Morning all - I've got a biiiiig pot of French roast on because its Monday and a small pot of decaf for those who doesnt need caffeine... (you know who you are 
) And I have some of my honey, peanut, seed and oatmeal energy bars too. Don't knock them til you tried them, my brother loves McDonalds and he has been eating them instead of chocolate this weekend so its a small victory.
Firstly, sorry I missed the big science debate over the weekend. I attended this market on Saturday where I sold my first batch of sprouts. I sold about 30 bags and met lots of lovely hippies
so I had a whale of a time so much nicer than spending Saturday in bed wishing I was dead because I'm so hung over I can't move.
Anyway, at the risk of getting Kas and Det started again... I didn't particularly even mean to mention grains on Friday but now I'm glad I did because I read some stuff about sprouting which I can now link back to this whole lectin debate.
Now, I'm not a scientist or a researcher but I have found several reasonable looking sites saying that soaking and sprouting grains and legumes make them much more digestible.
Precision Nutrition Coaching | All About Sprouting for example says the following:
"Why is sprouting so important?
Grains, nuts, and beans/legumes are all seeds. Many seeds evolved to be distributed by being eaten and then excreted. Other seeds — such as many types of grain — evolved originally to be distributed by falling off the plant, or being blown by the wind.
In both cases, the seeds did not evolve to be highly digestible. Either they evolved to pass through the digestive tract unharmed, or they did not evolve to be eaten at all.
When humans developed agriculture, they cultivated many of these seeds, often breeding them to be larger and less easily dispersed.
However, the seeds often retained their indigestible properties. Many seeds contain anti-nutrients, substances that inhibit the absorption or use of other nutrients. For example, rice contains phytic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption.
Other seeds contain substances such as lectins and saponins, which can interfere with the endothelial lining of the GI tract. This can cause damage to the cellular lining and the villi (small brushlike projections in the intestines), leading to leaky gut and poor overall nutrient absorption.
In extreme cases, such as uncooked kidney beans, raw seeds can be highly toxic (and even kidney bean sprouts should not be consumed raw).
Thus, in order to make them edible, various agricultural populations sprouted, soaked, or fermented their seeds. (Or, as in the case of Mesoamericans and corn, prepared them with an alkaline substance, a process known as nixtamalization.)
The cultures who didn’t figure this out likely experienced mineral deficiencies and growth problems."
- Those of you who are still reading at this point can follow the link, the article is long but its well-written and easy to read. It explains how soaking and sprouting breaks up the lectins and in-digestibility of grains and legumes. You can for instance first sprout chickpeas and then cook it - I have done it and its much gentler on the tummy, and you only have to steam if for 10 minutes instead of boiling it for hours.
And guys I love your very smart brains but can you please explain it to me like I'm a 10 year old, my poor brain has only not been soaked in alcohol for 19 days and its a bit slow.
Everyone else, have a super duper ab fab day. The sun is shining and I for one am happy to be alive, non-hungover and sober.
:happy:
) And I have some of my honey, peanut, seed and oatmeal energy bars too. Don't knock them til you tried them, my brother loves McDonalds and he has been eating them instead of chocolate this weekend so its a small victory.Firstly, sorry I missed the big science debate over the weekend. I attended this market on Saturday where I sold my first batch of sprouts. I sold about 30 bags and met lots of lovely hippies
so I had a whale of a time so much nicer than spending Saturday in bed wishing I was dead because I'm so hung over I can't move. Anyway, at the risk of getting Kas and Det started again... I didn't particularly even mean to mention grains on Friday but now I'm glad I did because I read some stuff about sprouting which I can now link back to this whole lectin debate.
Now, I'm not a scientist or a researcher but I have found several reasonable looking sites saying that soaking and sprouting grains and legumes make them much more digestible.
Precision Nutrition Coaching | All About Sprouting for example says the following:
"Why is sprouting so important?
Grains, nuts, and beans/legumes are all seeds. Many seeds evolved to be distributed by being eaten and then excreted. Other seeds — such as many types of grain — evolved originally to be distributed by falling off the plant, or being blown by the wind.
In both cases, the seeds did not evolve to be highly digestible. Either they evolved to pass through the digestive tract unharmed, or they did not evolve to be eaten at all.
When humans developed agriculture, they cultivated many of these seeds, often breeding them to be larger and less easily dispersed.
However, the seeds often retained their indigestible properties. Many seeds contain anti-nutrients, substances that inhibit the absorption or use of other nutrients. For example, rice contains phytic acid, which inhibits mineral absorption.
Other seeds contain substances such as lectins and saponins, which can interfere with the endothelial lining of the GI tract. This can cause damage to the cellular lining and the villi (small brushlike projections in the intestines), leading to leaky gut and poor overall nutrient absorption.
In extreme cases, such as uncooked kidney beans, raw seeds can be highly toxic (and even kidney bean sprouts should not be consumed raw).
Thus, in order to make them edible, various agricultural populations sprouted, soaked, or fermented their seeds. (Or, as in the case of Mesoamericans and corn, prepared them with an alkaline substance, a process known as nixtamalization.)
The cultures who didn’t figure this out likely experienced mineral deficiencies and growth problems."
- Those of you who are still reading at this point can follow the link, the article is long but its well-written and easy to read. It explains how soaking and sprouting breaks up the lectins and in-digestibility of grains and legumes. You can for instance first sprout chickpeas and then cook it - I have done it and its much gentler on the tummy, and you only have to steam if for 10 minutes instead of boiling it for hours.
And guys I love your very smart brains but can you please explain it to me like I'm a 10 year old, my poor brain has only not been soaked in alcohol for 19 days and its a bit slow.
Everyone else, have a super duper ab fab day. The sun is shining and I for one am happy to be alive, non-hungover and sober.
:happy:
ray:
Comment