(NaturalHealth365) As the world continues to get crazier and more polluted by the day, health-minded individuals have to become ever more vigilant when protecting themselves. In order to help neutralize the effects of rampant toxicity, there are many steps we can take – like, eating sprouted foods.

Probably one of the most important things to be aware of is not only the nutritional content of the foods we eat but also the digestibility of those foods in relation to the complexities of our gastrointestinal system. If the foods that we eat are hard to digest then our ability to absorb nutrients from them becomes compromised.

The BIG Picture: Why eating sprouted food is a smart move

An estimated 80% of your immune system is located in your gut. The human digestive system uses a lot of energy to turn the food that you have eaten into nutrient rich blood that further supports your immune health. Of all the foods that you eat, protein and fats tend to require more energy to break down versus carbohydrates.

For example, organic nuts (like, walnuts) are one of the best and healthiest sources of quality fats.  But eating raw nuts alone isn’t good enough.  There are tannins – enzyme inhibitors and acids – that make them hard to digest including phytic acid.

Phytic acid actually binds to minerals in your digestive tract and pulls them out of your body.  This further compromises your ability to absorb and retain healthy minerals.

What you need to know about raw, organic nuts

To really get the most out of the nuts you eat, it is essential that you soak and sprout them before they are consumed. By doing this you are replicating the same growth process that has occurred in nature forever.

In nature, a raw nut sitting on a tree branch is in a dormant state. After it falls out of a tree and sits on the ground for the winter it waits for the spring rains to begin soaking it. With this soaking the enzyme inhibitors that kept it dormant dissolve and the nut begins to sprout. The rains literally transform it with life.

The main health benefit of soaking nuts revealed

When you soak raw nuts – in clean water – you are essentially imitating the same sprouting process that occurs in nature. By doing this you dissolve the enzyme inhibitors, tannins and phytic acids that disrupt digestion. In other words, you are causing the nut to “wake up” and become much easier for your digestive system to break down, absorb nutrients and pass through your gut.

In addition to the health benefits and ease of digestibility you derive from sprouting nuts, you also make them much tastier. The texture of the nut becomes lighter, crunchier and better tasting!

After trying sprouted nuts most people will never want to eat a raw nut again because the beneficial change is so noticeable.

Something important to know about sprouted nuts

Sprouting your nuts isn’t hard but it is time consuming. It requires the knowledge of how long different varieties of nuts need to be soaked for as well as some form of dehydration to preserve them after being sprouted.

Most people will use an actual dehydrator or a low temperature oven. To best preserve the integrity of the sprouted nuts it is important not to dehydrate them above 120 degrees, otherwise oils inherent in them have the ability to oxidize and become rancid.

For those who would like to buy their nuts and seeds already sprouted the folks over at Living Nuts have just what you need.

Living Nutz produce a wide variety of certified organic sprouted nuts and seeds. They carry flavored varieties of almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, macadamia, pumpkin seeds plus much more!  Living Nutz are also one of the few sources in the United States that sell unpasteurized truly raw almonds.

In summary, here are the benefits of soaking nuts and seeds.

• Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.
• The amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases.
• The nut is less dense so digestion is much easier.
• Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.

So, if you’re looking for a delicious (healthy) alternative to raw nuts – check out Living Nutz and enjoy!

Editor’s note: We are NOT being paid by Living Nutz for this recommendation.  We simply enjoy sharing this kind of valuable information with you, our readers.  Try some of their products today and you’ll quickly see why we say ‘they’re the best!’