Nuts are a very nutritious and highly digestible snack, as long as they are properly prepared and sourced correctly. If we don’t take the proper steps to make them more digestible (which is very simple), they can be very hard on our digestive system. Nuts are a good source of omega 3 fatty acid, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. They are a great source of magnesium and have been my favorite food source to correct my magnesium deficiency. Since we always use food to correct deficiencies, we try to eat a big handful of properly prepared nuts daily, along with taking Epsom salt baths.
According to the Weston Price Foundation, there are several diseases associated with a deficiency in magnesium like, “anxiety, migraines, multiple sclerosis, insomnia (inability to sleep), constipation, thyroid disorders, and the list goes on. Since magnesium is a great detoxifier, a deficiency can also cause increased body odor. My own personal conviction is that we can get too much magnesium by taking it as a single supplement, since vitamins and minerals work synergistically with one another, and getting too much of one can cause more problems and possibly lead to deficiencies in others, and the magnesium is just one of the reasons that I love nuts! I highly recommend doing your own research, not just trusting me, and consulting with your doctor.
If nuts are not properly prepared, our bodies will need to use up a lot of enzymes in order to neutralize their enzyme inhibitors. Most Americans are already deficient in enzymes because of the dead, processed food that we eat so often, so it’s important not to stress our digestive system even more by not properly preparing our nuts. Studies also suggest that soaking them will make the nutrients more available.
To soak nuts you simply place them in a bowl, cover the raw nuts with salt water, and then let them sit at least 7 hours. After this time, the water is strained off and the nuts are dried in the oven or dehydrator. Not only do they become more nutrient dense and digestible, they also taste more delicious. A great source for learning more about this process is through the Weston Price Foundation website and Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions.
It’s so important to source organic nuts, because non organic will be produced using chemical fertilizers which will definitely decrease the nutrients in the nuts, especially magnesium. If they aren’t sprayed with pesticides and fungicides while they are growing (which is unlikely), they are often sprayed with pesticides and fungicides after they are picked and shelled. In order to get the most nutrients and in order to avoid the chemicals, it’s imperative to buy organic.
I have several recipes using nuts that I’m hoping to share with you soon. One of them is our homemade nut butter and the other one is a maple covered pecan candy. How do you use nuts? We love to hear from you!
Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, get rid of the distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was get your salt right, week 2 was get your sleep right, weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were get your fats right, we had several weeks about seasonings and herbs, some important discussion about natural sweeteners, talked about Forgiveness, hopefully we got our eggs right, learned about the benefits of pastured, clean meats, considered getting mercury removed, we got the toxins out of our mouth, skin, and hair, made some changes in our cleaning routines, we talked about raw milk, learned about vegetables and fruits, fermentation, clean water and the benefits of water, the benefits of getting outside, and this week we are talking about nuts. Join us next Tuesday for Get Your . . . Right.