Supercharge Your Health with Broccoli Sprouts: A Powerful Add to Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Ready to supercharge your health with a little green powerhouse? In today's episode, I'm guiding you through the astonishing world of broccoli sprouts. 

Packed with vitamins, fiber, and the marvel antioxidant sulforaphane, these tasty sprouts not only enhance gut and brain health, they also support joint health, reduce cellular damage and lower inflammation. 

The bonus? They're more digestible than many other foods, making them an excellent addition to your anti-inflammatory toolkit.

Ever wonder how to grow broccoli sprouts? Join me as we navigate the ins and outs of sprouting these little gems at home. 

You'll learn how sulforaphane-rich foods encourage beneficial gut bacteria, repair the gut lining, balance hormones, and mitigate cellular damage. 

I'll also cover the importance of consuming a variety of cruciferous vegetables and walk you through the sprouting process, right from picking the appropriate seeds to ensuring your sprouts are safe to consume.

Happy Listening!

Ready to Sprout? Download Your FREE Broccoli Sprouting Guide
Eat the freshest, most nutrient pack sprouts possible by sprouting your own. Its a super rewarding and tasty way to add a layer of anti-inflammatory goodness to your day. Your free guide includes a step-by-step sprouting guide, benefits, and delicious ways to enjoy them. Click HERE for your FREE Broccoli Sprouts Guide.

Rate, Review, and Subscribe!
I am honored that you tuned in to today's show and I don't want you to miss a single episode! Make sure you go HERE to hit the subscribe button so you know when the next episode drops.

If you found this episode helpful in any way, please leave me a Rating + Review. When you do, it helps me reach and support other people, just like you, so that they can move toward living a healthier and happier life with RA. Click HERE, scroll down to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, then scroll down and tap 'Write a Review'. Then share what resonated with you in the episode! What did you love the most?

Looking for community and like-minded individuals in this journey?
CLICK HERE to join my Thrive:  A Community for Rheumatoid Arthritis on Facebook

*This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any illness or disease. The information provided herein is for general educational purposes, has not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA and is not intended to take the place of advice from your medical professional, licensed dietitian or nutritionist. You are solely responsible for your health care and activity choices. Your decision to try this formula does not constitute a client-coach relationship. For my full disclaimer, please visit: https://dawnlaflin.com/disclaimer/

*This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any illness or disease. The information provided herein is for general educational purposes, has not been reviewed nor approved by the FDA and is not intended to take the place of advice from your medical professional, licensed dietitian or nutritionist. You are solely responsible for your health care and activity choices. Your decision to try this formula does not constitute a client-coach relationship. For my full disclaimer, please visit: https://dawnlaflin.com/disclaimer/

Transcript

Dawn: 0:00

Like broccoli, they are nutritional powerhouses. In fact, I kind of put them up there in that rock star category when it comes to being anti-inflammatory food. They are loaded with nutrition. They have high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, protein, fiber and, of particular interest, sulforaphane. This is a phytochemical that has been shown to have many benefits, such as cancer prevention. It promotes gut health, supports brain function.

Dawn: 0:33

I'm Dawn Laflin, certified health coach and fellow RA warrior. It wasn't all that long ago that I was in this place where I was fearful of the uncertainty of my future, wondering when my next flare would come or wondering when the pain would let up. Fast forward, through many trials, errors and lessons learned, and you'll find a gal who is stronger, healthier and more confident in her future than ever before. Yes, I still have RA, but RA doesn't have me. I believe our lifestyle, food choices and mindset greatly impact the way our bodies handle rheumatoid arthritis. I created the Thrive with RA podcast to explore the science-based ways to realign your health. Through these three pillars and so much more, we'll be navigating both the messy and the blessings that come from living a life with RA. Each week you'll get a good dose of education, inspiration, encouragement and hope as you take small steps to improve your health and overall life. If you've been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or are still trying to figure out if the symptoms you're feeling are indeed rheumatoid arthritis, you are in the right place. My friend, let's get started. Before we get started, I want to make sure that you know that I have a free resource available for you down in the show notes all about broccoli sprouts. It's everything you need to know to get started to sprout and then what to do after you have them. Be sure to grab your free copy down in the show notes. Let's get started. Well, hey there, friend, welcome back to the Thrive with RA podcast. I am so happy that you are here. Have a little celebratory moment as I released episode number 10 of the podcast, excited to continue providing you with inspiration, information, education and all the things so that you can continue to find a better balance with your rheumatoid arthritis.

