Nuts are seeds that are covered with a hard shell, and most are the seeds of trees. Nuts in general are fairly nutritious, providing protein and vitamins, such as A and E, minerals, such as phosphorous and potassium, and fibre. So what's the problem with eating nuts?
Nuts are extremely high in fat content. When it comes to fat, the source doesn't matter so much; fat is fat. Fat travels from the lymph system directly into the blood. Too much fat and the blood with thicken causing the red cells to clump together so that they cannot deliver oxygen to the cells.
Excess fat also blocks the action of insulin in bringing sugar to the cells, which leads to diabetes and other blood-sugar problems. So it's best to eat only small amounts of nuts (1 ounce or 30 gms in a day) and not to eat them daily. Fruits, veges and leafy greens provide all the fatty acids to meet all of our needs.
Remember when buying nuts, raw/organic is always best, as toxins are stored in fats. We should always soak our nuts. Soaking nuts, seeds, grains and beans releases enzyme inhibitors, allowing the sprouting process to occur, which makes their full nutritional potential availible. The purpose of these enzyme inhibitors is to protect the nut or seed until it has what it needs for growing (ex. sunlight, water, soil, etc.). Since the soak water will contain the enzyme inhibitors, and is very acidic to the body, please be sure to rinse your nuts and seeds well after soaking. (the pic above is of almonds and walnuts I was drying in the sun, after soaking overnight). The sprouting process is said to activate the life force in the food. This is then passed on to us when we eat it. Yum.
One of the best things to do for time saving is to soak plenty of nuts and/or seeds and then dehydrate them at 105 degrees for about 18-24 hours (until dry). Then, they’re typically ready to use right away, when a recipe calls for nuts or seeds. This is especially great for crusts, cookies, pates, etc.
Here is a pic of my nut mix or almonds, walnuts and black sesame seeds. I use this in my smoothies after the gym or as a garnish for a raw pasta or salad like the one below which I had for lunch today. Raw Zucchini salad.
When storing our nuts make sure they are in cool, dry conditions in airtight containers away from the light. Because of their high fat content, many of them benefit from storage in the fridge or freezer to deter rancidity. If left in plastic bags, cracked nuts are susceptible to mold growth.
Considerable evidence shows thats peanuts often are contaminated with a fungus-produced toxin called alflatoxin. It is a big problem as alflatoxin was being shown to cause liver cancer in rats. It was said to be the most potent chemical carcinogen ever discovered. (The China Study)
The sad thing is that this carcinogen is in all peanut butters that are mostly consumed by our kids. All 29 jars of peanut butter they had purchased to do the study on were contaminated with 300 times the amount of alflatoxin judged to be acceptable in U.S. food. The best peanuts at the factory end up in "cocktail" jars, leaving the worst, moldiest nuts to be delivered to the end of the belt for peanut butter.
Take care out there because you deserve better.
