Why You Should Soak Your Nuts

…nut’s as in almonds/pecans/walnuts. Get your mind out of the gutter people!!!

Today class, we will be talking about the importance of soaking your nuts. Ever heard of it? Yea, me neither, until a few weeks ago. I was at my acupuncturist and I had woken up late, so I hadn’t had anything to eat. Which, when laying for an hour with needles everywhere, isn’t the best thing. So, I asked her if she had a snack for me (she’s offered ’em up before). This time she handed me a handful of almonds. I was hoping for a Kind bar or something. Never have I been a nut person, but when I tried these almonds, I was surprised at how yummy they were.

I asked her why her almonds were better than any other almond I had before, and she said she soaked her nuts. Huh? Wtf? Soak your nuts? She continued to explain the process and told me she’d send me some info on it.

Even though the taste had already sold me on soaked nuts, the idea behind it actually make total sense. Here is why it’s crucial:

+ Nuts have tons of nutrients in them (vitamin E, proteins, fatty acids, etc). Yet in their brown skin, they also have an enzyme inhibitor. This inhibitor is hard to digest, & also sticks to important nutrients in our bods. Basically, all the good things that come with eating nuts, are shot to shit.

+ On the plus size, nuts also have a nice little enzyme in the called phytase, which actually helps to digest the rude inhibitor. Yet it won’t work until you soak those babies. Soaking decreases the effects of the inhibitor, letting all those nutrients run free.

How to Soak Nuts the Right Way:

+ Step 1: rinse your nuts and soak them in water with some salt (for taste purposes). Let them soak overnight till they are nice and squishy.

+ Step 2: strain your nuts and pat dry. Now, dehydrate them (good dehydrator found here). Continue to check them till they are as crispy as you like. Could be a few hours or more…