Easily Digested Grains, Legumes and NutsGrains, legumes and nuts are seeds of the plants that produced them. When you consider that seeds germinate in damp soil, it makes sense that they need some protection from becoming decomposed by the bacteria around them during the germination process. Therefore, these foods contain enzyme inhibitors and/or phytic acid that make them harder for us as well as soil bacteria to digest. These substances interfere with our absorption of the minerals and other nutrients that they contain. However, with long pre-soaking in water or water plus an acidic ingredient and properly cooked, or when fermented before cooking, these foods become easy to digest and are very nourishing. Oatmeal boxes used to contain instructions that said to soak the oatmeal overnight before cooking it for breakfast. That was good advice, but not what today's impatient consumers want to hear. Grains contain both enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. The phytic acid combines with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc in the intestine and prevents us from absorbing those minerals. Because of this, a diet high in unsoaked, unfermented whole grains can lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking grains in warm water for twelve to twenty four hours neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and enables the grain's enzymes, Lactobacillus and other bacteria to break down the phytic acid. The fermentation that occurs when we make sourdough bread, and to a lesser extent with yeast bread, allows for the breakdown of phytic acid and makes digestion and absorption of nutrients easy. However, conventionally made quick breads, crackers, and granola remain hard to digest and it is difficult for the body to derive their nutrients. If these items are baked at home, the flour can be soaked for twelve to twenty four hours before baking. The best nutrition is obtained if the flour is soaked in buttermilk or other cultured milk products or with an acidic ingredient. Recipes for grains and baked goods prepared to make them more digestible and nourishing and yeast and sourdough bread recipes are found in Healing Basics. Sprouting grains also neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Recently I noticed that the King Arthur FlourTM Baker's Catalogue now sells sprouted whole wheat flour. An online search led to the To Your Health Sprouted Flour CompanyTM. They produce a wide variety of sprouted flours including amaranth, quinoa, sorghum, and rice. To find a store that carries their products, search here: https://healthyflour.com/store-locator/ . I baked twice with King Arthur TM sprouted whole wheat flour and it produced very good 100% sprouted wheat yeast buns and muffins. I do not hesitate to recommend this flour in spite of my brief experience with it because I know King ArthurTM has a large test kitchen where new products are thoroughly tested before the are accepted for sale on their website and in their catalogue. As I have found true in my brief experience, they write that their sprouted whole wheat flour can be used in baking like their other whole wheat flour and substituted in equal amounts. If you tolerate wheat, you might want to consider baking with this flour. If you're low on energy or time, baked goods made from sprouted flour can be purchased from Food for LifeTM. They offer both standard and gluten-free breads, English muffins, tortillas, buns, pocket breads and cereals. You will be amazed at the variety on their website here: http://www.foodforlife.com/products . Legumes are high in protein, minerals, B vitamins and essential fatty acids. However, they also contain enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid that must be neutralized for us to absorb the nutrients, especially the minerals. Beans should be soaked in warm water at least overnight and preferably for 24 hours before cooking to break down the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid and to allow indigestible carbohydrates to be broken down and poured off in the soaking water. Rinse the beans with three changes of water after soaking and before cooking them. I find a crock pot ideal for cooking beans. Some traditional cultures added acidic ingredients to the soaking water for some beans and used just water for others. The beans that were often cooked with acidic ingredients such as whey, vinegar, or citrus juice include black beans, small white beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and lentils. Legumes contain several anti-cancer agents. Recipes for legumes and easy crockpot legume soups are found in Healing Basics. Nuts and seeds are foods that many people have trouble digesting and so must eat very sparingly. However, once made easier to digest, they are a very satisfying, non-perishable, convenient between meal snack for glycemic control diets and are good sources of many minerals, healthy fats and protein. Nuts from large trees with very deep roots, such as pecans, are high in trace minerals. Nuts contain many enzyme inhibitors, some of which can be irritating to the mouth. The large number of enzyme inhibitors is what makes them so hard to digest. Soaking nuts enables their own enzymes to break down enzyme inhibitors. To be easily edible and nourishing they should be soaked in salted water for twelve to twenty four hours and then dried in a slightly warm oven or dehydrator until crisp. Cashews have a toxic oil called cardol between their inner and outer shells, so they are cracked and roasted twice to eliminate the cardol before we purchase them. What are sold as "raw" cashews are not really raw and need to be soaked for only six hours. Recipes for nuts and seeds prepared by soaking and drying are found in Healing Basics. Footnotes
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