Dawn: 2:17

If you've been following me for any amount of time, you know that I love broccoli sprouts. I post about it all the time over on my social media accounts and the different ways that I use them, and I know that just the thought of broccoli makes some people cringe, and I get it, but hear me out, these tender, tiny baby broccoli plants are actually extra special and, in my opinion, I think that they taste even better than their grown-up version. One of the reasons that people might cringe when they think about broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables is because they taste bitter to them. Well, when eating sprouts, you actually find that that's not really the case. They taste sweeter. Some people say that they feel broccoli sprouts taste, have a peppery taste, sort of like radishes or arugula. I personally don't connect it to a particular flavor so much as I just really love the smell. There is this freshness, sweet, tender smell that you have when they are super fresh broccoli sprouts, and I love that.

Dawn: 3:21

So why am I telling you all about broccoli sprouts today? Well, I want to share a lot of the benefits and what comes with eating broccoli sprouts and why you might want to consider adding them to your diet. There are so many benefits to eating sprouted anything, one being that sprouted food makes that food more digestible, which might be an added benefit for you. If you find that broccoli causes some digestive distress for you, you might find that you tolerate broccoli sprouts better than you do mature broccoli. So let's talk about what makes them special and unique. Like broccoli, they are nutritional powerhouses. In fact, I kind of put them up there in that rock star category when it comes to being anti-inflammatory food. They are loaded with nutrition. They have high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, protein, fiber and a particular interest, sulforaphane. This is a phytochemical that has been shown to have many benefits, such as cancer prevention. It promotes gut health, supports brain function, joint health and heart health, and has even been shown to help lower blood sugar levels.

Dawn: 4:32

More specifically, let's kind of dive in and talk about the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. So forafame has been shown to help regulate the immune system. It's helpful in aiding in shutting down pro-inflammatory pathways. It's also been shown to correct gut dysbiosis. Now, gut dysbiosis on a high level is when you have an imbalance of your good and your bad microbes. We all have microbes within our gut microbiome and if they are out of harmony it can cause a lot of chaos for your overall health. You'll find that by eating more sulforaphane-rich foods it helps to increase those good gut bugs, which helps repair the gut lining and balance your hormones and improve your digestion and so much more. Another benefit is that it's a powerful antioxidant helping to reduce cellular damage. It cools around and kind of finds those free radicals that are circulating throughout your body and really tamps them down. These are just a few of the many benefits of sulforaphane, so it's safe to say that they're kind of a big deal when it comes to improving gut health, which ultimately impacts your inflammation in a good way.

Dawn: 5:45

You can find sulforaphane in all the cruciferous vegetables, which is amazing, because variety is the spice of life. I talk about it all the time on my Instagram when I'm showing my photos of my colorful food, because variety is something we have to focus on. It's the key to good gut health. But if you were like me, in the beginning of my journey, I had no idea that my gut needed help. I didn't know what I didn't know. I didn't know how much TLC it actually needed. So, while focusing on a wide variety of cruciferous vegetables is important, because that variety is important, I just want to make sure that you add in this other layer, another layer to your toolbox of broccoli sprouts into this mix. Doing so will level up the game even more, and here's why these immature broccoli plants can produce 10 to 100 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli. That means that you can eat a smaller amount, which gives you the same effect of eating a larger serving of the mature broccoli. So it kind of seems like a no brainer to me.

Dawn: 6:52

Now, one question that comes up when working with clients or answering questions on social medias aren't sprouts contaminated and bad for you? And it is a great valid question Because of the sprouting nature. Yes, there is a risk of bacterial contamination, but that's why it's so important to properly sprout and thoroughly wash them before you eat. Now I'm going to cover this more detail after I share the steps, so stay tuned until the end.

Dawn: 7:22

Now, by now you might be thinking OK, I'm kind of interested in these broccoli sprouts. It might be something I want to consider adding to my diet. How do I go about doing that? Well, there's two ways you can do that. You can go to your local grocery store. I have better luck at Whole Foods, but you can also check other natural stores, like your Trader Joe's Sprouts. They may carry them as well. There's even some of the larger national chain stores that are starting to carry them. So be sure to check any of your stores near you Now.

Dawn: 7:51

The benefit, of course, is that it's super convenient. They are ready to go. You can take them home, wash them and use them right away. The challenge is that they're pricey. Our local foods charge us $3.99 per pack, which can last me anywhere from 10 to 12 days. They're also not as fresh as I'd like. There have been plenty of times when I have found myself searching through all the box containers, looking on the bottom of them, trying to see are these fresh? Because I have brought home some bad ones before. So if you're looking for a better option where you can guarantee that they are fresher, they are more nutrient packed, less expensive than Sprout your own that's what I want to talk to you about today is the process of sprouting them and, of course, being a podcast, I can't show you the step by step, but I will walk you through explaining the process and know that I have notes for you in the show notes. That will kind of it's a printable that you can just print out and use as you're learning the process and the steps. A lot of great resources that you will find on that, so be sure to grab that from the show notes.

