In the past few weeks, Gram has been weeding through, throwing
out, organizing - probably the most hateful task of all, the
chore for which there never seemed to "be enough time." Well,
the truth is, time is always of the essence. But limited energy
should probably have taken top billing. Admiring the neat
appearance of her closet, Gram wondered, "What gives with me?
Why the sea change?"

Then, with one glance at the gleaming new juicer sitting at the
ready on the kitchen counter, it became Obvious. All the claims
about the benefits of juicing must be true!

You might have heard about Juicing, and the trendy juice bars in
New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major cities. But for
some, juicing has become a way of life. And now Gram understands
why. Energy, weight control, restful sleep, no indigestion (not
even one bout of acid reflux) - the overt bonanza of juicing,
even in the early stages. And this, during a stressful period on
the Day Job! "My, my," thought Gram; "Like a natural
tranquilizer in a glass."

And is it tasty! Never mind all the health benefits - terms like
natural enzymes and phytochemicals purported to fight disease/
dis-ease in the human body. Well, those, too. Who among us
wouldn't like to be healthier and feel better, less lethargic
and out of sorts?

But having a background in human services, Gram has long known
that a client's mood swings and even a teen's unruly behavior
can be improved with a sound, nutritious diet. More people have
various food allergies than one might suspect. So it stands to
reason that what we eat or don't eat can affect the way we feel.
If we think of our bodies as efficient machines, then we are
more likely to think of food as fuel.

Since the juicer arrived, Gram has assembled a variety of fresh
fruits and vegetables at least once a day. Scrubbing produce
with a stiff vegetable brush, lining up the items to go into the
juicer, we've aimed for a quart of juice at each session. Some
super vegetable combinations: cucumber, celery, spinach, green
pepper, a small apple (nothing peeled, mind you - just core the
apple and seed the pepper); carrots, apples, yellow squash,
celery, lemon (again, nothing peeled except for removing the
lemon rind); tomato, carrot, celery, kale. Fruit juices that are
very good: cantaloupe, apple, carrot; watermelon, lemon, celery;
blueberry, honeydew; pineapple, orange, lemon. Each juicing
experiment has resulted in another "favorite." In the vegetable
combinations, we've added a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or
brewer's yeast, to add protein. Also, an assortment of sprouts -
but keep reading for more about sprouting.

In the meantime, we'll be juicing. Is there really a Fountain of
Youth? Our juicer just may be the closest thing.

All you need for a kitchen powerhouse of fresh foods and
unparalleled nutrition during the winter months: a few Mason or
mayonnaise jars, several 4" x 4" squares from old pantyhose (the
top part is best), and some rubber bands. You also need a safe
source of seeds and dried beans, most likely your local health
or natural foods store -- because whatever you use must be
organic, e.g., not treated with chemicals.

It's all about enzymes -- and how freshly sprouted foods are
loaded with them. It's about vitamins and fiber, too. Here are
some choices: adzuki beans, alfalfa, barley, beans of almost any
kind, buckwheat, broccoli, clover, kale, chive, chickpeas (or
garbanzos), chia, cress, mung beans, fenugreek, lentil (must be
whole to sprout, not halves), radish, soybean, triticale, wheat.

Then you place a 1 to 2" layer of seed or bean in a Mason jar,
cover the jar with the nylon square, and secure the square over
the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Fill with water a few
inches above your layer, and let soak for 2 to 8 hours or
overnight (the larger beans need a lot longer than small seed
such as alfalfa or clover). Drain the jar and invert at a 45
degree angle in your dish drainer (or in a large plastic
margarine tub in your kitchen sink). Rinse with water and drain
several times a day. When sprouted in the next few days (again,
depending on the size of the bean or seed), rinse and drain, put
a lid on the jar, and refrigerate. Use within 3 to 5 days.

What can you do with these dietary nuggets? Use mung beans in
eggs foo yung, and certainly in stir-fries. You can toss into
soup during the last few minutes, put alfalfa sprouts into an
omlet, even make bread. Incorporate in meatloaf or burgers.
Throw the sprouts into your juicer with either fruit or veggie
blends, for a beverage so loaded with nutrients it might even
add spring to your step! But the quickest, easiest way is to
include them in a big green salad.

With fast food and packaged frozen dinners which comprise so
much of the American diet, people simply aren't getting enough
fiber. Our foods are mostly processed. When was the last time,
other than salad or an apple, you enjoyed anything raw?

There are many websites on raw food diets. Researchers say that
the best course is a combination of foods, both raw and cooked.
There are even some who advocate a completely raw diet,
including raw fish and meat. http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/ "Say
It with Sprouts" is an article devoted to mung bean sprouts:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa092101a.htm "Types
of Raw Food Diets" discusses the variety of diets, at
http://www.living-foods.com/articles ypesofraw.html The Raw Food
Directory has a wealth of resources to guide you:
http://www.buildfreedom.com/rawmain.htm And don't miss a
colorful, whimsical site with over 400 pages of sprout
information: http://www.sproutpeople.com

The other detail we'd like to include: sprouts are probably the
all-time best nutritional value you can obtain for the
negligible price. True, you can forage for wild foods, but you
have to be able to identify what you're bringing home to eat. I
priced alfalfa sprouts at my local grocery: $1.99 for 4 ounces.
You can sprout your own at home for a few cents, and know they
are fresh and wholesome.

Dr. Ann Wigmore was one of the first raw foods proponents. She
recommended Energy Soup, the base of which is sprouts. Even your
children can develop a taste for sprouts. Mix a half cup of
alfalfa sprouts with peanut butter for sandwiches. "Mmm! What's
this crunchy stuff?" they'll say, as the natural vitamins are
helping their bodies to grow strong. Toss sprouted garbanzo
beans (chickpeas) into your next taco filling. Sprinkle clover
sprouts into breakfast cereal, omlet, or pancake batter.

Up for a new/nutritious eating adventure? Try sprouts!

Stephania Munson-Bishop