Why Should You Eat Sprouts?

Get tired of limited options in your kitchen? What about sprouts? Sprouts are the edible germinated seeds of beans, legumes, nuts, grains, and vegetables. You can find sprouts pretty much everywhere, including grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Some of the most common sprouts are alfalfa, broccoli, radish, clover, wheatgrass, mung, lentil, or chickpea. Some baked products are also made with sprouted grains, such as Ezekiel bread, which has a high protein content of 5 grams per slice.

sprouts are excellent sources of antioxidants, essential amino acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. There are many health benefits of eating sprouts. Today, many people are fighting against their weight. Sprouts are great choices for weight loss due to their low-calorie content and dense nutrition. Sprouts contain a high amount of fiber that makes you feel full longer. It also inhibits the release of ghrelin, which is a hunger hormone that can trigger you to eat more. 

How can sprouts benefit your gut health? The process of sprouting increases the nutritive value of the ingredients and provides better digestion. According to studies, folate and other bioactive compounds increase in sprouted foods, at the same time, nutrition inhibitors such as phytate decrease. In addition, there are more antioxidants and bioavailability of nutrients in the sprouts than in the grown vegetable or legume. The quantity of nutrients may not change, but the quality of the nutrients can definitely improve in sprouting. Sprouting means growing something, which indicates enhancing the nutritive value of the food. Sprouts contain a high content of living enzymes, these enzymes help boost your digestion. They help break down food more efficiently and enhance the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract. The dietary fiber in sprouts also helps regulate digestion.

Sprouts are very nutritious. They are high in a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, which is important for your immunity and collagen production; vitamin K, which plays an important role in bone health and immunity, B vitamins, which are important for stress management and metabolism. Did you know that sprouted grains offer more protein than non-sprouted ones? Sprouts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, especially alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Both omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in sprouts can improve your heart functions. Sprouts also offer abundant vitamin A, which helps improve your vision and eyesight. Vitamin A, biotin, zinc, and other nutrients in sprouts can stimulate the growth of hair and nails.

Here are some amazing health benefits of sprouts:

• Increase nutrients and decrease nutrition inhibitors.
• Improve blood sugar profile.
• Contain high content of enzymes that improve digestion and boost gut health.
• Promote the healthy growth of hair and nails.
• High in Vitamin A that improves vision.
• Improve heart function with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
• Enhance immunity and prevent cancers.

You may wonder what are the best sprouts out there.

Broccoli sprouts are a promising treatment for peptic ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are among the most widely consumed sources of sulforaphane. However, broccoli sprouts contain 100-400 times of sulforaphane compared to other cruciferous vegetables, which possess anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts can act both as an antioxidant and detoxifier, which help remove toxins including heavy metals from the body.

Bean sprouts can help improve liver health due to their high concentration of lecithin. Lecithin helps regulate healthy fats in the liver, which prevents liver damage such as the fatty liver. Bean sprouts are among the easiest to grow and commonly available, including mung bean, garbanzo beans, and adzuki beans. Mung beans are small green beans that belong to the legume family. They are high in protein and iron; iron is essential in the production of hemoglobin. Thus, regular consumption of mung sprouts can help prevent iron deficiency anemia. Bean sprouts are also high in Vitamin C, which the body needs to absorb iron. Bean sprouts are one of the best foods to add to your diet if you need to increase your iron intake. Lentil sprouts are a good source of vitamin C, folate, and manganese. They also contain thiamine, copper, and iron. Lentil sprouts are also a good source of protein; you can also enjoy them raw.

Sunflower sprouts are loaded with vitamin D and have a nice rich flavor. Clover green sprouts are sweet and crisp, they are great for sandwiches and salads. Radish sprouts are very high in vitamin C and vitamin A with a spicy taste. Mustard sprouts are very hot and spicy and go well in dishes as well as salads. Pea shoots are a great source of three chemo-protective agents: folate, antioxidants, and carotene, which help protect cells against DNA damage. Sprouted grains such as brown rice and buckwheat can be added to bread to provide a crunchy texture.

There are different ways to grow your favorite sprouts and how to grow your sprouts, they are easy to grow and money-saving. Welcome to the sprout world to re-define your kitchen supplies. What do you think? For more information on holistic health and nutrition, please visit https://optimalhealthsolutions.ca

February Astrology - The Light of Freedom

Astrology is the pulse of our timeline. What can you expect in February? The energy of February is speedy because all the planets go direct this month. The full moon in February is also called the Snow Moon due to the typically heavy snowfall that occurs in February. The energy in February is very positive to start with.

