Blog by Tanya Maher

Blog Menu

Sprouting Chart and Guidelines

Posted by 2 · August 03, 2011

Sprouted Adzuki beans

Hey there!

You may have seen my outrage on Facebook yesterday about losing internet connection for an entire day. It hit me like a brick. Yes, it was painful. I thought I was experiencing serious Detox symptoms during my heavy metal detox a while back, but I really had noooo idea what was coming my way when all of a sudden the phone signal AND wifi went bust!

Sprouted wheat

I’ve done ‘internet fast’ challenges in the past and got great pleasure out of it actually, but this time it was completely involuntary, more like a shock, as I simply was not prepared. Somewhere between tearing hair out of my head and freaking out like a mad woman, I finally saw something clearly...

Sprouted Alfalfa

I got my wish! For months now I’ve been dreaming about an opportunity to sit down without any interruptions, go over the stacks of notes from various courses to refresh, gather information that has been piling up, de-clutter to make room for learning more aaaaand make a Sprouting Chart for you too!!...

Sprouted Quinoa

Am I that boring, when THIS is what I’ve been dreaming of? I can’t tell you what a liberating feeling it is to turn a ‘catastrophe’ into an opportunity. Despite a whole day of ‘work’ being lost, I now feel more on top of work, than I have for a long time. Success!

Now... back to that Sprouting Chart...

Raw dry buckwheat

I get so many emails asking instructions on sprouting- Are grains ok? What kinds of seeds? What should water temperature be? How long to soak? How often to rinse? When to harvest? How much to measure?

Sprouted Fenugreek

Finally I managed to squeeze it all down into one simple table. It really is that simple. It only took me a whole day J But now you and I can refer back to this page for ever and ever. Double Success!

GENERAL SPROUTING GUIDELINES

ü Soak all seeds in glass/ceramic/stainless bowl in pure water

ü Feed soaking water to house plants (they thrive on it!) and rinse seeds well

ü Sprout in covered colander/ sprouting bag/ cheese cloth/ jar with mesh

ü Rinse (or water if growing greens in trays) with pure water every 12 hours

ü As a general guideline the sprout length should be roughly the same or twice as big as the seed, (exception: small vegetable seeds will be many times longer and green shoots will be 10cm from the soil)

ü Note, that I have experimented with all these sprouts in UK indoors and at steady semi-dry temperatures of around 23degrees C. Where it is warmer and drier, required sprouting time may double

SPROUTING CHART

Variety	Dry Measure	Yield	Soaking time	Sprouting time	Notes

NUTS
All, but peanuts	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	12 hrs	0 hrs	Soak in cool water, will store 3 weeks in fruidge if in water

SEEDS
Sunflower, hulled	1 Cup	2 Cups	4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water, store dry in fridge
Pumpkin, hulled	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water, store dry in fridge
Sesame, hulled	1 Cup	1 1/2 C	4 hrs	6-12 hrs	Soak in cool water. Do not sprout for longer, they'll be bitter
Buckwheat, hulled	1 Cup	1 3/4 C	1-4 hrs	12-24 hrs	Soak in cool water. Buy Raw groats only

BEANS/ LEGUMES
Lentils	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water to convert starches to complex sugars
Chickpeas / Garbanzo	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially. Complete protein
Adzuki	1/2 Cup	4 Cups	12 hrs	4 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Mung	1/2 Cup	4 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Lima/ Pinto/ White/ Red	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Green peas	1/2 Cup	1 1/2 C	12 hrs	3 days	Soak in very warm water initially

GRAINS
Wheat/ Kamut	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Spelt	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Rye	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially
Barley	1 Cup	2 1/2 C	6 hrs	12 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Doesn't sprout
Corn	1/2 Cup	2 Cups	12 hrs	2 days	Soak in very warm water initially

ALKALIZING GRAINS
Quinoa	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Most calcium
Millet	1 Cup	3 Cups	6 hrs	12 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially. Most alkalizing of grains
Amaranth	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially
Teff	1 Cup	3 Cups	3-6 hrs	24 hrs	Soak in very warm water initially

SMALL VEGETABLES
Alfalfa	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Cabbage	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Clover	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Kale	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water
Mustard	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Spicy
Radish	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Spicy
Turnip	3 Tbsp	4 Cups	6 hrs	4 days	Soak in cool water
Fenugreek	1/4 Cup	4 Cups	6-12 hrs	5 days	Soak in cool water. Dissolves mucous

GREENS/ SHOOTS
Wheatgrass	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Sunflower greens	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Snow pea shoots	1 Cup	1 tray	24 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more
Buckwheat lettuce	1 Cup	1 tray	12 hrs	7-10 days	Sprinkle over dirt in tray, see more

9 comments

Why sprout and which sprouts are the healthiest? (VIDEO)

Posted by 2 · July 21, 2011

Do you sprout at home? I am talking chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils, wheatgrass, mung and adzuki beans, grains, nuts, seeds, young green shoots, small vegetable seeds and the list goes on. I just love love love sprouting for so many reasons, here are only a few:

