February 29, 2024
Picture this: nestled within a tiny seed lies the blueprint for life itself, quietly waiting for the right moment to burst forth. Add a splash of water and a hint of sunlight, and these unassuming seeds awaken, transforming into vibrant sprouts teeming with life and health benefits.
Today, I'm exploring the captivating world of sprouting with Doug Evans, the mastermind behind The Sprouting Company. If you're interested in uncovering the remarkable benefits of sprouts and how they can revolutionize your health and well-being, you won't want to miss this episode.
Doug, an early pioneer in the natural food industry, wrote The Sprout Book, which I read during the COVID-19 quarantine. This book teaches you how to easily grow sprouts, microgreens, grasses, and much more. It also helps you discover the vast health benefits of sprouts, including improving the digestive process, increasing metabolic rate, boosting enzymatic activity, preventing anemia, aiding in weight loss, regulating cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, preventing neural tube defects, enhancing skin health, improving vision, supporting the immune system, and increasing usable energy reserves.
With over 30 years of experience, Doug's journey underscores what he calls “the transformative power of sprouts.” In 2002, he co-founded Organic Avenue, one of the first exclusively organic plant-based retail chains in the country. He then created and founded Juicero, the first fresh, farm-to-glass automatic cold-press juicer, with the mission of bringing more fresh produce to the home. Today, he is helping people realize their health potential with The Sprouting Company, which my wife and I now use extensively to sprout foods from broccoli to alfalfa to lentils and more.
Doug's mission extends beyond providing sprouts; he's a beacon of knowledge on their nutritional benefits, making healthy eating and self-sufficiency in food production accessible to all. In this show, you'll explore topics like the best seeds for sprouting, the optimal daily intake of sprouts, the potential health risks associated with sprouting, proper storage methods, the best sprout recipes, and much more.
With that said, get ready to unravel the mysteries of sprouting and discover how sprouts can revolutionize your approach to food and well-being.
Oh, and if you're looking for additional information on sprouting, I suggest checking out our first podcast together: “How To Tap into the Power of the Planet’s Most Nutritious Foods: Sprouts, Shoots, Microgreens & More With Doug Evans.” You can also visit The Sprouting Company by clicking here (use code BEN to save 10%).
During this discussion, you'll discover:
-Who is Doug Evans?… 06:10
- A sprouting nerd
- Previous podcast with Doug Evans:
- The Sprout Book: Tap Into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food by Doug Evans
- Ben adds sprouts to his smoothie
-Does blending sprouts activate cancer-fighting sulforaphane?…07:31
- Little vacuoles (storage compartments within the cells of plants) contain water, nutrients, waste products, and glucoraphanin — a natural compound found in certain vegetables, particularly in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale
- The vacuoles open and blend with myrosinase (an enzyme found in plants) when chewed, creating sulforaphane — a compound known for its potential health benefits, including anti-cancer properties and support for detoxification processes in the body
- Freezing action has the same effect
- You can keep sprouting seeds in the freezer for longer preservation, but it's best to use sprouts fresh
-How did Doug get into sprouts?…10:27
- Doug first saw sprouts in a farmer's market in New York 30 years ago
- He moved to the Mojave Desert 7 years ago and lacked fresh food
- Decided to grow sprouts
- Sprouts are vegetables
- Sprouts are rich in nutrients
- Could be an alternative to a multivitamin or a protein powder
- Sprouts are medicine
- Supported by scientific research
- Detoxifies benzene — a carcinogen found in plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, rubbers, dyes, detergents, and other chemicals — from the lungs
- Regulates insulin levels in diabetics
-What plant defense mechanisms could be harmful?…14:36
- Paul Saladino and Steven Gundry on sprouts
- Podcast with Dr. Paul Saladino:
- Podcast with Dr. Steven Gundry:
- Doug has lived exclusively on sprouts for 30 days at a time
- Protein-oriented sprouts all have amino acids that form complete proteins
- A seed is a complete living organism in a dormant state
- What allows that seed to stay in this dormant state are nature's preservatives