Numerology Sheds the Light

The full moon will arrive on Feb.16^th at 27 degrees of Leo. Number 7 (1+6 =7) is highlighted in this month, which is the number of spirits, it is associated with faith and inner wisdom. 27 degrees have been repeating at each full moon for a few months. The sum of the single digit of 27 is 9 (2+7 = 9). Number 9 is associated with changes and endings. The energy of both numbers is expressing itself during this month. It is the faith and the strength of spirit that bring people together to form worldly events at large, such as the Canadian Trucker Freedom Convoy that ignites the global movement for freedom. God's spirit of 9 is in motion and expression. The transformative planet Pluto will return to the natal chart of the United States on February 22^nd, 2022. Number 22 is a master number as a global builder, we can expect that the United States will lead the world for transformation at a large scale, including political structure, finance, education, etc.

New Moon Ignites Passion
The new moon on February 1st in Aquarius highlights equality and humanity. It also coincided with the Chinese New Year – The Year of Tiger. The Year of Tiger can trigger impulsive and restless energy, the tiger is associated with communication and the element of water. 2022 is a water tiger year, so is 2023. We can expect our emotions are highly charged this year. Venus-Mars conjunction will kick off in February in Capricorn and forms exact conjunction on the 16^th at 16 degrees, back to number 7 again. Venus and Mars conjunction is associated with social transgression, sex scandals, children trafficking, etc., which can be the spotlights in the news this month, of course, mainstream media will downplay the game, you have to do your own research.

What is the impact on your personal life and outlook of the near future, please click here.

Osha Root - A Protector for Your Lungs

Have you heard about Osha root? If you are hit by a flu, it is time to strengthen your immune system. Our air is filled with not only toxins but also pathogens. It is important to enhance your lung function and boost your immunity to keep a cold or flu at bay. Osha root is one of the herbs that can charge your lung capacities.

Osha root (Ligusticum porteri) is a perennial herb that is part of the carrot and parsley family with a pleasant spicy celery aroma, it is native to the western mountains of the United States and Mexico, especially near the southern Rocky Mountains. Osha root is also called bear root, love root, mountain ginseng, or chuchupate. It has traditionally been used by Native American and Hispanic cultures as a treatment for respiratory conditions, such as pneumonia, coughs, sore throat, bronchitis, and colds. Traditionally the Native Americans wrapped the root in leaves and strung it up near their newborn babies to cleanse the air that they breathe. Today, osha root is not commercially cultivated and is usually sold in tinctures, sprays, or capsule forms.

Osha root contains important natural oils such as camphor, ferulic acid, saponins, phytosterols, and terpenes. It helps increase dilation of the bronchial tubes and treat many respiratory conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, allergies, and emphysema. It also helps relieve congestion by increasing the circulation of blood to the lungs and clearing mucus from the respiratory passage due to its expectorant properties. Osha root also contains antiviral properties that can combat a cold or flu. It helps ease a sore throat and relieves symptoms of a cold due to its histamine inhibiting effects and numbing effects. If you suffer from high altitude sicknesses such as headaches, nausea, brain fogs, and difficulty breathing, chewing on some fresh osha root can help relieve these symptoms effectively.

Health benefits of osha root include:

• Improve lung function and increase oxygen capacity.
• Clear mucus from the sinuses and lungs.
• Relieve congestion and make breathing easier.
• Ease sore throats and coughs.
• Increase blood circulation to the lungs and increase dilation during constriction.
• Combat a cold or flu due to its antiviral properties.
• Relieve symptoms of high altitude and motion sickness.

Osha root is often found in pre-made cough syrups, you can also make your tinctures or teas with the whole osha root to fully enjoy its health benefits. How to make your osha root tea? Add a handful of your dried root to a pot with 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil then reduce it to a low simmer. Simmer for at least an hour to extract the most benefits out of it. You can add a tsp. of raw honey to make it more pleasant to drink.

You can also combine osha root powder with raw honey, propolis, and thyme to make your own natural remedy for a sore throat or cough. Health maintenance is the key to optimal health. For more information on holistic health and alternative medicine, please visit https://optimalhealthsolutions.ca.