Last year I visited the Creative Health Institute for the first time and was learning from Marcia, one of the teachers and educators there. She was teaching on sprouting, wheatgrass and then she said something that puzzled me and made me think! She said you should always soak your nuts and seeds before you eat them. I at first thought that this was crazy! How could I do this with all of them? It takes time and my time is valuable and precious.
Then she explained why you should soak our seeds and nuts and it made more sense to me. Did you know that nuts and seeds have something called ‘enzyme inhibitors’ in them? Enzyme inhibitors are basically enzyme inhibiting compounds. This means that it makes it harder for them to digest! Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors which are basically anti-enzymes. You don’t ant ‘anti-enzymes’ because anti-enzymes are much different than anti-oxidants. Enzymes are proteins that help your digestive system break down food in order to process the nutritional value and to remove the waste.
So when you are eating nuts or seeds without soaking them, you are giving your body compounds that make the nuts and seeds, and any other food harder to digest. Not only that but nuts an seeds also contain Phytic acid polyphenols and goitrogens.
Goitrogens are substances that interfere with the thyroid gland, that cause the thyroid gland to increase in size through inflammation. With 80% of the female population and 10% of the male population already having an underactive thyroid it’s important to not consume these substances.
Instead of eating nuts and seeds raw without soaking them all that you need to do is simply put the nuts or seeds (or both) into a small glass bowl and fill it with water. Make sure that they are immersed in water and leave them in the water overnight. When you leave them soaked in the (preferably spring or purified) water overnight you are removing the enzyme inhibitors, toxic compounds and goitrogens from them.
The next day you can eat them and enjoy them knowing that they are healthier for you than the day before simply by soaking them in water for a 24 hour period. That’s easy isn’t it? that little change can improve your health and digestive system and allow you to extract more nutritional benefit from the same nuts and seeds that you are already eating.
To remove the phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, polyphenols from nuts and seeds all you have to do is soak them in plain ole-water for a 24-hour period and that’s it. What’s the excuse there? Hopefully there’s none.
It’s worth knowing little tips and tricks like this, because when you implement them each time you improve your diet, your health and your life! step-by-step you can feel better, look better and be healthier all through conscious choices that you make starting today.
I hope you soak your nuts and seeds! starting today!
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Thanks & Pura Vida! 🙂
– David Benjamin
P.S. Do you already soak your nuts or seeds? if so do you have any tips for the rest of us getting started soaking nuts and seeds? Please leave comments below!
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