Sometimes you feel like a nut...

Learning the Basics:

Soaking Nuts for Improved Digestion

I know what you are thinking, "Oh jeez, I have soak my nuts now?!  What's next, massaging my kale salad before I eat it?!" 

The short answer is no, you don't have to do anything you don't want to (except flossing, you should do that whether you want to or not). That being said, you are reading this email because you are a wisdom seeker (boo-yah!) and you are always on the hunt for new information on how to increase your health and vitality and feel all around a-maz-ing. Although soaking your nuts sounds like a pain in the arse, it actually takes a full 15 seconds to prep. Below is some information on the how's and why's. 

PS - massaging your raw kale before you eat it breaks down the outer plant wall and makes the nutrition more bio-available to the body, plus it's easier to chew (see how I did that?  Turn a joke into another awesome fun fact?!  I'm goooood) 

WHY:
Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that protect them until they have finished growing. They also contain phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of certain minerals. Soaking nuts and seeds releases these inhibitors and reduces phytic acid, increasing the amount of vitamins and minerals your body can absorb (this is called bioavailability).

HOW:
Gather your raw, organic nuts and seeds and rinse them in purified water. Place them in a glass or stainless steel bowl and cover with twice as much water (1 cup of nuts to 2 cups of water and so on). Cover the bowl with a cloth towel and let sit at room temperature overnight. Soaking time varies with the nut (the more dense the nut, the longer the soaking time). Drain and rinse well and store in a glass container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Enjoy raw as a snack or in a salad, or check out this recipe for Creamy Basil Chicken Alfredo!

Sprouting nuts follows a similar process, requiring several days of soaking but yielding more nutrition, and we especially love it when Whole Foods does the heavy labor for us! You can find sprouted nuts in the bulk section of your local WF.

Creamy Basil Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini, spiralized into noodles
2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper
3 cloves garlic
10 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup water
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Season chicken thighs with sea salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and place them in a baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until thighs are no longer pink in the middle. Meanwhile, add soaked cashews, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, garlic, and basil to a blender or food processor with about 1/2 cup water, slowly adding more water until the desire consistency you prefer is met (more water will create a thinner sauce, less water it will be thicker). Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add zucchini noodles and saute until softened. Remove the chicken thighs from the oven and chop into strips. Toss the noodles, chicken, and sauce, and enjoy!

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