- Soaking seeds with water triggers a chemical reaction, and the seed germinates
- By doing that, you remove the enzyme inhibitors
- Soaking initiates a metabolic transformation — from a seed to a vegetable
- Sprouting and fermentation help to pre-digest potential digestive irritants
- Soak Time For Common Seeds, Nuts, Beans and Grains
- Populations living on legumes
-How do you sprout properly?…21:04
- The Sprout Book by Doug Evans
- The first instances of sprouted seeds go back to 3,000 BCE
- You take a jar, take a quarter cup of seeds, and fill it up with 1 cup of water
- Leave them soaked for 8 hours
- You rinse them twice a day
- The Sprouting Company (use code BEN to save 10%)
- On average, produce is old when you get sprouts at the grocery store
- Home-grown sprouts are eaten whole when they are alive
- Digestive distress when eating sprouts
- Sprouts are prebiotic (insoluble fibers in plants are prebiotic)
- It may take a few days or weeks to establish a healthy microbiome
- The body adjusts over time
-What are Doug’s favorite sprouts?…28:48
- Sprouted garbanzo beans
- A good snack midday or before dinner
- Fills you up
- A cup has 20g of protein
- Sprouted lentils
- Doubles the antioxidant levels
- Triples the vitamin C
- Quadruples the soluble and insoluble fiber
- Protein Mix (use code BEN to save 10%)
- Garbanzo
- Mung beans
- Lentils
- Alfalfa (use code BEN to save 10%)
- Alfalfa sprouts for the goats
- Can also sprout pumpkin, chia, and flax seeds
- Chia and flax seeds have omega-3 medium-chain fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
- The myth that the conversion from ALA into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is inefficient — EPA and DHA are long-chain omega-3 fatty acids that are primarily found in fatty fish and seafood
- Nori sea vegetable
- Podcast with Dr. Bill Harris and Dr. Kristina Jackson:
- OmegaQuant Omega-3 Index Test
- Doug has never felt better and does 300 push-ups a day
- Ben does 100 push-ups a day
-What are Doug’s favorite recipes for sprouts?…33:47
- Used to add sprouts to his salads
- Now uses sprouts (whole jars) as the salad base and adds different dressings
- Wrapping sprouts and making sushi — sprouts replace the fish and rice
- Still uses wasabi, ginger dressing, and various sauces
- Adds soup as a dressing on top of his sprouts
- Ben uses bone broth with his sprouts
- Dr. Thomas Cowan's Garden (use code BEN to save 15% off of any vegetable powders)
- Ashitaba powder
- Low oxalate greens
- Primal Kitchen (use code BEN to save 10%)
- Caesar dressing
- Ranch dressing
-How do you preserve and store sprouts?…37:06
- 3 types of preservation:
- Freezing
- Dehydration
- Freeze drying
- Dehydration removes water molecules — left only with the cytoplasm (a jelly-like substance that fills the cell and is enclosed by the cell membrane)
- With low-temperature dehydration, you still get living, enzymatically-rich food that stores well
- Dehydration is a great way to be able to travel with the sprouts
- The first go-to is always fresh
- How long can they stay in the refrigerator?
- If something looks slimy or smells funky, don’t eat
- They can usually be stored for 2–3 days
-What is The Sprouting Company and how is it solving sprouting problems?…39:51
- The Sprouting Company (use code BEN to save 10%)
- The story of co-founder Mike Posner
- Transformation from being a pop artist to walking across the country and climbing Mount Everest
- Doug’s beginnings and problems with sprouting
- Finding the right seeds
- Germination is very important
- Broccoli and Friends
- Had broccoli seeds tested for sulforaphane and the precursor glucoraphanin at a third-party lab
- Some had 30, 40
- The highest was 55
- Some seeds had 0 levels
- Sent seeds to another lab to get them DNA sequenced
- Some seeds were in the Brassica family — not actually broccoli
- Sprouting Kit (use code BEN to save 10%)
- Sprouting App
- Benefits of sprouts and anti-nutrients
- Anti-nutrients protect the plants from predators, which are insects
- New research from Johns Hopkins University on broccoli sprouts, sulforaphane, and autism
- The anti-nutrients are creating heat shock protein impact in the brain
- Simulating the effects of getting a fever
- Beneficial effects similar to a sauna, a hot bath, or even a cold plunge
- Chefs love sprouts
- Sprouts can be the main ingredient of the meal
Something awesome is coming…
Soon, I will be releasing bonus content from this episode that you will get to hear on a brand-new platform my team and I are building. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to learn more.
