Have you ever noticed that you can keep raw nuts in the pantry for months and months and nothing really happens to them?
Nuts, seeds and grains all contain protective mechanisms as a method of species survival and are designed to pass straight through the gut of animals. These are chemical barriers that include phytic acid, anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors that reduce the body’s ability to absorb nutrients like magnesium, copper, iron and zinc and may also lead to digestive problems, inflammation or nausea.
Since ancient times, our ancestors have understood the limitations to gaining nutrition from grains, nuts and seeds and have practiced many techniques to prepare them for consumption. One of the simplest ways to access more of the nutrition from these foods is to try ‘activating’ them through soaking. For some people, grains and nuts may lead to inflammation and digestive issues with or without soaking and may need to be completely removed from the diet.
Why soak nuts, grains and seeds?
1. To remove or reduce phytic acid.
2. To remove or reduce tannins.
3. To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.
4. To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.
5. To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.
6. To break down gluten and make digestion easier.
7. To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.
8. To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
9. To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.
10. To prevent many health diseases and conditions.
Source: Food Matters TV
Below are suggested soaking times for common nuts. After soaking, make sure you discard the water and wash the foods really well. They can then be consumed straight away, dried in the oven on a low heat or dehydrated.
To soak: cover with warm water with a little sea salt or ground rock salt added. A squeeze of lemon juice in warm water works well too.
Nuts: Soak for 7-14 hours (almonds 12-14).
Seeds: 7-12 hours
Grains: An overnight soak for most grains will neutralise most of the phytic acid. Flour products should be soaked for 12-24 hours at room temperature.
After soaking, your nuts, seeds or grains may start to sprout! This is a good sign – the enzyme inhibitors have been removed allowing the food to come to life! They will now provide you with more bioavailable nutrients and less inflammation, digestive distress and toxins.
Alternatively, if you are a little short on time, we can suggest the following brands who produce Organic and pre-activated nuts ready for eating!
Enjoy beauties.
As always, please share below if you have any questions, ideas or inspiration on this post.
