Have you ever had that uncomfortableness from grains that causes bloating, gas, a heaviness, even brain fog?
There is a lot of info out there and quite a lot of negativity about grains and
how bad they are for us!
But are they really?
Certain grains can take up to 18 hours to digest (how crazy is that)!!!! This causes them to start to basically rot in our gut, causing major digestive issues…..YUK!
It takes loads of effort for our digestive system to break down grains, especially over processed, mainstream grains. There is big differences between ancient grains and some mainstream grains, plus, there is a huge difference in grains if they have been soaked and fermented for periods of time!!!!! Let me break all of this down for you.
Rice, oats, wheat, Corn (yes corn is a grain, not a vegetable), barley etc are all the popular grains that can be very processed, genetically modified, and sprayed with horrible chemicals (pesticides, arsenic etc) – if you consume these types of grains, try and always find Organic brands that you can trust!
The ancient grains that a lot of people go for, include: Quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, spelt etc. These grains have been around for many centuries and are full of amazing nutrients of all kinds, which is why they are a chosen grain for some people, but again, be vigilant in only choosing organic brands.
Lately I have been learning that you can actually soak or even sprout your grains (even the common, mainstream ones) for a number of hours to basically unlock their amazing nutrients even more and reduce the digestive issues they can cause many people! Heck yes to that!
By soaking and sprouting grains, it helps to:
-Digest grains faster.
-Reduce the gluten.
-Break down sugars/carbs.
-Neutralise Phytic Acid (an natural anti-nutrient that all grains have, that is difficult to digest).
-Increase the vitamins your body can absorb from them.
and so much more!
HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT!!!!
I personally hadn’t been a huge fan of grains for a long while, mainly because I suffered with gut issues, bloating, gluten sensitivity and ended up with leaky gut syndrome due to ignoring the signs from foods I was sensitive to that I kept eating for many years, purely out of stubbornness and lack of knowledge around what negative impact they were actually causing my body!!
But then I learned about soaking!!!!!! WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE!
At first I thought this whole soaking thing was going to take me way too long and cause me frustration. My question about it was, “Will all of this effort even be worth it”?
Well, once I read up about it more, learned about how truly nurturing it is and got over my laziness, I completely changed my thinking!! THANK GOODNESS!
I Now Love Grains Again!
So, WHAT IS SOAKING?
Soaking transforms something that is dormant and indigestible to something that is as digestible as possible and full of enzymes, minerals and nutrients. HOW GOOD IS THAT!!
I have found that the easiest way to soak my grains is to use a glass jar or container and follow these steps below. Also, I find that if I’m organised enough, I am best to soak my grains on the weekend so that they are then well prepared for meals in the week, I’m all about saving time, but to make that happen, I also need to be prepared and think ahead!! Practice makes progress my friends.
Step 1: Get your glass jar and fill it with as much rice or grain as you think you will need.
Add warm water to the jar, making sure the water is double the amount of rice.
Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or kefir, lemon juice etc) to the water/rice and stir.
Leave your jar of water/rice on the bench for the specific amount of time required (see table)
Step 2: Drain the liquid and give the grains a good rinse.
Cook the grain as normal. It will need less cooking time due to the soaking….WINNING!
Here’s the table that shows how long to soak each grain for to get the best benefit out of them:
What the apple cider vinegar does to help?
This will aid in the development of phytase, the enzyme needed to break down the phytic acid found in grains.
The website I have read over many times to learn about this way of eating grains is:
https://www.weedemandreap.com/guide-soaking-sprouting-grains/
I highly recommend you check them out and read over their many blog posts and articles on soaking and sprouting.
So there you go! Give it a try for yourself and see if you feel any differences after using this soaking process first! I’d love to hear how it goes for you, so why not drop me a comment below to let me know if you noticed any differences.
I am no expert in this process. But from my own learnings and also my own experience, I felt the need to share this with you guys as it has changed the way I eat, digest and feel when eating grains.
Nurture your mind, body and soul
Janelle Emma x
