Bean Sprouts getting a bad wrap?

June 6th, 2011

Bean sprouts have become the center of attention in world news this week for all the wrong reasons. Having been implicated amongst the vegetable products thought to have been contaminated by a previously unknown form of  e. coli bacteria, the humble bean sprout is now being looked at with suspicion by consumers across europe.

The good news for lovers of bean sprouts here in the US, is that there are reliable growing facilities producing safe, uncontaminated produce as we do here at Green Garden Organics in Miami, Florida.

One of the most significant things for us has been the recent news that scientists believe the source of contamination (and maybe even the development of this particular e. coli strain) to be biogas fermentation plants in the area. Hearing this news has validated everything we have done in creating our indoor growing facility at Green Garden Organics. We felt several years ago that we needed to make this move so that our produce would not be affected by “industrial fallout” from the air around us.

Bean sprouts are so full of nutrition, it seems such a shame that they are getting this bad wrap in the news, but of course this is a part of life. It is really great to know that we can offer clean, safe bean sprouts, grown from USDA certified organic mung or adzuki beans to our customers with absolute confidence.

Of course, if you would like to grow your own fresh bean sprouts from our USDA certified organic mung bean seed, you can buy it from the amongst the range of sprouting supplies in our online store.

The Benefits of Wheatgrass

June 19th, 2010

Benefits of Wheatgrass are many and varied

Wheatgrass increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It also cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass juice consumed daily  has been shown to  stimulate metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Regular consumption of wheatgrass juice (the most popular way to get your daily wheatgrass nutrition boost) stimulates the thyroid gland, helping to correct health problems such as obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

Wheatgrass juice also helps to restore alkalinity to the blood. The juice’s abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

For many, perhaps the most important benefit of wheatgrass is its reputation as a powerful detoxifier, offering important protection for the liver and blood. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

Wheatgrass in your diet will help to fight tumors and neutralize toxins in the body. Recent studies show that wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in wheat grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

Scientists have also shown that wheatgrass juice contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds…enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice. Don’t cook your wheatgrass. We can only get the benefits of the many enzymes found in grass by eating it uncooked. Cooking destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in food.

The nutrient profile of freshly juiced wheatgrass bears remarkable similarity to our own blood. The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, president of the Hagiwara Institute of Health in Japan, is a leading advocate for the use of grass as food and medicine. He reasons that since chlorophyll is soluble in fat particles, and fat particles are absorbed directly into the blood via the lymphatic system, that chlorophyll can also be absorbed in this way. In other words, when the “blood” of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

Many ways to use wheatgrass juice to cleanse and heal the body

It has even been shown that when used as a rectal implant, wheatgrass juice reverses damage from inside the lower bowel. An implant is a small amount of juice held in the lower bowel for about 20 minutes. In the case of illness, wheatgrass implants stimulate a rapid cleansing of the lower bowel and draw out accumulations of debris.

When applied externally to the skin, wheatgrass juice can help eliminate itching almost immediately, will soothe sunburned skin and also act as a disinfectant. When rubbed into the scalp before a shampoo, wheatgrass juice can help to mend damaged hair and alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.

Used widely for soothing and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete’s foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so on, wheatgrass juice is applied as a poultice and replaced every two to four hours.

You can also use wheatgrass juice as a sleep aide. Simply place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed. It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.

Enhance your bath with wheatgrass juice. Add some to your bath water and settle in for a nice, long soak.

Gargle with fresh wheatgrass juice to sweeten your breath, firms and tighten gums.

Neutralizes toxic substances like cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

Offers the benefits of a liquid oxygen transfusion since the juice contains liquid oxygen. Oxygen is vital to many body processes: it stimulates digestion (the oxidation of food), promotes clearer thinking (the brain utilizes 25% of the body’s oxygen supply), and protects the blood against anaerobic bacteria. Cancer cells cannot exist in the presence of oxygen.

Turns gray hair to its natural color again and greatly increases energy levels when consumed daily.

Is a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin.

Lessens the effects of radiation. One enzyme found in wheatgrass, SOD, lessens the effects of radiation and acts as an anti-inflammatory compound that may prevent cellular damage following heart attacks or exposure to irritants.

Restores fertility and promotes youthfulness.

Can double your red blood cell count just by soaking in it. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen found that no other blood builders are superior to green juices and wheatgrass. In his book Health Magic Through Chlorophyll from Living Plant Life he mentions several cases where he was able to double the red blood cell count in a matter of days merely by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Blood building results occur even more rapidly when patients drink green juices and wheatgrass regularly.

Excerpts from The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore WHEATGRASS JUICE…

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How To Grow Microgreens

June 19th, 2010

Microgreens may be tiny, but they’ve become a huge trend found everywhere from corner bistros to plastic-wrapped at the grocery store. And if you’ve taken a look at the prices, they are not cheap! The good news is that it’s easy to grow your own microgreens, indoors or out. What Are Microgreens?

Microgreens are simply greens, lettuces, and herbs that are harvested when they are quite young — generally when they are approximately an inch tall.

How To Grow Microgreens

Microgreens are very easy to grow. You can grow them outside, in a garden bed or in containers, or inside on a sunny windowsill.

If you are planting microgreens in a garden bed, loosen the soil and rake it smooth. Scatter your seed mix so that the seeds are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart — remember, we’re harvesting them very young, so they don’t need a lot of room. Once the seed is scattered over the area, cover it with about 1/8 of an inch of soil and water gently but thoroughly.

If you’re planting seeds for your microgreens in a container, the first step is to choose a container that is at least two inches deep and as large in diameter as you want. Fill it with a good quality organic potting mix, and smooth the soil. Scatter the seeds so that they are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch apart, and cover with 1/8 inch of soil. Water gently but thoroughly, and place your container in a spot where it will get at least four hours of sunlight. If you’re growing indoors, a south-facing window is best, but an eastern or western-facing one will do as well.

In either case, do not let the soil dry out, and be sure to remove any weeds so that the tiny greens don’t have to compete with them for water and nutrients. Because you’ll be harvesting your greens so young, you don’t really need to fertilize them while they’re growing. If you’ve got plenty of organic matter in your garden bed, that will be perfect. For containers, mixing in a bit of granular organic fertilizer to the soil before you plant will work fine, especially if you plan on using the same soil for several plantings of microgreens (more on this below.) Microgreens grow for such a short period of time that they are rarely bothered by pests and diseases. However, if you are growing brassicas in your mix (mustard, kale, etc.) and cabbage worms are a problem, you may want to cover your microgreens with a floating row cover to protect them.

Harvesting Microgreens

The best time to harvest microgreens is when they’ve developed their first set of true leaves (the first ones are seed leaves, and don’t look anything like the actual leaves of the plant), which is generally about ten days to two weeks after planting. To harvest, simply snip the microgreens just above soil level.

Unlike mesclun or baby greens, you won’t be able to get additional harvests from one planting of microgreens. Because the plants haven’t had much time to develop, and you’re snipping off everything except the very bottom of the stem, the plant has no way to generate new growth. You can plant another crop after harvest by simply scattering fresh seed and covering it with soil. You don’t need to remove the old roots; they are good sources of organic matter.

As you can see, microgreens are simple to grow, and provide you with a quick harvest for not much work. You can add them to salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, and it’s much cheaper to grow your own microgreens than it is to purchase them from the market. Experiment with different mixes, adding the varieties you like best. They’re definitely deserving of a spot in your garden.

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