· It’s fun! There are so many sprouts to play with, you’ll never be bored. Watching them grow is really quite satisfying, I’ve been called a sprout whisperer once, OK maybe twice :)

· Available all year. You can sprout anytime and become your own indoor-gardener

· It’s easy. Don’t get sucked into sprouting equipment and gadgets, I still to this day only use bowls and jars to get the most beautiful sprouts, just allow yourself to muck up at first

· It’s economical. I pay £3 for a small box of ready sprouted chickpeas and £1 for a whole pack of dried chickpeas. From that one pack, I could sprout upto 6 small box equivalent and save £17! Cha-ching!

· Nutrient powerhouses. Of all the available land-based fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds- sprouts offer by far the best nutritional value. High five!

· Bioactive food. Did you know sprouts are the only plant based food that is still growing as you eat it?

· Ease on digestion. Being a living food, sprouts are absolutely packed with enzymes

· Pesticide free. Growing your own sprouts, you can be certain they will be free from pesticides and chemicals

· Freshness. You can be sure of the top quality and freshness every time

· Medicinal properties. Sprouts can be 100 times more concentrated in vitamins and minerals than mature organic vegetables. Better than supplements!

I am planning to put together a Sprouting chart for you over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that... In the mean time, here is a video clip from a presentation I did on Sprouting at this year's Raw Food Conference in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Discover which sprouts are better than others, I categorised them for you even..

WHICH SPROUTS ARE THE HEALTHIEST?

Click on the image or do directly here to watch: http://youtu.be/6s19xAwjo_s

4 comments

Seduced in the Press! (book review by Funky Raw magazine)

Posted by 2 · July 18, 2011

Hello my beautiful people!

I've just received the Summer issue of Funky Raw magazine in the mail. It is always such a good and entertaining read with lots of new ideas, recipes, food preparation tips, short stories and poetry. This particular issue has a special feature on earthing, grounding and walking barefoot. Love it!

Aaaand guess what's on page 9! My eBook Seduced- Raw Chocolate Recipes to get very excited for has been reviewed by Jessie Maguire. And what a glowing review it is, I can't wipe the ear to ear grin off!

"The photography is just divine, but the recipes are magnificently simple, with special tips included in every one. Each recipe has a matching tea too. A nice touch"

"These are recipes that will yield a very sophisticated result"

"The Pina Colada Roulade, gorgeous chocolate rolls, which look so soft and melt-in-your-mouth, just make me feel like Tanya is taking everything to a new level here in terms of luxury, style, beauty!"

Even one of my recipes was featured, so I guess it's only fair to share it with you here too hah. Oh alright then, you talked me into it :) :)...

MATCHA MOONS

(Green tea and macadamia truffles from Seduced book)

1 Cup Macadamia
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Coconut Butter, melted
1 Tbsp Matcha green tea powder
¼ tsp Salt
Coat in Dark &Daring chocolate recipe

-Process macadamia nuts in a food processer with an S blade. A smaller compact processer works best
-Add the coconut butter and process again
-Add the rest of ingredients and combine well
-Transfer to the fridge to set for minimum of an hour or leave overnight
-When ready, roll into even sized balls and return to the fridge
[TIP: to make certain you get perfectly equal sized balls, create your ideal sized one first, weigh it on kitchen scales (mine were 10g) and then weight identical scoops before rolling]

-Prepare the Dark &Daring chocolate recipe
-One at a time place a ball on a fork in one hand and pour the chocolate over it with a spoon in the other hand
-Once completely coated, carefully slide each ball off the fork with a toothpick or a small knife onto non stick or lined tray. You can also just dip the balls, but note that since they are cold, they are likely to cool the chocolate mixture which will begin to solidify inside the bowl

2 comments

A massive 25 kg weight loss and feeling like a champion (testimonial)

Posted by Tanya Maher · July 05, 2011

As you guys were following (and joining in on) my detox progress via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn a few weeks ago, I was much more interested in yours and all I could say is WOW.

So many of you pairing up, getting into groups, motivating yourself, motivating others (and me!), loving it, hating it, excelling, struggling, keeping at it and celebrating huge successes.

I am inspired by you and your feedback every day, but it’s not very fair to keep it all to myself, is it? There are sooo many testimonials I would love to share below (and will eventually), but for now I couldn’t wait for you to meet Melissa and Cliff Coombe!!

They are an incredible couple, who got onto doing one of my two menu plans in ‘Purified Your Complete 7 Day Detox Program’ only to find themselves feeling so good after a week, that they carried on with the second one... and then did it all again. Pounds started shedding off, cravings for processed food vanishing, energy levels sky rocketing and after 8 short weeks, they lost a combined total of 6 stone! That is 38 kilograms! 84 pounds!!!

Just look at Mel and Cliff BEFORE and AFTER:

Amazing right? Here’s what Cliff had to say...

