthens the intestines and improves appetite. Is effective for treating dysentery and chronic diarrhea. Rutin, a bioflavonoid found in buckwheat, strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, inhibits hemorrhages, reduces blood pressure, and increases circulation to the hands and feet. Rutin is also an antidote against x-rays and other forms of radiation.
Corn
Neutral thermal nature, sweet flavor, diuretic, nourishes the physical heart, influences the stomach, improves appetite, and hleps regulate digestion, promotes healthy teeth and gums, tonifies the kidneys and helps overcome sexual weakness. Drink a tea decoction made from whole dried kernels to treat kidney disease.
Millet
Cooling themal nature, sweet and salty flavor, diuretic, strengthens the kidneys, beneficial to stomach and spleen-pancreas, builds the yin fluids, moistens dryness, alkalizing, balances over-acid conditions, sweetens breath by retarding bacteria growth in mouth, high amino acid profile and rich silicon content, helps prevent miscarriage, anti-fungal, one of the best grains for those with Candida albicans overgrowth. Also useful for diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, and diabetes. Soothes morning sickness.
Oats
Warming thermal nature, sweet and slightly bitter flavor, soothing, restores nervous and reproductive systems, strengthens spleen-pancreas, builds and regulates qi energy, removes cholesterol from the digestive tract and arteries, strengthens cardiac muscles. Can be used in cases of dysentery, diabetes, hepatitis, nervous and sexual debility, indigestion and swelling including abdominal bloating. One of the richest silicon foods, oats help renew the bones and all connective tissues. oats also contain phosphurus, required for brain and nerve formulation during youth.
Quinoa
Warming thermal nature, sweet and sour flavor, generally strengthening for the whole body, specifically tonifies the kidney yang(warming and energizing function of the body) and the pericardium functions. Compared wit other grains, it has the highest protein content. Contains more calcium than milk and is higher in fat content than any grain. A very good source of iron, phoshorous, B vitamins, and vitamin E.
Wild Rice
Cooling thermal nature, sweet and bitter flavor, diuretic, benefits the kidneys and bladder. Has more protein than other rice. It is rich in minerals and B vitamins and is a hardy food for cold climates, it cools the superficial tissues and concentrates warmth in the interior and lower body areas.
Pumpkin & Squash
Influences the colon and spleen-pancreas, diuretic, expels worms. Used to treat motion sickness, nausea, impotency, and swollen prostate. Valuable source of zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.
Sunflower
Influences the spleen-pancrea, lubricates the intestines, hastens the eruptions of measles.
All of the above information has been taken from "Healing with Whole Foods" by Paul Pitchford.
This is an excellent resource book that I highly reccomend to anyone wishing enhanced health.
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