NUTS!

Eat raw nuts, "they" say.

"Well, don't eat them raw," my nutrition professor said.

There were gasps of horror and disappointment. I could hear one student complain, "But I just bought all raw nuts!"

Perhaps you haven't heard that raw (organic) nuts are better for you than roasted? Well, often in the process of roasting those glorious almonds you're grabbing at Trader Joe's or even Whole Foods, the nuts are exposed to many chemicals, oils, and excessive amounts of salt followed by high heat, which destroys all of their enzymes. This is the reasoning behind eating raw nuts. See, when a nut is harvested commercially, it is exposed to light, air, and heat. These three components damage the beautiful, desirable essential oils that make nuts such powerful and promising components of a healthy diet.

Now, I am told: don't eat them raw. Buy them raw.

Question marks are on most of the faces in the class at this point.

The answer? Phytates.
Phytates live in the skins of nuts. Soaking in water for a few hours (or overnight) draws these phytates out. Phytates are a natural defense mechanism of nuts and protects them while they are growing, but they are not good defenses for us to digest. When we eat them they inhibit our absorption of many vitamins and minerals (especially calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc). Soaking also increases nuts' vitamin C, B, and carotene content.

I took this information to heart, as I hope you do also, but I was a little disappointed in my "trail mix snack" the next day - it was pretty soggy. I'm still working out the kinks. Soaking nuts overnight (I don't like soaked cashews - they turn purple-ish) leaves them moist and there's not much time in the morning to find a way to cope with this! I have been working out a plan to soak overnight, throw in the dehydrator for an hour (preferably more) and it is working out much better. Another option to remove phytates is roasting the nuts yourself. Spread on a baking sheet and put in the oven for one hour at 225-250 degrees, but be aware that the higher heat will kill the living, valuable enzymes that we're craving. I definitely recommend soaking, followed by dehydrating. Or, if you're so inclined, soak one night, spread out on a pan or rack with ventilation for a day and they should dry considerably. Caution: do not soak large amounts unless you plan on eating them rather quickly. Raw nuts, like any living organism, are prone to turning rancid (read: bad, gross, and yucky) relatively quick. Always eat your soaked, raw, organic nuts within a few days to benefit most from their nutritional qualities.





*** Note: organic is assumed and implied in this article - eating non-organic foods exposes the body to countless pesticides that are harmful and disease-provoking. Always search out the most natural forms of the food you're consuming; demand organic. You're worth it!