A-Z Challenge - 'S'

'Soaked and sprouted' is the topic of the day for the A-Z Challenge. Grains, nuts, and seeds are commonly used in many recipes and processed foods. The problem is that grains, nuts, and seeds are all loaded with anti-nutrients like phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors that can not only render these otherwise nutritious foods useless and even toxic. By properly preparing these grains, nuts, and seeds prior to eating them, we would likely avoid a lot of problems. Soaking and/or sprouting will neutralize the phytic acid and the enzyme inhibitors. In most cases, the nutritional value also improves after sprouting!
Soaking and dehydrating nuts like almonds and peanuts and seeds like pumpkin seeds has become a regular part of my journey to wellness. As I write this entry, I am running some soaked pumpkin seeds through the dehydrator. I soaked them for the last 24 hours in a solution of filtered water, sea salt, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. This makes a really nice, slightly spicy snack.

I recommend the Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook: 250 flourless, Dairyless, Low Temperature, Low Fat, Low Salt, Living Food Vegetarian Recipes for more information about sprouting.