Nuts are difficult to digest…I forget this until I have a few days of snacking on them, and find myself bloated and feeling sluggish…then I remember. It took me a while to figure out that this was an issue for me, because it doesn’t happen when I only eat them occasionally. It’s when I eat even small amounts of them but for a few days in a row, that I notice the digestive difficulty!
Why Are Nuts Difficult to Digest?
Nuts (just like grains and legumes) have some naturally occurring chemicals that stop them from sprouting prematurely (phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors) but they also make them difficult for us to digest and interfere with our ability to absorb many of the nutrients!
Soaking raw nuts in water with a bit of salt for a few hours reduces the phytic acid and neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors: easier to digest and increases nutrient absorption. IMPORTANT! For best nutrition, purchase RAW nuts. It will specify this on the package. Roasted nuts are damaged (more on this below.) Place nuts in a bowl and cover with warm water. Add a tsp of salt and mix. Let sit at room temperature overnight. Drain and rinse.
Aren’t Soaked Nuts… WET? Eww.
Yes, soaked nuts are, well, WET…and ‘SOGGY’. You can make nut butter with them at this point, or dry them out and make them crunchy (and delicious). Dehydrate them for 8-24 hours (depends on the type of nut). If you don’t have a dehydrator, spread the soaked nuts on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at the very lowest temperature for 10 minutes. Then turn the oven off but leave the nuts there, with the oven light on for a few days until crunchy. You can speed up the process by periodically turning on the oven to the lowest temperature for 10 minutes and then turning it off again.
Why Don’t You Just Roast Them?
Nuts have oils in them that will become damaged when exposed to heat, oxygen and light. Roasting them exposes the oil to heat. Yes, that’s right…now imagine the damage that has occurred to roasted nuts that you buy in the store. Not only have they been exposed to high heat, but there has been time for oxygen and light to further damage the oils. This can cause inflammation in your body. It’s much better from a nutrition and from a taste standpoint to soak and dry them yourself. If you really love the taste of roasted nuts, go ahead and roast them. Just eat them the same day if possible and store any leftovers in the fridge.
I know that might seem like a lot of work, but it’s really just ‘waiting’. There’s not a lot of hands-on time here. I figure, what’s the point to spending my hard earned money (nuts are expensive!) on nutritious food when my body can’t even access the nutrients? This simple step of soaking and drying makes a big difference.
Consider buying your nuts from Well.ca like these almonds or pecans. Their prices and selection are great and shipping is free if you spend $35 or more. I am an affiliate for this company because I really like their products and service (and prices!). If you make a purchase through any of the Well.ca links on my site, I receive a small commission at no additional expense to you!
