Nuts, grains, and seeds are a great snack. They’re quick and easy and filling and have a variety of health benefits. You can toss them into smoothies or eat them as part of your dinner. But nuts can actually be quite hard to digest, so if you’re eating them raw then you may not be getting all of their benefits. If you want to take advantage of all the protein, vitamins and minerals these superfoods have to offer, then you have to learn how to soak nuts.
Although nuts and seeds can be very dense in calories, they are extremely healthy. They contain essential nutrients like protein, antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Of course, each type of nut and seed are different and have unique benefits, but most share several important qualities and health benefits: Eating nuts and seeds regularly can help lower cancer risk and bad cholesterol, contribute to a healthier heart, and even assist in weight loss.
Specific types of nuts have their own combination of nutrients such as:
Other healthy nuts include macadamia nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and peanuts (also technically not nuts). So, if you want to enjoy all of these health benefits, then you need to learn how to soak nuts and seeds.
Raw nuts, grains and seeds should be soaked before you eat them. They contain something called phytic acid, which is a type of bound phosphorus. This protects the plants and acts as an antioxidant. Phytic acid binds to minerals in the human gastrointestinal tract and can cause pain and irritation. It can also hamper digestion, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Soaking these foods before eating them removes this layer of phytic acid and makes them easier to digest.
Another reason why you should learn to soak nuts, seeds and grains is because raw nuts also contain enzyme inhibitors. These help to prevent premature sprouting and yet they can also bind with minerals and cause further digestive stress. Both of these issues cancel out all the nutritional benefits of eating nuts as many of the nutrients they contain can’t be digested. However, soaking your nuts before eating them removes these problems and leaves the nutrients available for digestion.
Learning how to soak nuts and seeds will allow your body easier access to all the nutrients they contain. Many people also think that nuts and seeds actually taste better soaked than they do unsoaked.
So let’s take a look at how to soak nuts and seeds.
This process shouldn’t take much time out of your day. Once you have the nuts or seeds soaking, you can leave them and go about the rest of your day. If you prefer crispy nuts and seeds then you may want to dehydrate the nuts after soaking them. This is relatively easy to do using a dehydrator or oven, although you will need to use a slightly different soaking process. Here’s how:
When the nuts and seeds have finished soaking, you can dehydrate them again if you want them crispy. Here’s how:
There’s also an easier process when you’re learning how to soak nuts and seeds. If you don’t want crispy nuts, or you don't want to take the time to dehydrate them, then you can soak the nuts or seeds differently. Here’s how:
You may want to rinse the nuts and replace the water every few hours to better clean the nuts. Once they’re finished soaking, eat them or store them. Nuts that have not been dehydrated will be rather soft and should be eaten within a few days. Dehydrating them gives them a longer shelf life, so they can be stored.
Grains are great sources of iron, B vitamins, protein, fiber, and are packed full of other nutrients. However,they also contain phytic acid and other anti-nutrients, which is why they should be soaked before eating. Here’s how to soak grains:
Remember that grains that have been soaked won’t take as long to cook, so don’t burn them. You can soak a variety of grains this way including oats, rice, teff, buckwheat, amaranth, millet, brown rice, and quinoa.
Snacks are recommended for those with Adrenal Fatigue, primarily because maintaining stable blood sugar after and in between meals is often difficult. This is called reactive hypoglycemia and can cause symptoms such as anxiety, dizziness, and fatigue. The more advanced your Adrenal Fatigue, the more susceptible you may be to reactive hypoglycemia. The best way to overcome reactive hypoglycemia is to eat healthy snacks regularly, delivering energy to the body and blood.
There are lots of healthy snacks that you can munch on throughout the day. Once you understand how to soak nuts, try carrying some with you to grab when you get hungry.
When you’re choosing your snacks, avoid sugar as much as possible. Sugary foods may give you a surge of energy, but they aren’t easy on the adrenal glands, and can cause a crash. So, stay away from processed sugars and only eat natural, healthy sugars from fruits, and even those in moderation.
Some healthy snacks when you have AFS include:
When you learn how to soak nuts and seeds, you will not only be increasing the nutritional content of the food you eat. You will always be taking an important step towards a healthier diet and life. And this will help decrease your stress levels and ease your AFS too.
Eating healthy foods and snacks is absolutely essential when you have AFS and just in general. It will help you avoid nutritional deficiencies and ensure that your body has everything it needs to function at its best. However, some foods can be harder to digest, which is why you will need to do a little work to help your body with the process. Here’s how to aid more nuts to your dietary routine without causing digestive problems:
If you’re worried about your diet and want advice to improve it, then call +1-626-571-1234 to talk to the team or click here to use the Ask The Doctor System.
