I’m a Nut! What Are You?

Those who know me well, know that I am eccentric, alternative, holistic, sarcastic and to a fair degree a non-conformist.  But, that is not really what I was talking about by the statement “I’m a nut”.  I am actually referring to the phrase, “You are what you eat”.  I eat a lot of a variety of nuts and seeds.  With our brain being made of 60% fat and fat being a necessary ingredient for many of our body’s functions, I eat nuts and seeds for a non meat alternative/supplement for fat and protein.  I am like “Sam I Am” in “Green Eggs And Ham”, by Dr. Seuss.  I would eat them in a house, with a mouse, on a train, on a plane, in a boat, here or there. I would eat them anywhere.  I would and I could because they are so convenient.

A handful of nuts makes a convenient and satisfying snack that will hold you until lunch or dinner and keep you away from the sugar, salt and poor quality, fat laden cookies, chips and donuts.  When I am super busy and in a hurry in the morning, I throw together nuts, seeds, coconut flakes and maybe some Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips for my breakfast or lunch.  If I need a milk to make dairy and gluten free pancakes, I blend walnuts and water to make a quick nut milk for the recipe.  When we are out of cow milk and my daughter wants cereal, we mix nut butter and raw local honey and stir granola into it, so it is not so dry and she will eat it.  There are so many uses for nuts and seeds and it’s a crucial ingredient in many paleo recipes.  I have a recipe for waffles that uses almond flour, chia seeds, eggs and water to make single serving of waffles that are gluten and dairy free.  David Perlmutter, a neurosurgeon, lists nuts and seeds as an unlimited food option in the “Grain Brain”, which is a great book.  Especially, if you are toying with the idea that sugar and grains/gluten may not be so good for you or if you want to maintain your faculties until you are ready to check out.

I have had several people ask “What kind of nuts?” and “What is the best method of preparation?”.  I try to buy my nuts in bulk and refrigerate them in my extra refrigerator, in order to keep their oils from turning rancid.  I also try to buy them raw and organic.  I soak the nuts in water for 24 hours and then dehydrate them, creating “sprouted nuts”.  It is relatively easy and a more economical way than buying previously sprouted nuts. “Nourishing Traditions”, by Sally Fallon, has a step by step description.  The process of sprouting the nuts and seeds removes the anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, activates the enzymes and makes the nutrients more available, preparing the nut/seed to grow into a plant or tree.  After I’ve tricked it into thinking it was going to get to grow , I dry it out but it is still activated.  I place the soaked nuts on my Excalibur dehydrator sheets and let them dry for 24-48 hours at 115 degrees Fahrenheit, thus keeping them raw. While this may seem time consuming, it actually takes very little hands on time, but I do have to plan ahead.  I then place them in stack-able containers and store them in the refrigerator.  I am able to grab from a variety of nuts any time that “I feel like a nut.”  I currently have on hand, ready to eat or put into a recipe, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, chia, and hemp seeds.  By the way, peanuts are not nuts.  They are legumes that are highly susceptible to fungus which produces aflatoxin, which has been shown to cause liver cancer in rats and found to be a potent chemical carcinogen, discussed in “The China Study”, by T. Collin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell.

If you aren’t a nut, try to figure out what you are.  “Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan points out that the base of our food chain is corn.  Our factory farmed or feed lot cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs and fish are force fed corn and increasingly soy (mostly genetically modified) and therefore are corn and soy. Most of our processed food is genetically modified wheat, corn or soy based, so since you are what you eat, you then become genetically modified corn, soy or wheat.  Michael Pollan also mentions a chemical test that can be taken to detect the chemical structure of corn, thus telling to what degree that creature, being tested, is corn.  I will leave you with a quote from Michael Pollan, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”

I am including a gluten free, chocolate chip cookie recipe below, which is a tasty, great snack or dessert and good for the brain and body. Feel free to share this with anyone who may benefit from this information.  If you or someone you know would benefit from health coaching, therapeutic bodywork or Healing Touch, please contact me for an appointment.

I hope you have a nutty day,

Holly Aaron BA, LMT, HTP, INHC
Aspire Holistic Health and Wellness, LLC
Therapeutic Bodywork, Healing Touch and Health Coaching

Aspire to reach your potential in body, mind and spirit!

For appointments:  Call or Text 479-283-6507