Dawn: 8:54

Let's talk about what you need before you start sprouting. First, you're going to need a sprouting jar. You can get these anywhere. There's mason jars that you can use, that you might already have on hand. Your goal is that you want a wide mouth jar and you want one that's one to two quart size two quarts in size. You're also going to need a mesh, stainless steel sprouting lid, one that won't rust on you.

Dawn: 9:17

Now, in that free resource, I'm going to show you a picture of the one I use in love. It's just this super cute little system set up that I was given as a gift and I absolutely love it. It has everything in one neat little stand in place, so it just keeps it compact and is adorable to look at. If you don't have something like that, you can easily use, as he says, a mason jar and prop it up so that it will drain all that water out. Your goal and your aim is to get 30 to 60 degree angles so that you can have proper drainage of the water. You can use something like the system I have. You can also have. They have angled racks that you can buy, or you can even just use a bowl. Just make sure that your jar is elevated and angled so that that water fully drains out.

Dawn: 10:02

Lastly, you're going to need some raw, organic, non-gmo sprouting broccoli seeds. When you're ready to start, you're going to take and make sure that your jar has all your containers are thoroughly cleaned with warm soapy water. I usually run mine through the dishwasher the night before I know I'm going to use it so that it is clean and ready to go that next day for me. As I mentioned, I have a free resource for you down in the show notes, so make sure you grab that so that you can have all your questions answered. It's a great resource that's full of tips on the steps involved, as well as safety tips and some uses for you.

Dawn: 10:37

Okay, so let's dive into the steps. First, you're going to take two tablespoons of broccoli sprouting seeds, put them into your jar. You're covering that with three times the amount of filtered water. You're going to give that a quick stir and remove any of the seeds or holes that float to the top. Usually those are not the most viable seeds. Then you're going to take and you put your sprouting lid on and you'll leave that there for the remainder of this process.

Dawn: 11:01

The trick is is that first night I usually do this overnight you're going to put it in the corner of your counter. I usually put mine back in the corner, tucked out of the light, out of the sunlight, so that it has space to sort of soak and start to start the process. In the morning you keep the lid on, but you're going to drain out all that water. Then you're going to add in fresh, filtered water, rinsing those seeds, swirling that water around to make sure that you're reaching all the little seeds. At this point you're going to start to notice some of those seeds are starting to crack open, and this is where I get kind of excited, because the process has yet to not cease to amaze me. I love watching. It's an easy, quick win and it's fun to nurture and watch them grow.

Dawn: 11:42

Next you're going to pour out that water and try to keep your seeds and sprouts evenly distributed so that they don't end up in a clump in the jar or on the lid. Believe me, that sometimes can be easier said than done, but do work to try and make that happen. You're going to turn the jar upside down, angle it at that 30 to 60 degrees and then make sure that the water is able to drip out so that you don't have any standing in the jar itself. You're going to repeat this process the rinse and drain and then rest two times a day. I usually do my first thing in the morning and then again at the end of the day. Now, each day, you're going to see the most amazing transformation take place, as the seeds start to sprout and then grow little tails, and then they have these yellow leaves that eventually begin to erupt. By day five you'll see the tails have extended one to two inches and all the leaves are erupted. All the yellow leaves have erupted.

Dawn: 12:34

Now, in this process, you might notice something that looks like a fuzzy hairiness at the end of each of the stems. More than likely, it's not a mold. The first time I saw that I thought, oh, this didn't work. But it does work. Rather, there are really little roots that are sprouting out from the ends of the sprouts, searching for water. So don't worry, trust the process. The key is to make sure that you are rinsing and draining on schedule. Now I've learned a trick to make sure that these are okay and there's not something else going on, and that is that, as you put that water in, watch what happens. If you notice that the white fuzzies sort of disappear, it confirms that they're baby roots. I always suggest to do the smell test so that you know what's going on. If it doesn't smell, if it smells off, trust me, you're going to know and you're going to toss it and start over.

Dawn: 13:22

Now, usually by day five, it's time to put your sprouting jar in the sunlight. Sunlight helps ignite the chlorophyll. Now, chlorophyll is an important nutrient to have in your diet. It's a powerful antioxidant with many anti-inflammatory benefits. The chlorophyll what happens is the sunlight will turn that chlorophyll on essentially and turn the leaves bright green.

