SOAK YOUR NUTS, LOVE YOUR GUTS
Nuts, they're everywhere you look, (at least everywhere I look), in energy balls, IN SUKI’S GRANOLA (BELOW) as a replacement for MILK & flour, as a good protein replacement for meat, to get you through that 3pm slump....and yet, I've been working with a lot of clients lately who have said they feel nuts don't work for them.
Soak your nuts, love your guts x
Raw nuts are just a winning healthy snack, loaded with protein, healthy fats, fibre and important minerals like selenium, calcium, magnesium & zinc.
However, nuts also contain natural chemicals that can interfere with the absorption of these nutrients. Raw nuts contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid that can reduce the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients properly. If you imagine falling off your bike, scraping your knee, and then continuing to pick that scab every day as you sit and watch Netflix. Well that’s what an unsoaked nut does to your gut lining every time you eat it. Eating large amounts of raw nuts puts so much extra pressure on the poor old gut (which is already stressed out from living in the 21st century) which is why people always complain of bloating, fatigue, heaviness and nausea after eating that handful of nuts.
So what’s the answer?
Activate them!
Activated nuts have been soaked in water and salt for a period of time, which starts off the germination or sprouting process, then cooked or 'dehydrated' at a low temperature (under 100).
Soaking increases the nutrient value of the nuts along with breaking down the problematic compounds that help enhance their digestibility. It's not difficult or time consuming, remember,
I am a lazy baker and a busy mum, so I hurl those guys in a bowl of water, throw in a teaspoon(ish) of salt, forget about them for 24 hours, then drain & rinse them off and lay them on an oven tray to cook at around 100 degrees overnight. I also highly recommend buying in bulk, and then once you’ve soaked you can do the activation with 3 trays of nuts running at once.
Note to self - Do not forget they are in there and turn the oven on higher to cook something else. We've all done it...; 0 )
So get soaking and activating. Your guts (and nuts) will thank you for it.
WHY ARE NUTS JUST THE BEST
SOOOOOOOO Many Nutrients
Nuts are highly nutritious. 28 grams (RDI) of mixed nuts contains:
Calories: 173
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
Carbs: 6 grams
Fibre: 3 grams
Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
Copper: 23% of the RDI
Manganese: 26% of the RDI
Selenium: 56% of the RDI
Some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For instance, just one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for selenium!!
Loaded With Antioxidants
Nuts are antioxidant powerhouses and this means their very presence in your tummy can bring down inflammation - EVERYWHERE!!!
Antioxidants, including the polyphenols in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralising free radicals — unstable molecules that may cause cell damage and increase disease risk.
Word on the street is that walnuts have a greater capacity to fight free radicals than fish!!
Can assist with weight loss
So whilst I never like to focus on weight loss, sometimes it’s good to dispel myths - and I know a lot of people think that because on the packet nuts look like they are going to make you put on weight, but this just isn’t so. Research shows that your body doesn’t absorb all of the fat as a portion of it says trapped within the nuts fibrous wall during digestion!!
One large study assessing the effects of the Mediterranean diet found that people assigned to eat nuts lost an average of 5 cm from their waists!! 5cm!!! Significantly more than those given olive oil!
Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain in controlled studies. Some research suggests that pistachios aid weight loss as well. In one study in overweight women, those eating almonds lost nearly three times as much weight and experienced a significantly greater decrease in waist size compared to the control group! BUT I always tell clients, never eat more than 9 nuts a day, your body will struggle to process more than this and will let you know!!
Lowers heart disease
Including (soaked, just reminding you) nuts and seeds as part of your diet has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease.
Although high in fats, nuts and seeds are good sources of healthy fats (such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), and are low in (unhealthy) saturated fats.
This combination of ‘good fats’, makes nuts heart healthy – they help to reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, (known as ‘bad’ cholesterol) in the body.
LDL cholesterol can add to the build-up of plaque (fatty deposits) in your arteries, which can increase your risk of coronary heart disease.
Nuts and seeds also help to maintain healthy blood vessels and blood pressure (partly through their arginine content), and reduce inflammation in the body as they are high in antioxidants.
How to MAKE —- Soaked-NUTS-HAPPY-TUMMY- GRANOLA (catchy title)
I must confess I don’t make this, Suki does, but I sure do eat it. Don’t get too hung up on measurements, we are both very fluid bakers.
Ingredients (PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 180)
1 Cup of Gluten Free Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup of Chopped Activated Walnuts
1/4 Cup Activated Sunflower Seeds
1/4 Cup Activated Almonds
1/3 Cup Sesame Seeds
1/3 Cup Goji Berries
1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
1/3 Cup Runny Honey
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
TO MAKE
Mix all ingredients vigorously together in a big bowl, add a splash of olive oil to moisten even more
Spread over a baking tray evenly
Bake for 10 minutes , mix around and bake for another 10 minutes
Leave to cool then pop into a jar
Store either in the fridge or pantry
Thanks Suki xxx