Welcome to Sprouting a New You!

SPROUTING A NEW YOU STORY

     Hello!  My name is Brian Elias. Recently I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, high-blood pressure, and high cholesterol.  Most of my adult life I have been overweight, but this was a shock to me (although, in hindsight, I should have known I couldn't keep living like this and continue to be healthy).  Diabetes, high-blood pressure, and high cholesterol run in my family (as most families) so why was I surprised?  Was this my destiny?

      So, I decided to research the three diseases, which apparently lead to heart disease.  Over the last year and a few months I have read many articles and they have seemed to consistently point me in the direction of diet.  These three diseases can be cured, Yes I said "cured" from the way we eat (unfortunately this claim does not include type 1 diabetes).

     My research eventually led me to The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell, which tells of a village in China where they do not eat meat.  Instead their diet is filled with legumes, vegetables, and fruits.  This small population had ZERO instances of certain cancers, diabetes, high-blood pressure, or high cholesterol.  Immediately I decided to change the way I eat, easy right?  Quickly I found just how difficult it was to live eating only beans, vegetables and fruits.  However, I was determined not to give up.

     You see, I was a cook in the army and acquired many skills throughout my career.  I have always enjoyed watching cooking shows and have done my fair share of cooking at home.  How could someone who had been trained in the culinary arts and had so much experience, give up so easily The decision was made right at that moment, I realized I had all the skills to make this work.

     Since this eye-opening experience, I have continued my research which has started to point me in another direction.  Sprouting! I was trying to find a way to keep bread, wraps, and tortillas in my diet (these items are not allowed because they are highly processed and recent research has shown processed flours are extremely unhealthy for us).  However, I discovered sprouting, which allows us to sprout wheat and with minimal processing make bread, flat-breads, and other types of bread products in a healthy way.  We can also sprout many other grains and legumes, which opens up our options tremendously.

     It is my goal to change the image of that guy in these photos, into a healthy image through diet and light exercise.  This is my journey, one I invite everyone to take with me.  In the blog I will post recipes, articles, photos, tips, suggestions and document my progress so we can work together to cure these illnesses and become the healthier versions of us we so desire. We cannot only save our lives, but the lives of Millions of people.