Dawn: 13:44

After that, your organically grown sprouts are ready. As a final step, I'd like to give them a good rinse and drain. I remove that lid and put all the sprouts out on a paper towel for about 30 to 60 minutes. You can even do that over near a sunlight window so that you can add a boost of chlorophyll as they're sitting and rusting. Then you're just going to take everything and use a clean glass container, line it with a fresh paper towel and put your sprouts in there, seal it up with an airtight, sealed lid and pop it in the fridge. That's it. You will. You know, there'll stay fresh in there for a good week.

Dawn: 14:21

Sometimes I've been known if I have a large batch. I'll put half in the fridge and then half in the freezer so that I can use them and not waste any of the nutrients. So how do you enjoy these lovely sprouts once you have done the work of five days? Again, it's an easy win and it's fun to watch the process. They offer a fantastic crunch and texture to your dishes, so I love adding them to as many entrees as possible. They can go on tacos, on stir fries, salads, sandwiches, avocado toast. I like to think of it as a fun little topper to whatever you're making. It looks very fancy and it is packed with nutrients, so don't skip eating it Now. On a part and important side note is to not cook your broccoli sprouts. They're so tender and so young that you will kill the nutrients and kind of defeat the whole purpose of making broccoli sprouts. Add them to the top of your finished cooked food and it's a great little crunch.

Dawn: 15:15

My other favorite way to use them is in my smoothies. If you've downloaded my free smoothie resource, you know I've got broccoli sprouts in there. It's an easy way to really up level the nutrients that you're taking in with your smoothies and if you don't love the flavor of broccoli sprouts. It's a no brainer because you can throw them in your smoothies and it gets covered up by the other flavors that are bursting through that smoothie. It's easy to mask that and then still enjoy the smoothie and get all the nutrients All right.

Dawn: 15:42

So I mentioned at the beginning that we would talk about some sprouting safety tips. So if you want to go through those, make sure that we don't miss that. You're going to want to make sure that you are washing your containers thoroughly with hot water hot soapy water prior to using them. It's critical. That's really a big key piece. You also want to make sure that you wash your hands with soap and water prior to handling the jar and or the sprouts if you're pulling some out of the of your container. You also want to make sure that you are using clean, fresh, filtered water when you are rinsing the sprouts For storage. You want to make sure that you are using clean storage containers and you want to make sure that, as you're you're sprouting these sprouts, that that water is fully draining out with each wrench, rinse and rest period. You also want to do the sprouting in an area that's temperature controlled climate controlled so it's not either too hot or too cold and it's out of direct sunlight. You also want to make sure that it's out of contact with any other raw foods and or pets. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you do any handling of the sprouts and if you need to give them that smell test to make sure that they're fresh and clean, that smell that I love when I open up that container is just like oh, I can just taste them and I'm ready to dive in. So you want to wash the sprouts thoroughly before using with some cool water and then use them right away to maximize their nutrient density.

Dawn: 17:07

Now, if you are purchasing sprouts from a grocer or a farmer, look for organic if possible. You're going to want to do a quality check. Do they have that bright green look and do they seem really fresh, or do they seem kind of brown, sort of like off white, maybe a little slimy, or just seem like they're off? If they're open and you're able to smell them, do they have an unusual smell? You want to avoid those. It is not worth your time, your money or the effort. Go for those bright, green, fresh ones only. You also want to make sure that you're buying sprouts that are refrigerated and use them by their best by date. Now, that said, if you get them home and you say you have another seven days by the best by date and you start to notice that the coloring is changing and the smells starting to become a little off, toss them. It is not worth keeping it, it is not worth getting sick. Okay, that's it Broccoli sprouts in a nutshell, and I hope that this has been really helpful for you.

Dawn: 18:05

It gave you some of the ins and outs about broccoli sprouts, why they're so nutritious and what benefits they can bring to your life and why they should be definitely added to your various meals throughout the week. I hope that you found this super helpful. Let me know get in touch with me over on social @Dawnlaflinhealth and tell me how you plan to use broccoli sprouts Again. I've got them in my smoothies. I use them for a lot of the different entrees throughout the day. You can get creative and use them in so many different ways.

Dawn: 18:36

If you found this episode helpful in any way, would you do me a huge favor and leave a review and a reading? This is what helps me reach so many other RA Warriors, so that they can learn that there are definitely different things that you can do to help bring better balance, more energy, less pain, clearer thinking to their days. It's so important, and hearing from others that are listening and finding value in this podcast is a way that it will be able to extend its reach. So I would be so grateful if you would be able to leave a review and a rating Until next time. I hope that you continue to take those small steps that really lead to big changes for you and how you feel, so that you can go from merely surviving to thriving in your day to day. Okay, I'll see you next week, same time, same place.