You can spend $172 at Whole Foods on that organic good food, but if you aren't preparing it right- it may not be as nourishing as you'd think...
Legumes are a popular protein alternative to hormone-laden meats but also contain a natural coating of anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors, like phytic acid, that can leave you feeling bloated and rob your body of the valuable nutrition stored in the food. Traditional societies have long soaked their nuts, seeds and legumes to make them more digestible and available to the body.
Sprouting these items takes the process one step further! Energetically, a sprout can be thought of in a very high state because it takes the most life energy (prana) for a seed to break through the soil. When we understand prana and how our food becomes our bodily tissues, we can see the benefit of consuming nuts, seeds and legumes in their sprouted state. I have personally noticed a difference in my overall vitality by sprouting my lentils and consuming sprouts and microgreens in my meals. I found this great graphic on weedemandreap.com that lists the soaking and sprouting times for many different legumes, nuts and seeds:
I look forward to sprouting my own microgreens and other nuts, seeds and legumes to use in recipes in the future~
It takes a little planning but so far I've been making:
- Almond milk with 2 cups soaked almonds and 3 soaked dates, blended with 5 cups filtered water, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of salt after the almonds have been rinsed. NO CARRAGEENAN OR GUMS NECESSARY:D The first time I tried this, it was like eating real cheese after only having Kraft my whole life.
- Post-workout protein bites with 1 tbsp. soaked sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp, soaked pumpkin seeds, the leftover paste from the almond milk, 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds, collagen, half scoop of chocolate protein powder or 1/2 tbsp. cacao, MASHED BANANA and honey or maple syrup.
- Lentil soup and dhal with 1 lb. SPROUTED green lentils or mung beans
- You can also make chia puddings of all kinds by soaking chia seeds in water or almond milk overnight. A variety of enhancers, like matcha, maca, cacao, spirulina, chlorella, collagen, protein powder, psyllium husk, ashwagandha and other adaptogens and herbs, even essential oils like mint, ginger and lemon, can be mixed with the liquid before chia seeds are added to increase nutritional potency.
In this time of quarantine and need to stay healthy, I'm so grateful for my meat prep! I like stocking up with meat on sale, making a few quick marinades (another easy prep that saves you from tons of added sugar, preservatives and additives; so many great recipes out there!) and freezing the different flavor combos in weekly portions. The taste tip is: whether I thaw it in the fridge or on the counter, I always try to make sure it's room temperature before cooking. This helps with the tenderness of the meat, much the same as how we warm up our muscles before "cooking" them at the gym to get the best results. Similarly, let the meat rest at least 10 minutes after cooking and before consuming as a "cool down".
There is so much more to say on the proper preparation of food, but I wanted to at least get this out there and maybe even start a discussion. In this world of instant everything, I find immense gratification in the intentional, and even ceremonial, preparation of food. Not only does proper preparation increase the nutritional efficiency and "life energy" of our food, it brings us closer to its subtle qualities and the healing properties of these gifts from Mother Nature.