When food becomes medicine.
Foods nutrition is more than its quantity of vitamins and minerals. The real potential lies in the phytochemicals content. Theses plant compounds such as antioxidants, bioflavonoids, carotenes, phytosterols, glucosinolates, sulphorophanes, isoflavones, phyto (plant) estrogens, polyphenols, etc. These are all abundant in the embryonic or “sprout” stage of plants and vegetables. Sprouted seeds are nothing more than germinated seeds which are feed raw.
When sprouted seeds are consumed the amazing nutrients are moved into the blood stream. The high level of bio-activity of these embryonic plants provides the current that delivers its natural medicine this is why I advocate sprouting for your horse’s health and of course your own health.
Let’s take one aspect of sprouted seeds, enzymes.
So what is an enzyme?
An enzyme serves as catalyst for specific biochemical reactions in the body.
There are plant enzymes, digestive enzymes and metabolic enzymes.
*Enzymes are found abundantly in sprouted seeds and sprouted grain theses are especially abundant in the embryonic or “sprout” stage in the plants (baby plant stage).
*Enzymes give the body vitality & spark and play a critical role in the digestive system. Enzymes support the immune system and help with metabolic efficiency.
*Sprouts have enzymes to digest them selves so the body has no work to do to break them down thus your horse can spare his own enzymes; it’s like an enzyme holiday!
*Heat destroys enzymes.
*Raw un-cooked foods contain enzymes like a carrot but to take it to the next level sprouted seeds are a raw living food.
* Keeping in mind that enzymes are destroyed by heat, most processed feed is heat treated that means no enzymes are present this includes pellets, textured, extruded, flaked etc.
To Start Sprouting
Always start small, with something easy- some simple seeds to start sprouting are things like
- Quinoa- which is a lovely alkalizing grain, full of minerals and rich in important amino acids.
- Black sesame seeds- rich in calcium & other minerals, excellent for the nervous system.
- Amaranth- minerals rich, strong antioxidant properties.
- Fenugreek- excellent for helping to cleanse the lymphatic system & support the immune system.
- Millet- excellent for bone cartilage, joints and connective tissue.
- Whole oats- nourishing the nervous & endocrine system.
- Hemp seeds- ideal protein, anti-inflammatory, slow release energy.
All the above seeds have super benefits but must be soaked overnight in water to get the full nutritional wonders. They will be ready after first initial soak or can be kept for 1 or 2 days once you rinse and drain daily. Each of these seeds can be feed at a rate of half a cup per day. They can be added to your original feed as a “superfood boost”.
Sprouts are so easy and cheap to grow they can be added to your horses normal feed for that enzyme boost. You can feed a lot or a little of sprouted seeds that will depend on you. My e-book "Seeds to Feed" contains everything you need to know about sprouting for your horse it is available at www.equineherbalist.ie
keep it real.
