by Lisa Bolard
Get ready to put broccoli sprouts on your shopping list (or you can sprout them yourself). They are tasty and loaded with all things good. Three or four day old broccoli sprouts look like alfalfa sprouts and taste similar to radish. They can be added to smoothies and salads for taste and for their nutritional equity. One of the most powerful compounds found in these vegetables and their sprouts is called sulforaphane. It is sulforaphane that plays a remarkable role in preventing and fighting many forms of cancer, and it assists the liver in its ability to neutralize toxins more effectively.
The health benefits of broccoli sprouts abound, and even the medical establishment has done extensive research on broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables and sprouts, and has concluded that the benefits are indisputable. Broccoli shares some similar properties with its siblings of the cruciferous family, such as cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, mustard, turnip, radish and watercress.
But what makes broccoli, and especially broccoli sprouts so much more powerful is the concentration of sulforaphane in them. Just one ounce of broccoli sprouts contains the equivalent amount of sulforaphane found in one-and-a-half pounds of the mature broccoli plant. In addition to sulforaphane, broccoli is known to have high concentrations of vitamins A, B, K, and C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, dietary fiber, and folic acid. (Research has also shown that small amounts of crucifer sprouts in general can provide at least as much protection against cancer as much larger amounts of the mature vegetables of the same variety).
Here is a partial list of those benefits which have already been established:
- Provides protection for DNA-damaging compounds in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation
- Acts as an anti-inflammatory
- Supports production of proteins that suppress tumors
- Supports cardiovascular health
- Lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, and Increases HDL (good) cholesterol
- Beneficial for blood pressure regulation
- Provides free radical protection, which are culprits in causing cancer
- Is a rich source of protein
- Can prevent blindness among the elderly (macular degeneration) by protecting retinas from UV light and other carcinogenic agents
- Reduces COPD, asthma symptoms, and respiratory illness in general
- May help reverse damage done by diabetes-related vascular disease
- Prevents ulcers caused by the bacteria H. pylori
It seems clear, that a diet high in broccoli sprouts, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables and their sprouts, goes a long way to ward off cancer and a long list of other typical ailments that plague the general population. Scarf down those sprouts and just imagine them coursing through your veins and nurturing your every cell!
BearHeart’s Breakfast Green Smoothie
Carrots aren’t just good for Bugs Bunny to munch on! Or just for giving your smoothies an orange color! They are also 
Recipe:
We’ve all heard the sayings, “Eat Your Greens” and “Greens are good for you”, but do you really know how true it is? 
Green Smoothies
- 2 ripe bananas
Today I woke up feeling refreshed and wanted to do something extra special for my skin. I love the smell of apples as they simmer, they remind me of the holidays so I decided to create a skin refiner (exfoliant) that will leave your skin feeling simply marvelous.
Yogurt is a cultured product made from the natural bacterial fermentation of milk. Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid which is an alpha hydroxy acid. Used in skin care treatments, lactic acid has the ability to digest skin cells and improve the texture of skin making it one of the best alpha hydroxy acids for sensitive skin. Yogurt is an effective ingredient in skin care treatments and allows the outer layers of your skin to release and shed over a few days, stimulating new cell growth in the skin’s deepest layers. With its natural antibacterial and antifungal agents, it assists in getting rid of germs and bacteria that plague the skin.
