Organic Eating Daily

Eating Raw: Re-hydrating Nuts

Eating raw is not as difficult or as complicated as one might imagine. Greens, nuts and fruits all make for quick and easy snacks.

Not everyone’s digestion is the same, however, and eating dried fruits can be difficult for some.

Likewise, mixing dried fruits and nuts in the same snack time can spell troubles for some snackers. When the fruits have been dehydrated, they lose all of their water content, which then has to be re-supplied by your body. This can be distressing, often producing an upset stomach or trouble with digestion.

Re-hydrating Fruits

Re-hydrating fruits and nuts can be the answer for such troubles. Soaking dried fruit in filtered water for a period of time can reinvigorate the fruits, making them more easily digestible in the process. Further, those who eat and cook with nothing but raw foods will often dehydrate and/or re-hydrate nuts, grains and fruits, allowing for a greater variety of textures during the cooking process.

Re-hydrating Nuts

Soaking nuts and seeds in filtered water also re-hydrates them. Beyond the enriched flavor and new texture, the process also removes chemicals known as enzyme inhibitors. These chemicals are natural, and exist for the purpose of protecting the nut until it is the appropriate time for it to sprout. When you soak the nuts in water, the fluids release the enzyme inhibitors and wash them away. For those who experience a bit of trouble when digesting dried nuts, removing the enzyme inhibitors (which can make the nut difficult to digest) may solve the problem.

How to Re-hydrate Almonds

Typically, I clean a handful of almonds at night before I go to bed, and then close them up in a small Tupperware container filled with enough distilled water to cover the nuts, leaving it on the counter or in the ‘fridge overnight. When I wake up the next morning, I’ve got perfectly re-hydrated almonds that taste great after a quick rinse. I store them in the refrigerator and eat them as snacks over the course of a day or two.

There are no perfect, set answers for healthy, vegetarian or raw food dieters. Tweak your eating habits when one food or snack brings about digestive problems, until you find a routine that works best for you.




Copyright 2008 Organic Eating Daily