It is very easy to adhere to a healthy and quality food in the warm season, when in any store and in any market you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits, almost directly from the garden. And how difficult it is to adhere to such a regime in the winter. If you could stock up berries and vegetables frozen in summer - very good. And if not? There is an exit. In cold and gray winter days, it is possible to restore and maintain immunity with the help of a simple natural product that has become available to almost everyone. We are talking about sprouts of cereals, legumes and other seeds.
The famous biochemist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent-György noted with surprise: "I have been weak and painful since childhood, but since I started to eat a portion of the seedlings every day, I stopped being sick." It is interesting that he started eating seedlings on the 70th year of his life and lived up to ... 93 years old. Growing wheat germs is not a fashionable novelty of the 21st century, but the oldest method. Thus, the germination of cereal crops, rice, nuts, legumes, various herbs was widespread in ancient times in the territories of China, Tibet and India. In our region, sprouts were also popular: our ancestors sprouted wheat seeds and took them on hiking trips, then to cook various jelly and porridges. Many know the history of the English navigator James Cook, whose team ate bean sprouts in their voyage and thus avoided death from scurvy. Scientists began to study the properties of germinated seeds in the 40s of last century, then a doctor from the Netherlands named Mehgman with the help of sprouts was able to heal a patient from a malignant tumor in the stomach. In 1989, the consumption of young sprouts of wheat and other crops was recognized as one of the ways to treat cancer.
Sprouting sprouts Sprouts are called grains or beans with small sprouts up to 3 mm. In fact, sprouts - the same vitamins, trace elements and other useful substances, but in a natural way for assimilation. At the same time, zero calories and one hundred percent benefit! Why do germinated seeds have a more pronounced effect on the health of the body than just beans and vegetables? It is in seedlings that there are many more vitamins and minerals. There are many in the germinated grains of chromium and potassium, which are needed for the proper functioning of the nervous system. Also, if the seeds are germinated before the first shoots shoot, this process gives a much purer cholophyll.
In addition, that sprouts strengthen the body, they also preserve the external beauty. The means in which the germinated particles are contained are very much appreciated in cosmetology and cost an order of magnitude more expensive than conventional creams and serums. They contain a large number of medicinal substances, due to which these drugs have a toning, softening, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing actions. Effectively cleanse and nourish the skin, smooth wrinkles, help strengthen hair.
Technical side of the issue Today in large stores specializing in healthy nutrition, already sprouted grains are being sold, but they are quite easy to germinate on their own. The main thing is to buy whole grain. If you buy grain from your hands, ask the seller did not treat them with chemicals from pests. The best option is to purchase grain from the villagers immediately after the harvest was harvested. If you do not have relatives in the village, then go to the market, ask and agree.
If you did not use the sprouts immediately, then put them in the refrigerator (at lower temperatures they grow more slowly) and wash them every day in cool water. Keep them at a temperature of +2 ° C, preferably in a glass with a well screwed-on lid.
The easiest way is to get wheat germs. To do this, we take the grains and soak them in cool water without chlorine. For about 3-5 hours. The main thing is not to overexpose the seeds in the water. So, if you leave the wheat in the water for more than 6 hours, then the seeds will grow much more slowly, and some of them may not ascend. If you leave the grains in the water for more than 11-13 hours, then they definitely will not germinate. Since the grain in the moist environment increases in size, the capacity must be filled with grains no more than one-third. Take into account the temperature regime. The ideal temperature of soaking of grains is 20-22 degrees. If the temperature falls below 19 degrees, the germination rate decreases, but if the temperature of the medium rises above 25 degrees, the grains may undergo a fermentation process and not germinate.
In addition to wheat, it is easy enough to germinate crops such as oats and rye - they are not fastidious to the surrounding conditions and grow rapidly. Are more complex in germinating flax and rice - they germinate more slowly and require for themselves increased attention. So, for example, rice should be kept in water for 13-17 hours, while you can only grow dark rice (one that is not ground and not steamed). One of the most delicious and nutritious are oat and sunflower sprouts. Oat grains are kept in water for 10-11 hours, sprouts appear on the second day. In order to germinate the oats, you need to buy special oat grains, intended specifically for these purposes. The sprouts are very delicate and pleasant taste, somewhat reminiscent of melted milk.
Sprouts, which are useful to everyone without exception, are buckwheat. Soak the buckwheat is enough for 30-40 minutes, it sprouts up to 2 days. Germinate only green buckwheat.
How to germinate cereals
Germination of grains at home - the process is not complex and does not require much effort. The whole process of obtaining seedlings can be divided into four phases.
1. Preparatory stage
Take the number of grains you need. On average, 100 grams of grains produce about 200 grams of seedlings. Remove debris, weeds, as well as damaged cereals. Then rinse the seeds with cold water, using, for example, a sieve.
2. Soak the seeds
Take appropriate dishes for this procedure: there are special containers, sprouting seeders, simple glass jars, bowls and plates are also suitable. Generously soak the seeds in water. For each kind of seeds, beans or grains, there is a time of soaking. Surfaced grains are not suitable for germination - they are dead, so they need to be drained with water.
3. Wash the seeds
After you have soaked the seeds and they stood in water for a certain time, the water must be gently drained. It is better to do this with a colander or a sieve. The seeds remaining in the dishes must be rinsed well in cool water.
4. Sprouting
Wet the seeds in a special dish, where they will be provided with the necessary humidity and air, tightly covered with a lid and put in a dark, cool place, because in nature they grow underground, in natural darkness. If you decide to grow the seeds in the open light, the boring can not appear for a long time. In order for the sprouts to be in a fairly humid environment, it is necessary to put moist gauze or other fabric, folded in several layers, on the bottom of the dishes. This tissue will slowly transfer its moisture to the germinating seeds.
How to properly prepare and eat seedlings
Sprouted grains and seeds are best consumed at breakfast. If you want to have a snack after dinner or at night, you risk spending the night without sleep, since the sprouts contain quite a lot of stimulating ingredients. The ideal breakfast is a mixture of apple, raisins, nuts, yogurt and sprouts. You should accustom yourself to "live" food.
Put 1-2 tsp in a variety of salads, cottage cheese, yogurt and stir well. It is best when two kinds of germinated grains or seeds (for example, flax and sunflower, buckwheat and mung beans) are present in the mixture and shuffle these combinations once every few months. After 2 months of eating this amount of sprouts, you can increase their amount to 3 tablespoons per day (which is approximately equal to 80 grams), however a large daily portion will not go for the benefit of the body.
It is not necessary to put sprouted grains in hot dishes: during thermal work their nutritional value is significantly reduced.
It is recommended to grow several kinds of sprouts at once - cereals and legumes, and then mix, pour with linseed or any vegetable oil. Dried wheat sprouts can be ground in a coffee grinder before the formation of flour and these crumbs fill cold dishes. From such flour you can prepare and drink: in half a glass of cold water, stir 1 teaspoon of flour from sprouts, add 1 tablespoon of honey and half a cup of cream.