Soaking Seeds & Nuts?

[November Blue]

It seems to me that I read somewhere that raw seeds and nuts need to be soaked before eating them (something about toxins and digestion issues)...but now I can't find where I read that. For instance, if I want to put some sunflower or pumpkin seeds on my salad, should they be soaked first? Doesn't soaking them make them mushy?

While I'm here - slightly off topic but... I grabbed a sack of dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans) yesterday, figuring I'd like to make a hummus type dip with them. Will these work? They're just from the local grocery and the bag doesn't say "raw". I'm sure they're not cooked (they were with the other dry beans) but after I got home I got to thinking that they maybe they could have been processed with heat. Am I over-thinking it? :)

Thanks!

[MysticTree]

soaked nuts are delicious. Almond are my fav if adding to a salad. cashews go a bit too soggy for me not to then process them. Sunflowers seeds and pumpkin seeds are nice soaked for salads. I just pat them dry before adding.

I think you are over thinking the chickpeas ... try sprouting some. If they sprout you are good to go.

[November Blue]

Thank you! I'll try soaking them and will have some on my salad for lunch. Good idea about trying to sprout the chickpeas to see if they'll sprout. Duh! :)

I guess I'm over thinking it because I want to make sure I'm doing things right - it's my nature. :p

[MysticTree]

no worries ... over thinking is easy to do! It all becomes second nature after a while and you just do what you do. You know the over thinking has gone too far when you look to see if the tights you want to buy say raw on the packet!

[soulvibe]

Soaking nuts and seeds is incredibly beneficial to do before consuming, not only as it eases digestion (a lot), but it also powerfully activates the enzymes, allowing them to be utilized much more efficiently by the body. If you want to make a delicious snack, and you have a high-powered blender such as a Vita-Mix - Make some coconut, almond yoghurt -- The water & flesh of 2 coconuts and 1 bag of soaked (for about 8 hours) almonds. Once blended together, fill the mix into a big jar. Leave to sit on the counter for 4 hours, and leave the cap off/allow it oxygen - This is where the mix sets/enzymes super-activate. Then put in the fridge for another 4 hours or so. And then... BOOM! There you have it - Delicious, nutritious, powerfully-energizing & regenerating coconut, almond yoghurt baby!

Enjoy! :D