*ahem* back on track...
i work hard to overcome genetic pack rat tendancies but it doesnt always work. meaning, i still have the glass sprouting jar w/ its screw-on mesh cover. sweet. that's all the motivation i need.
i tried to talk to other people doing the cleanse about how one goes about sprouting but the verbal assault of amount of time to soak, # of times to rinse, and acceptable timeframe for eating went in one ear and out the other, as all these variables vary based on what you're soaking. (i only play an engineer on t.v...) and their It's Easy! It's Simple! encouragements did little to sway me.
so i do what any neophyte does, and upon googling sprouting, i immediately notice lots of posts with phrases like "i heard," or "someone said." is sprouting a secret underground society w/o posted instructions? (cool.)
i hereby present to you, my sprouting manual:
Sprouting for Cynics
the following points are lifted from various, unreferenced-due-to-lack-of-time, online sprouting pages:
- Nuts and seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors. And by soaking them, you not only release the toxic enzyme inhibitors, but also increase the life and vitality contained within them! The purpose of these enzyme inhibitors is to protect the nut and/or seed until it has what it needs for growing (ex. sunlight, water, soil, etc.). Since the soak water will contain the enzyme inhibitors, and is very acidic to the body, please be sure to rinse your nuts and seeds well after soaking.
so removing the enzyme inhibitors through sprouting makes the soaked substance easier for your body to digest. the theory being:
-"they'll digest themselves and nourish your cells without requiring anything from your body!"
what's with all these exclamation points! and why did God create food that contains digestion prohibiting chemicals? hmmm. filed for after-death.
what do i do with these slimy soaked nuts since i dont own a dehydrator?
If you are unable to dry your nuts or seeds, only soak an amount that you can be sure to use within two or three days. For convenience, I like to soak nuts and seeds in mason jars, rinse them after 12 hours, and then if I don't have a chance to dry them, I store them in my refrigerator without a lid so that air can get to it. But it is vitally important to rinse them at least once (preferably twice) a day with fresh water, draining the water each time. Be sure to use these nuts within a few days, because as with any live food, mold tends to set in within days if you're not careful.
mmmm!!! mold. i bet that's raw.
this is starting to seem like a lot of food maintenance, which i am still learning...
- "If i had just one piece of healthy advice to give to a person, it would be to eat a lot of sprouts. People who do are so much healthier. There's only one way to prove this for yourself, and that is to try it for yourself."
random non-medical zealots scare me but never fear, your guinea is here!
i have no idea where people procure some of these substances they soak(!). so i'm going to stop trying to live up to my so nicknamed Overachiever tendencies and start small. i'm going to attempt to sprout chickpeas & lentils. i'm also going to soak raw nuts and compare eating soaked versus unsoaked raw nuts.
this is becoming a science fair project. (it would have been much cooler than the Singing Wineglasses that i did in 7th grade...) my hypothesis is that i won't notice much difference in how soaked vs. unsoaked make me feel b/c i'm not the best test case. i eat raw and roasted nuts constantly, so im already acclimated to the digestive work needed to process and they dont bother me anymore.
garbanzo beans (chickpeas) soak 12 to 18 hours, sprout 1.5 days
lentils soak 8 to 14 hours, sprout 1 day
ok, i need more hand-holding than that, so im posting the step-by-step below.
walnuts soak 12 hours
pecans soak 8 hours
almonds soak 12 hours
cashews (rumored to get soggy if longer than) 4 to 5 hours
wish me luck. keep you posted on the outcome of my science fair project: To Sprout or Not to Sprout(!!!!)
i heart the internet.
c.
p.s. gold star question of the day: my mac laptop doesn't have Home and End keys and it's killing me. if anyone knows the Home and End key sequence equivalents on a Mac keyboard, you get the gold star for today!
Garbanzo Beans
Sprouting Instructions
Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts
Put 1/2 Cup of seed* into a bowl or your Sprouter.
Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70°) water.
Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all.
Allow seeds to Soak for 8-12 hours.
Empty the seeds into your sprouter if necessary.
Drain off the soak water.
Rinse thoroughly with cool (60-70°) water
and Drain thoroughly.
Set anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses.
Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.
And, once more...
Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.
And, perhaps once more...
Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.
Lentil
Sprouting Instructions
Yields approximately 1 Cup (1/2 lb.) of Sprouts
Put 1/2 Cup of seed* into a bowl or your Sprouter.
Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70°) water.
Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all.
Allow seeds to Soak for 8-12 hours.
Empty the seeds into your sprouter if necessary.
Drain off the soak water.
Rinse thoroughly with cool (60-70°) water.
Note: Orange Lentils produce starchy water. They won't sprout too well unless you get rid of it - so Rinse and Rinse and Rinse until the water runs clear. It can take a little while - but don't skimp.
Drain thoroughly.
Set anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses.
Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.And, once more...
Rinse and Drain again in 8-12 hours.
And, perhaps once more...
Rinse and Drain in 8-12 hours.
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