Nourishing Traditions is such an awesome book, I really hate to post much about it, lest I deter anyone from buying it. Fallon’s veritable encyclopedia of healthful cooking is sure to become my kitchen “Bible”. I do want to share a few basic principles I have learned from her book and elsewhere.

First - nuts. My little one’s intestinal problems came not only from whole wheat but also, I believe, almonds. She LOVES them and will eat 20 or so as a snack. What’s wrong with that? Almonds are good for you right? So they are . . . but not necessarily raw.

Think about a seed. Why doesn’t it turn into a plant while stored away in your cupboard? All seeds, including wheat, almonds, sunflower, spelt, oats, pecans, sesame . . . . contain enzyme inhibitors which prevent the seed’s enzymes from springing life into action. These enzyme inhibitors keep the seed dormant. When you eat a dormant seed, you eat the enzyme inhibitors.

The problem with that is that your digestive tract (and virtually every other function of your body) depends on enzymes to function. When you eat enzyme inhibitors, it, well, inhibits enzyme driven digestion. This makes dormant seeds rough on your body to digest. In sensitive people, such as babies, elderly or otherwise stressed individuals, this can lead to allergies, collitis and other health issues.

Further, many dormant seeds, wheat foremost among them, contain phytic acid which is indigestible and bonds with minerals in your digestive tract, leeching them out of your body. This can cause mineral deficiencies.

So what can you do? Activate your dormant seeds by soaking or partially sprouting them. When activated, the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid are broken down, leaving you with an easily digested food. Moreover, enzymes and nutrients increase as the seed activates and grows a bit. You can up to triple your nutrition by just sprouting your seeds a bit!

I will post on sprouting grains in a day or two, but for now, learn how EASY it is to soak nuts and make them an amazingly nutritious and easy to digest snack.

Soaked Nuts

4 cups nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, etc. . .)
1 Tbls sea salt
filtered water

Mix nuts with salt and enough filtered water to cover generously. Cover and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, until dry and crisp (or use a dehydrator - this is a better option, as the temperature stays around 115 and prevents enzyme destruction). Store for up to a few months in an airtight container (walnuts need to be stored in the fridge).