Seeds, beans, grains, and legumes (for the sake of brevity, we’ll just use the word seeds) are all loaded with nutrients, but many of them also contain phytic acid and other antinutrients that bind to the nutrients, making them difficult to absorb. Soaking and sprouting the seed wakes up the dormant plant, so that it is no longer a seed, but a living plant. This process neutralizes the phytic acid as well as enzyme inhibitors, making the seed easier to digest, which is a very important factor for adrenal fatigue diet.
Some studies have shown that, aside from neutralizing the antinutrients and making the nutrients easier to absorb, sprouting seeds actually increase the amount of certain vitamins and minerals, and in some cases, several times over.
Soaking and sprouting causes other changes in a seed as well. It breaks down some of the fat content, dense vegetable protein, and complex carbohydrates into forms that are easier to digest and assimilate. This process not only makes the seeds easier to digest, but also reduces the accumulation of uncomfortable gas and bloating.
The vitamins such as A, B-complex, C and E can increase by up to 20 times the original value. And research has shown that bean sprouts increase its B1 by approximate 280 percent, B2 by up to 515 percent and niacin by around 250 percent.
During sprouting, protein binds to alkaline minerals like calcium, magnesium, and others, to make them more useable in the body.
Sprouting also improves the quality of protein and improves its nutritional value. For example, the amino acid lysine increases significantly during the sprouting system. Lysine is needed to maintain a healthy immune system and to prevent cold sores.
Research has shown that enzymes in sprouts could be 100 times more prominent than in raw fruits and vegetables. This is of particular importance to sufferers of adrenal fatigue and those experiencing constant stress. In many severe cases, the digestive system has trouble properly processing food; and the more difficult the food is to digest in the first place, the greater the amount of stress is placed on the digestive system, increasing the body’s stress load. Even such small stresses can worsen adrenal fatigue as the body’s neuroendometabolic response is further dysregulated.
For the sake of recovery, it is essential to eat foods that are easy to digest and packed with nutrition, and that do not contain simple sugars or filler calories. The extra work the body must do puts stress on the body’s digestive processes which can set back the adrenal recovery process. Seeds in general are already highly nutritious foods, and by freeing the nutrients and making them more available through soaking and sprouting, the nutrition to sugar ratio is made even healthier and less taxing on your digestive system.
Sprouts and seeds are an important, high quality source of easily digestible nutrition that is easy to prepare and versatile in a variety of dishes and snacks. Incorporating them into your adrenal fatigue diet is a surefire way to improve both your adrenal recovery as well as general health.
Ingredients:
Ingredients A:
Ingredients B (premix):
Method:
You can cook this dish until very tender or leaf it very crispy by not cooking it under cover. You may want to serve it as a salad by adding some lemon juice to Ingredients B. Turn off the fire when you add Ingredients B (skip steps 5 and 6) and keep the dish in the refrigerator until ready to serve, and then add the sesame seeds.
Serves: 4
Level: Medium
Calories: 66 calories, Fat: 2.6 g, Protein: 3.7 g, Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
© Copyright 2015 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
