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My family and I eat soaked grains or legumes in moderation(roughly 2 times a week).
To be honest, I personally feel the best eating no grains, but my kids handle soaked grains just fine. I decided to add some gluten free grains to our diet, and we have been doing great with them.
There are many things you can do to grains. You can sprout them, ferment them, or soak them. I will talk about soaking, because that is what I do in my home for the majority of my grain, and legume consumption.
When eating grains and legumes that haven’t been soaked, the phytic acid binds to minerals in the Gastrointestinal tract, and can not be absorbed in the intestine. Too many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies. By soaking, you are breaking down the phytic acid in the grain, so it can be absorbed correctly for proper digestion.
How do I soak grains?~
1. It’s super easy. Place the grain into a glass bowl, and cover completely with filtered warm water. For every 1 cup of liquid you will need 1 tbsp of acidic medium. I use a non-dairy acidic medium, such as apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, coconut milk kefir, or water kefir. You can also use a dairy acidic medium such as whey, whole milk kefir, cultured buttermilk, and whole milk yogurt. When I soak my grains, I soak them overnight. I plan my meal ahead of time so it will be done soaking in the morning. Some grains take less time because some have lower phytic acid, but I soak the grains that I consume for 24 hours. ( gluten free oats and Rice)
2. Place your bowl of soaking grains on the counter and cover. I use a paper towel with rubber band.
3. Allow to sit overnight.
4. You do not need to rince grains after soaking, but when I use Apple cider vinegar in my oat meal I tend to not want my oatmeal to taste like vinegar. LOL
5. You can now cook your grains. After soaking grains you will notice cooking time will decrease, and you will for sure notice a difference in the way you feel.
Soaking Legumes~
Like grains, legumes contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, and require soaking.
For kidney shaped beans, put beans, a pinch of baking soda, and enough water to cover a large pot and soak for up to 12-24 hours. For non kidney shaped beans like black beans and other legumes, soak, with water and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of dried legumes used.
(For best results with legumes, it is best to rinse and refresh the water and baking soda, or acidic medium once or twice during the soaking period)
This is what I do in my household. Soaking grains has been a game changer in my home, and I hope this information will help you make a positive change in your life. XO
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