Thriving Tips: Maximizing Nutrients

Grains, seeds, and nuts are more digestible if first soaked. This is because of the phytic acid that covers these seeds. What is wrong with phytic acid? Basically, it requires more enzymes than we have to break it down and it will result in our bodies actually being depleted of minerals. (To read more about phytic acid, see the resource below.) But, don't worry! You can soak, sprout or ferment your grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes to breakdown the phytic acid and make the nutrients more digestible! Soaking is the easiest process. Simply soak grains and legumes overnight in water with 1-2 Tbsp of an acidic solution (whey, yogurt, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar). Note that the cooking time is less due to the soaking, so I simply cook the grain until tender. For 4 cups of nuts and seeds, cover with at least an extra inch of water, and add 1-2 Tbsp of salt. Nuts don't have to soak as long! (See resource below for soaking recipes.) After soaking, drain off the salt water. You can then eat them soft, but I prefer to roast them in the oven at 175 degrees Fahrenheit until crisp, about 12-16 hours. The magic of this process turns a whole food into a nutrient-dense, easily absorbed superfood! Resources: http://bit.ly/phyticacidresource http://bit.ly/recipeforsoakingnuts https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/grain-cooking-chart/