Nuts, seeds, legumes and grains are excellent products of nature that contain inhibitors to prevent germination until the conditions are right and their survival is ensured. However, these protective agents also act as enzyme inhibitors, waging a war in our digestive systems and compromising our health. This can inhibit our absorption of nutrients like iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium.

So, for your smoothie in the morning: before you go to sleep you put the nuts in water and then in the morning you rinse them well and they are ready to be eaten. Doing that your nuts become ‘activated’ and this process helps to alkalize the body (when nuts are soaked and germinated, their pH increases, which makes them more alkaline and in turn can be a part of an alkaline-rich diet that takes your body from more of an acidic state (think inflammation), to an alkaline state). Remember the chart I put the first day in the blog.

Some good reasons to soak:

* Improves digestion: soaking raw nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains in water simulates the ideal moist germinating conditions these foods wait for in nature, essentially tricking the food into sprouting, which neutralizes enzyme inhibitors.

* Unlocks nutrients: soaking activates the full nutrient potential of food. The potency of vitamins like A, C and B get a boost, proteins become more available and live enzymes are released.

* Produces better flavour and texture: soaking softens food, making it easier to blend.

* Reduces cooking time: soaked grains and legumes cook more quickly.

For people who theoretically have an allergy to nuts, they have tested that when they soak their nuts one or two days, then they are able to eat them without any problem!

When taking about other foods, such as legumes, they require different soaking times for full germination. For instance, chickpeas need to be soaked 12 hours and 2 – 3 days for sprouting.

It requires a bit of planning, but what you can do is just to put some food to soak and then to sprout, and when they are ready you can prepare something delicious with them.

Soak and sprout never doubt!!