Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life

(can also be just soaked to save time)
Wild rice
Quinoa
Sunflower seeds
     
     

how to sprout
     
    Sprouting kits are available in most health food stores; these make sprouting easier, but they are not essential. All you need is a jar, cheesecloth, and an elastic band.
     
    Rinse well whatever you intend to sprout and pour it into a glass jar, to about the one-quarter mark. Fill the jar at least three-quarters full with water. Let it sit overnight at room temperature. Pour out the water and rinse the legumes, grains, nuts, or seeds with fresh water. Put them back in the jar and put the cheesecloth over the top, holding it down with the elastic band. Briefly turn the jar upside down to let the water drain out. Within about 24 hours, the sprouts will begin to appear. Make sure the sprouts stay moist so that they will sprout fully; do this by pouring water into the jar and then turning it upside down to drain.
     
    The sprouting time depends on the type of sprouts; two days is typical. Rinse the sprouts in fresh water. This will wash off the digestive inhibitors that have leached into the water, thus improving bioavailability. Store the sprouts in a clean, uncovered container in the refrigerator; they will keep for up to one week.
     

variations
     

seeds and flour
     
    To keep the recipes interesting, I’ve included variations for several. As well, since none of the recipes uses glutinous flour, flours can be easily substituted for one another in those recipes calling for flour. Seed flours, including hemp, flaxseed, and sesame seed flours, rather than grain flours, are the best choice (you’ll notice that seeds are lower to the base of the Thrive Diet pyramid [see page 40] than grains).
     
    Another way to enhance nutrient value and infuse recipes with an alkaline source of protein, essential fatty acids, and greens is to substitute my Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion formula, available in most health food and grocery stores, for ground seeds or flour. This formula can be used in place of non-glutinous flour at a 1:1 ratio.
     
    You will notice that some recipes call for hemp protein; this can be replaced with hemp flour if you prefer. Hemp protein is a bit more expensive because it has been milled further, removing more of the starch. Hemp flour is about 35 percent protein, whereas hemp protein is about 50 percent protein.
     

carob
     
    Carob pods, which grow up to one foot in length, are the fruit of the carob tree and are quite high in trace minerals. Raw carob powder is relatively easy to find in stores, but its flavor is quite mild. A good raw alternative is cacao (often called raw chocolate), but it is more difficult to find. Also, it contains a bit of caffeine. For these reasons, I tend to use roasted carob powder for chocolate flavor.
     

oil
     
    I use hemp oil as the base for salad dressings, sauces, and many other recipes that do not require cooking at high heat. This is because hemp offers exceptional flavor and nutrition, as you have read. Using only hemp oil as your primary oil source is a good way to go; however, a blend of about 80 percent hemp oil, 10 percent flaxseed oil, and 10 percent pumpkin seed oil is an optimal balance of essential fatty acids. I’ve written in detail about the health benefits of each of these seed oils on pages 143-145. This combination can be used in place of just hemp oil for variety and for an improved essential fatty acid profile, though its use is not necessary to reap the benefits of the Thrive Diet. You’ll find the recipe for the EFA Oil Blend on page 210.
     
    If you want to step it up another notch, add small amounts of berry seed oils to the blend. These are packed with antioxidants in a highly concentrated form. Raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate seed oils are among the best. They can be hard to find in stores and are expensive, but they will deliver an extra dimension to a high-quality oil blend. A mixture containing all these oils is the ultimate essential fatty acid and antioxidant combination. However, it is not necessary to use these oils to achieve results on the Thrive Diet. Or, you might choose to use my Vega Antioxidant EFA Oil Blend formula, available in most health food and grocery stores (see Resources).
     

juice
     
    For the recipes that require juices, I usually juice the fruit myself instead of using store-bought juice. Lemons, limes, and oranges are easy to juice simply by squeezing (warming to room temperature for about 10 minutes