When I first went raw, I jumped in with both feet and went 100% raw for 30 days. The first few weeks I found myself eating tons of nuts! I know it’s not uncommon for people transitioning to raw food to overeat nuts, so I decided to share my story and advice about nuts.
Why The Nuts?
Why do most of us immediately reach for the raw nuts and seeds when we switch to a raw diet?
1. We want to feel full.
Since nuts are solid, crunchy, and filling, we have a tendency to use them as a replacement for cooked food. For example, when I first went raw, I would still feel “hungry” after eating a generous salad. I’d eat a handful or two of nuts to get that semi-drowsy feeling I was missing.
2. Nuts are crunchy.
Of course another reason why we might overeat nuts at the beginning is that we miss that crunchy yummy sort of salty feeling. Nuts make a natural replacement for chips, popcorn, crackers, and other snacks. Here’s a quick tip if that’s why you’re reaching for the nuts: try crunching on some celery, or make kale chips!
3. It’s an easy snack food.
You don’t need to wash, cut, or blend anything to eat nuts. If you’re in a hurry or feeling tired, you can just open a jar or reach for a container of nuts and enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with this behavior, but if you’re overeating nuts you will want to prepare adequate snack foods in advance.
Remember that being prepared is half the battle when it comes to eating healthy foods.
Nuts: The Good and The Bad
On the one hand, nuts make us feel full because our body is expending energy trying to digest them. Nuts are harder to digest than fresh fruits and vegetables. In reality we probably wouldn’t be eating tons of nuts in nature, unless they were fresh and in season. How many of us live next to a Brazil nut tree? That’s what I thought.
Nuts have tons of great nutritious qualities, and I don’t think we should shun them entirely. The healthy oils found in nuts are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for the brain, and for keeping your stress levels under control. Alternative sources of omega-3 fatty acids include chia seeds and flax seeds.
Most people have an easier time digesting seeds than they do digesting nuts. Also, the reason why more people are allergic to nuts than seeds is that nuts tend to go rancid if kept on a shelf for too long a time.
The Nutty Conclusion
So what’s the verdict? No, you won’t go insane if you eat too many nuts. But try to limit yourself to one handful per day, since they are hard to digest. If you feel bloated or gassy after eating nuts, cut down.
Also, you should avoid eating nuts with fresh fruits since that will definitely cause some discomforts and gas!
Other than that, go nuts. :D
{ 12 comments }
This part is very interesting:
“For example, when I first went raw, I would still feel “hungry” after eating a generous salad. I’d eat a handful or two of nuts to get that semi-drowsy feeling I was missing.”
Do you think many people mistake a semi-drowsy feeling for hunger?
I ask because I do feel hungry after salads sometimes!
Also, do you sprout/germinate your nuts and seeds? I find that releasing the enzyme inhibitors via soaking makes things a million times more digestible for me! :)
Something you can do to help the digestibility of nuts tremendous is soaking them for 6-7 hours in water with salt added. Then, if you want the crunch, you can low-heat dry them (under 150 degrees F) until they get their crunch back.
You may notice that the nuts taste lighter, cleaner, easier in many ways. Still not good to overeat any particular thing, but it really makes a huge difference.
When I went raw, I ate lots of nuts for the same reasons you did. Big mistake…nuts and me are not a match. When I backed off trying to be 100% raw and allowed myself to eat meat again (which I really resisted) I found that not only was I more energetic and my belly felt happier, but I actually found myself eating “raw with a side of meat” and it was a no-brainer. So now my diet is about 70% raw and I don't even try.
Actually, I think people eat to feel that semi-drowsy feeling when they overeat or eat food they have a hard time digesting!
What you're saying about being hungry after salads is kind of normal, since you're able to digest that easily and that's exactly what we're going after. :)
Yes! Sprouting/germinating all the way. Check out my post about that here: http://rawfoodswitch.com/raw-food-equipment-rev…
Yes! You are so right Mark, thank you for bringing that up. I know we discussed soaking nuts on Twitter in the past, so it's awesome for you to share that with my witchy readers here. :)
I think soaked nuts taste better too – on top of digesting more easily!
That's an awesome discovery you made Sukie. I think people try to force the 100% raw thing and end up overeating nuts and feeling worse for it. Your solution seems like a great way to be gentle on your digestion system and feel good. :)
Right on- glad you support it. I learned about it from our own nutritional bible: Nourishing Traditions- which is decidedly NOT raw, but shares a philosophy with you of avoiding processed foods and eating at a more nourishing, basic level.
Rock on!
About 4 yrs ago a medical intuitive gave me the book Nourishing Traditions and introduced me to the soaking and dehydrating nuts — it makes ALL the difference for me, I have not had a problem since.
snowshoer
Lately, I've been fascinated by the whole “eat food –> drowsy” connection. I was blown away when someone first described it to me. I haven't made the switch to a completely raw diet yet, but that certainly got me thinking!
But back to the nuts.. I bought the biggest bag of (I think they were peanuts) nuts, took them to work and kept up a constant stream of nuts to my stomach. I was surprised at how quickly I felt full, and the drowsy feeling wasn't anywhere near as potent as after a heavily processed meal.
This is great John! Nuts are definitely better than processed stuff, and maybe your body digests them really well. Who knows? ;) I'm glad it's working out well for ya!
I love eating nuts no matter what, there’s no preparation needed and it’s a good source of protein and an antioxidants that helps boost our immune system. Nuts is also a good remedy for rheumatism.
Thanks for the effort you took to expand upon this topic so thoroughly. I look forward to future post.
The Natural Health field is growing at a phenomenal rate throughout the world. And millions of Americans — aware of the detrimental effects of drug-based western medicine — are joining health oriented people around the globe in embracing an alternative natural approach. Encompassing the core building blocks of all living organisms, an holistic lifestyle promotes the building, repair, and maintenance of health.
Comments on this entry are closed.