Two years ago, I discovered sprouts.

During my early COVID quarantine time when we were all first stuck at home stocking up on Twinkies and toilet paper, I powered through the The Sprout Book: Tap into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food to learn how to use dirt-cheap seeds - readily available anywhere even when grocery stores are sold out of Twinkies and toilet paper - to unlock a host of nutrients in an inexpensive, space-saving environment at home.   I used the "Broccoli & Friends" mix  - a potent blend of high-germination broccoli, alfalfa, radish and clover sprouting seeds) and a glass mason jar sprouting method to sprout for 5 days and...holy cow! I was amazed at the life these little powerhouses took on   The book teaches you how to easily grow sprouts, microgreens, grasses and much more, the health benefits of sprouts include the ability to improve the digestive process, increase metabolic rate, increase enzymatic activity, prevent anemia, aid in weight loss, regulate cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, prevent neural tube defects, boost skin health, improve vision, support the immune system, and increase usable energy reserves. Plus, sprouting deactivates all the built in plant defense mechanisms. I now use most of these on salads and in smoothies, then salt spice and dehydrate a batch for a crunchy on-the-go snack.

Doug Evans, my guest on today's podcast, is an early pioneer in the natural food industry, and he happened to have written The Sprout Book. In 2002 he co-founded Organic Avenue, one of the first exclusively organic plant-based retail chains in the country. He then created and founded Juicero, the first fresh, farm to glass automatic cold-press juicer, with the mission of bringing more fresh produce to the home.

Doug lives in the Mojave Desert at Wonder Valley Hot Springs. Doug wrote, The Sprout Book in efforts to teach people about the power of sprouts and has written a transformative plan for sprouting. He's revolutionizing gardening and growing your own food right in your kitchen in an affordable and accessible way. His mission in life is to help people learn how to grow and eat the most nutritious food on the planet...sprouts.

Among the mind-blowing nutritional qualities of sprouts:

-they have 20-30 times the nutrients of other vegetables and 100 times those of meat -they pack cancer-fighting properties and help to protect us from cardiovascular disease and environmental pollutants -they aid in digestion -they are a simple way to grow your own vegetables and compatible with all diets

The forty recipes inside his book feature sprouts on top of raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, sea vegetables, and top-quality cold-pressed vegetable oils for the healthiest diet possible.

In this episode, you'll discover:

-How sprouts differ from other plants regarding plant-defense mechanisms...

-The sprouting process explained...

-Logistical questions about sprouting answered...

-The immediate results of Doug's sprouting practice...

-And much more!

Detailed show notes containing links to resources, podcasts and articles mentioned in today's show can be found at https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/sproutspodcast

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