For this episode, unlock answers to insider questions, such as:
- How do you manage 300 pushups a day?
- If someone googled you, what's something people wouldn't find out about you on the internet?
- Why were you “uneducatable” growing up?
- What keeps you awake at night?
- What would you say if you could return to your 15-year-old self?
- What single book has been most formidable to you?
- What kind of negative feedback do you get online?
- What's the biggest mistake you've ever made?
-And much more…
Upcoming Events:
- Uncovering the Secrets of Longevity: Live Beyond the Norms: February 26–March 3, 2024 (Pre-Recorded)
Join me in this pre-recorded event to learn from the experts in longevity, including those who understand the aging process and the mechanisms that can slow or halt it. Discover what you can do now to look and feel younger and extend your life span while maintaining your quality of life. After all, why live longer if you can't hold onto your health, purpose, mental acuity, fulfillment, and relationships? Learn how to age better than you ever thought possible; sign up for the pre-recorded event and use the code UNCOVER20 to save 20% here.
- Health Optimization Summit — London: June 15-16, 2024
The Health Optimization Summit is the ultimate gathering for anyone passionate about biohacking, wellness, and living their best life. Dubbed a must-do event, it promises a transformative weekend filled with the opportunity to meet and learn from over 35 world-class speakers (including yours truly) in nutrition, longevity, mental health, relationships, and more. Learn best-kept secrets, try out the latest high-tech health gadgets, and discover the cleanest supplements and foods on the market. Don't miss this life-changing weekend — grab your tickets before they're gone here.
- Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar!
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode
Resources from this episode:
– Doug Evans:
- The Sprouting Company (use code BEN to save 10%)
- The Sprout Book: Tap into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food
- How To Tap Into the Power of the Planet’s Most Nutritious Foods: Sprouts, Shoots, Microgreens & More With Doug Evans.
- The most formative book that helped rewrite Doug's mindset:
– Podcasts:
- Carnivore Diet Myths Debunked, Hard Questions About Meat Vs. Plants, Are Broccoli Sprouts Really Bad For You & Much More With Dr. Paul Saladino.
- Can Smoking Cigarettes Make You Live Longer, Are The Blue Zones A Myth, Which Meat You Should Think Twice About Eating & More With Dr. Steven Gundry
- The Giant Fish Oil Episode: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Omega 3 Fatty Acids, EPA, DHA, Dosing, Sourcing & Much More!
– Other Resources:
- Nori
- Tahini
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Olive Tapenade
- Wasabi
- Ginger Dressing
- Bone Broth
- Dr. Thomas Cowan's Garden (use code BEN to save 15% off of any vegetable powders)
- Primal Kitchen (use code BEN to save 10%)
- Broccoli and Friends Seed Mix
- OmegaQuant Omega-3 Index Test
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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Doug Evans or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!
never go full koolaid, especially made only with rabbit food.
Absolutely no one is looking forward to so called bonus content on this sprouts nonsense.
This guy says he’s never become emaciated… His turkey neck screams otherwise.
Not to mention the stupidity of 300 pushups every day AND the receding hairline.
Dude, Dr. Gundry said it concentrates the lectins in the beginning of the process. Then he said if you do it long enough and after it’s done, it decreases the lectin count.
Ben is an absolute punk. Misquote Dr. Gundry … bad enough – but then this guy who turns EVERY goddamn item ever mentioned on every podcast he’s ever done says Doc Gundry may have had capitalism as his reason for talking about sprout lectins?!
Ahole. Complete idiot.
Ben can you do a cast on fibromyalgia, chronic pain, pain sensitivity syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, Neuromyotonia, etc.? Dr. Jacob Teitulbaum could be one of the pieces…and there are others.