How to Get a Lot More Nutrition from Nuts and Seeds

NUTS & SEEDS

I highly recommend that you include nuts and seeds in your diet, and below are some tips for getting the maximum nutritional benefits from them...

1. MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY "RAW"

There is a difference between nuts and seeds that are "raw" and nuts and seeds that aren't "raw", and the difference can literally be "life" and "death".

If you planted a "raw" almond in the ground, it could grow into an almond tree. But if you planted an almond in the ground that has been roasted, toasted, or pasteurized, it likely wouldn't be able to grow because these heating processes (which can extend the "shelf-life" of nuts and seeds) can shorten the actual life of nuts and seeds.

To make matters worse, a lot of nuts and seeds that aren't "raw" will have things added to them like salt and oil.

Please understand that when you take something like raw almonds and you roast them at 350 degrees, and then you dip them in oil and salt, you are taking a "health food" and converting it into a "junk food".

People may not realize just how much of the foods that they eat are actually seeds. (Oats, rice, wheat, corn, and beans are all seeds and even a lot of the spices we add to foods are ground-up seeds.) But most of these seeds have been so cooked and processed that they no longer have any life force in them.

A lot of people are eating diets that consist mostly of "dead seeds" and other "dead things". Therefore, it should come as no surprise that when they switch to a diet that is based on "raw" and "living foods" they suddenly feel a lot more "alive".

2. EAT A BIG VARIETY OF NUTS AND SEEDS IN SMALL DOSES

There is a big variety of edible nuts and seeds, so try not to limit yourself to just "peanuts", because all of the edible nuts and seeds offer their own unique nutritional benefits...

- Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc.

- Brazil nuts are a good source of selenium.

- Flax seeds are a good source of omega-3 fats.

Eating a wide variety of nuts and seeds is the key to getting the wide variety of nutritional benefits they can offer.

So why not have a handful of almonds as a snack today, some chia seeds in a smoothie tomorrow, and maybe some walnuts with a salad the next day?

Also keep in mind that although nuts and seeds are highly nutritious, they are also about 80% fat, so an ounce a day can be beneficial, but a pound a day would be too much of a good thing.

In the past, we would have had to take the time to crack open nuts and seeds ourselves, but now we can buy large bags of already shelled and ready-to-eat nuts and seeds that are easy to overindulge in since we don't have to open anything except the bag. And we can also buy jars of "nut butter" which are even easier to overindulge in since we don't even have to take the time to chew anything.

So I recommend eating a big variety of nuts and seeds but in small quantities.

3. SOAK THEM BEFORE YOU EAT THEM

Nuts and seeds contain something known as "enzyme inhibitors", and the purpose of "enzyme inhibitors" is to protect the nuts and seeds by keeping them in a hibernation state until it starts raining and they have the water to start growing.

Soaking nuts and seeds in a bowl of water for 8 hours will cause the "enzyme inhibitors" to think that it's raining and that it's time for the seeds to "wake up" and start growing.

Although nuts and seeds are dry and harder to digest than fruits and vegetables, if you soak them in water they become more hydrated and easier for us to digest.

After soaking your nuts and seeds, drain the water (which will look brown and dirty due to the phytic acid that was removed from them during soaking) and then rinse well with clean water before eating.

Once you have soaked your nuts and seeds, you can take things a step further if you wish by actually sprouting them.

Sprouting is incredibly easy to do. In fact, you may have "accidentally" sprouted vegetables like potatoes, onions, and garlic in your kitchen by putting them in a cupboard and forgetting about them for so long that by the time you found them, they had sprouted.

Millions of trees in forests are there because squirrels will bury raw tree nuts in the ground to eat later, but then they will forget where they buried them and the nuts will end up sprouting and growing into trees. (This is known as "Accidental Squirrel Gardening".)

Click HERE to watch videos on YouTube on how to soak and sprout nuts and seeds.

And for anyone who is worried that they won't get enough protein on a "plant-based diet" to be strong, it should be noted that plants are more "proteinaceous" when they are sprouts, and that sprouts have a reputation for being strong enough to break through concrete!

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