Soaking Nuts, Seeds, and Beans

 For Optimal Health

Why soak nuts and seeds?

Seeds, nuts and beans can remain in the pantry or refrigorator for months when they are dry – without sprouting – they contain enzyme inhibitors to stop that process. But once they make contact with water, they become alive and the enzyme inhibitors are released – like Gremlins!

The sprouting enzymes become active in these little seeds and begin breaking down the food. This makes it easier for you to digest and more nutrients are bio-available and you absorb more nutrients to feed your cells.

Enzymes are alive only in living foods but not cooked foods and begin to die at around 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

I believe that for optimal living we need to eat living foods. After all, a “live” food is life giving, energy giving, and nutritious but cooked food does not give you the same vigor and energy that living foods can.

Begin to eat more living foods if you desire better health, not just soaked seeds. I like to eat lots of vegetables everyday, what about you? I believe this is one of the many things I can do to support my body and remain healthy.

HOW TO SOAK SEEDS:

You don’t need any fancy jars unless you just want to buy them. A bowl works just great for sprouting. When you sprout smaller seeds like sesame seeds, radish seeds, broccoli seeds which are really small, you will want a sprouting jar with a lid.

Flax Seeds

Soak for 8 hours (overnight). Put flax seeds in a bowl and cover with water about 1 inch above the seeds. Place the bowl on the counter at room temperature for the full 8 hours uncovered. You can cover with a towel.

The flax seeds will absorb all the water and become a little slimy. This is natural. After 8 hours, put the unused soaked/sprouted flax seeds in the refrigerator with a lid on. They will last about 5 days in the refrigerator.

Sunflower seeds:

Use the same process as flax seeds. Soak for 8 hours (overnight) in a bowl and cover with water about 1 inch above the seeds. Place the bowl on the counter at room temperature for the full 8 hours uncovered. You can cover with a towel to keep out any unwanted visitors........2 legged or eight legged!

After 8 hours, drain the water and store in fresh water. To use, drain water and scoop out what you need for eating. I use these for pate's,snacks, granola, raw sushi rolls, and over my salads.

Store in the refrigerator with a lid on and be sure to store seeds in fresh water. If they are not stored in water and exposed to the air, they will mold quickly. They will last about 5 days in the refrigerator after sprouted.

Sesame seeds:

Same process as sunflower seeds. These are Great sources of calcium and protein.

Almonds:

Soak almonds for 12-24 hours. Put the almonds in a bowl and sit on counter to soak.

With almonds you need to rinse them every 12 hours if you are soaking for 24 hours.

Store almonds the same way you store sunflower seeds. Store in fresh water and put a lid on it and put in the refrigerator. These are great snacks, or for smoothies, or making fresh almond milk, and all sorts of other goodies.

I think I am correct in saying almonds these days are pasteurized because of an E coli break out involving almonds; I believe the government now requires all almond growers to pasteurize their almonds – usually by quick steam or a chemical spray!

Even if the package says “raw”, I doubt if they are technically raw, I think it is now against the law to sell them raw. It is very difficult to find raw almonds but perhaps you can, simply do the best that you can with what you have. At least soak your almonds so they are easy to digest & the enzyme inhibitors are released.