What was your initial concern before you started the Detox Program?
Being sustained enough to keep off the crappy old diet

How has your concern changed after completing the Detox Program?
No cravings anymore, I am completely sustained for the first time in my life, could never pass a bakery without my lorry stopping until now. I have gained some life skills that I can carry forward and add to!

What results/benefits did you get after completing the Detox Program?
Gained superior knowledge about nutrition from additional information on ingredients in the book, lost 2 stone [12.7 kg] almost straight away and have gone on to lose another 2 stone as I repeated the program. Skin has improved greatly, more energy, sleep better, feel more able to handle stressful situations

What was the most challenging part during the Detox Program?
Shopping on a budget. But then it isn’t so hard when you look. Found a great wholesale Veg/fruiters that sell retail at fantastic prices, good value and superior quality. Five kilos of winter root veg for £2.50 ! Gazpacho heaven. Five carrier bags comes to around £15 per week. Found supermarkets very expensive and inferior.

Who would you recommend this eBook to?
Anyone and everyone

Any final comments?
The results speak for themselves! People have asked me WOW how did you do that , I tell them, spend time with them explaining the benefits, the prep, the costs, the plan, only for them to say "oh no I couldn’t possibly do that, I don’t like nuts, veg, fruit, I can’t afford it, my partner won’t like it", bloody frustrating. So now I just say watching what I eat and comment no more! But they want to know more! As for cost, what price do you put on your health? I have to note I have done no physical activity, have not joined a gym, and have still lost FOUR stone [25.4 kg] in 2 months and I feel great. Thank you Tanya and keep up the good work

Check out Cliff and Mel’s kitchen plastered in recipe print outs from ‘Purified’:

Have you given your body just 7 Days to get Purified?

NO- Take a look at what you will find in a done-for-you, simple-to-follow downloadable Detox Program here

YES- I would love to hear how you got on! You may not think so, but I am eternally grateful for every word of feedback I receive and this will ultimately benefit you later on. Tell me tell me tell me! (pleeeease:))

3 comments

Tags:
Articles
Detox

Creamy Raw Food Ice cream for all ages

Posted by 2 · June 18, 2011

A little while ago in my newsletter, I briefly told you about my experience at Woodfield Special Education School, Norfolk. What I didn’t realise is that four months later, I would still be so affected by these gorgeous innocent souls.

Working with special needs students wasn’t new to me, I used to volunteer at teaching them art and maths all through High School. But it wasn’t until I had the privilege of being invited to introduce raw food nutrition to a school education system, that I truly felt like I was contributing to something very important. I was touched to say the least.

Sceptical at first, both the students and teachers, were not at all keen to put spinach in their smoothies, make milk from nuts?? or even brownies that had no sugar or flour in them and weren’t going in an oven for baking. The challenge was on!

All it took really was telling the kids how much better healthy raw food can make them at maths and getting them to play with every single ingredient, from choosing their favourite fruits to peeling the skin of a soaked almond. The result was beyond belief! They all loooved the green smoothies and asked for more, were completely fascinated with squeezing milk out of nuts, got carried away moulding their own brownie shapes while licking their hands and best of all never lost a moment of concentration.

If you have children and are having trouble at getting them to eat healthily, I urge you- please please please let them make their own food, play with fresh fruit and vegetables and create something for their own meals or snacks. They will love what they themselves came up with and eat it all up too!

An adult can rarely ‘sell’ a healthy snack to a child, but a child can nearly always ‘sell’ a healthy snack to an adult. It is the little ones that are the best marketers of the world and they need your encouragement!

I thought I will share with you a testimonial from the Head Teacher:

"Being a complex needs school our initial concern when a new person comes in to work with our pupils is always about how they will be able to work with the hugely varied needs of our students. In this case we also didn’t quite know what to expect from a raw food technician – we’ve always done very ‘normal’ cooking lessons, making biscuits, cakes, pizza etc.

The work Tanya did with us was amazing. The pupils (and staff!) learnt loads of new things about how to use foods in different ways and some of our more fussy pupils were willing and keen to try foods they would normally refuse. Tanya’s manner with the pupils was superb and they really took to her. They loved every minute of her sessions and still talk about food week now.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Tanya’s sessions to any other school be it mainstream or special needs. I think she’d work really well with different age groups as well as she has a really relaxed and calm way of working which immediately won the interest and respect of the pupils. Thanks for a great couple of days Tanya!" –Bec Lang

Here's a recipe just perfect for kids ('kids at heart' including!)...

CREAMY RAW FOOD ICE CREAM

3 bananas

1 mango

½-1 Cup nut/seed milk
Optional: cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberries, raisins

-Peel bananas and mango
-Chop into pieces and freeze
-Transfer to a high powered blender, add milk and blend using a tamper
-Garnish with optional sprinkles and serve immediately

3 comments

Tags:
Desserts
Fruit

Join 47,000+ readers