Broccoli has always been one of my favorite things to eat so, learning that it is full of sulforaphane which inhibits cancer cells and is chemoprotective was like getting an added bonus to my love for it. In addition, broccoli also has glucoraphanin which is where sulforaphane comes from. This makes sense because all amazing things have small seed beginnings. In fact, the anti-cancer properties of broccoli and their little sprouts is so remarkable that in 1997, the New York Times wrote about it. Therefore, it must be true. You can read about it here-
Researchers Find a Concentrated Anticancer Substance in Broccoli Sprouts - The New York Times (nytimes.com).
I’ve heard that eating cruciferous vegetables several times a week is probably a pretty good idea, not only for the cancer busting benefits, but also because of the brain and gut health benefits for people with things such as long-covid (think anti-viral) and/or other neurodegenerative conditions like-
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s, Multiple sclerosis and also, Autism.
To get the most bang for your buck; steam your broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, watercress, collard greens, and mustard greens for about 20 minutes so that more sulforaphane will be released which makes it better for absorption.
Joan Chittister once said something very wise about everything being in seeds,
in the seed is our promised future.
It should probably not surprise us that broccoli seed sprouts could actually be more powerful than the flowering broccoli tree itself because within the seed is the power of creation, through which everything is made new again. Joan’s thoughts were inspired by the thoughts of Julian of Norwich, who while holding an acorn in her hand, once said,
“In this is all that is.”
Have you ever held a mighty oak tree in your hand? Have you ever thought about it in that way?
I have a sneaking suspicion that Julian of Norwich had some additional ponderings in her head about seeds. For more on that, you can check this out-
Trees of the Ancients
If you’ve been hanging around with us for a while, you may remember that we have discussed the idea of humans as being like trees because our lung bronchi are shaped like trees: Breath of Life - by Stephanie Schaible (substack.com)
But did you know that there are trees in your brain as well? Go ahead and take a peek at a neuron, the tree in your brain-
What Is a Neuron? Diagrams, Types, Function, and More (healthline.com)
The human bronchial tree of life is important, it helps us breathe. The circle of tree life involves trees dropping their leaves in order to feed themselves. If you have been paying attention, you may be catching on to the idea that in addition to fighting cancer cells, broccoli trees feed your brain trees.
Trees, trees, lots and lots of trees……
Unless broccoli really is a flower that looks like a tree? Go ahead and take another peak at my home-grown broccoli tree in the picture above. It even had roots, before I harvested the flowers. Technically, it may truly be a flower, according to some experts and that’s what knowledge says, but it looks like a tree to me. Wondering about that is called philosophy. Broccoli even flowers like some trees do. You can see its cross shaped flowers here:
Flowering Broccoli
Broccoli flowers remind me of a Dogwood’s flower, like the one we saw in-
Brain Fog and Chemo Brain - by Stephanie Schaible (substack.com)
Are you connecting all of the dots yet? Broccoli fights cancer cells, but it is also good for your brain.
And, I have a request, please don’t send me broccoli for my birthday this year. I prefer flowers in my floral arrangements. Got it? If you do, that’s called wisdom.
We are still here, we are safe, we are healing, and as for me and mine, the broccoli will probably be eaten before they ever get a chance to flower, so we have our picture (above) to help us see its actual little cross flowers.
If you would like to know more about the amazing power of broccoli seeds, you can check that out here-
Cruciferous Sprouts Are 100X Stronger in Anticancer Properties - YouTube
Growing my own broccoli from small seeds was a pretty big deal. I had to learn a few things in order to make that happen, but learning how to grow broccoli sprouts is super simple and you can do it year-round, right in your very own kitchen.
If you would like to learn how to grow your own broccoli sprouts, you can learn more here-
How to Grow Broccoli Spouts in 6 days - YouTube
How To Grow Sprouts at Home | 4 Super Healthy Sprouts - YouTube
Amazon.com: Sprouting Jar Kit (JARS NOT INCLUDED)
Amazon.com : 1 lb Broccoli Sprouting Seeds
Bonus tip: I use a salad spinner to get all of the water out of my finished sprouts before storing them in the fridge.
I have one last broccoli powered, thought-provoking, thing for you to consider before I leave you with all the thoughts-
If you sing to your broccoli sprouts, will your musical sound, affect their growth?
*Hint- This may be a teaser for where we are probably going next time…………………
And a thought-provoking question- are the hills really alive with the sound of music?
*Leaving Death in the Dust is a newsletter and is not a replacement for professional, regulated, medical, healthcare. It is informational and educational. Some of us in this community may have worked in the healthcare system, but we are not your medical provider and whatever you find here is not the establishment of a professional medical relationship or medical advice.
Hoping you and yours find healing and happiness.
Love all y’all,
Steph
Bonus content:
If you really want to kick your broccoli sprouts up another notch, check this out-
According to the results, the addition of radish, rocket and rape sprouts to broccoli sprouts could promote the hydrolysis of the glucoraphanin to anticancer effective sulforaphane to 2.03, 2.32 and 1.95-fold, respectively, compared to single broccoli sprouts.
Get them here- Amazon.com : Organic Radish Seeds for Sprouting
If you would like to learn more about how plants thrive by consuming their own leaves, I highly recommend the book-
JADAM Organic Farming (Second Edition) : Innovative organic farming technology established in Korea. No-till, Weed free, and High-Yield, Ultra-Low-Cost cultivation technologies that can dramatically help reduce the labor force. Make your own All - Powerful Natural Pesticides, microbial inputs, and fertilizers.: Youngsang Cho: 9788989220206: Amazon.com: Books
More for the philosophers-
Do Plants Have Souls? - Dr Abalone (briantissot.com)
And about that teaser…….
Growing Through Song: How Music Can Affect the Growth of a Plant - Naturallist