Health Hack #11: Grow your own Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli is pure magic.

In her book, The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, Dr. Natasha Winters states the following: “Cruciferous vegetables help prevent cancer in many ways thanks to the phytonutrients they contain. From helping to eliminate potential carcinogens from the body to enhancing the action of tumor-suppressor genes, cruciferous vegetables are the most well-studied anti-cancer vegetable family.”

Broccoli sprouts in particular are a known super food on this planet.

Broccoli sprouts are essentially three- to four-day-old sprouted broccoli plants and have 50 to 100 times the cancer-fighting power as the mature stalks typically sold in grocery stores. Even Johns Hopkins University has invested in broccoli sprout studies and have since proven through numerous clinical trials, that “phytochemicals, or plant compounds, are said to help guard against cellular damage that contributes to cancer and other chronic diseases.”

Researchers at Hopkins and elsewhere have since tested sulforaphane [an isolated compound of phytochemical] and it’s effectiveness in helping the body fend off pathologies from autism and osteoarthritis to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, and most recently Schizophrenia

And the best part – they are super simple to grow these at home. I just bought a broccoli sprout starter kit off Amazon (because I wanted the full instruction on what to do), but really once you get the hang of this you just need a mason jar with a mesh lid and some organic broccoli seeds.  You don’t need a grow light or anything special either. I have might right next to my sink so I can rinse them 2-3x a day. You’ll have ready-to-eat sprouts in 3-4 days. I put them on salads, add them to omelets, or add them to the blender when I make a smoothie.

Not a broccoli fan? Good news, you can also get your phytonutrients from brussel sprouts, kale, broccoli, raw cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, kohlrabi, radish and watercress. Aim for a minimum of three servings daily to maximize their benefits (each serving is ¼ cup to ½ cup).

*directly sourced from The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, by Dr. Natasha Winters