The Benefits Of Soaking Nuts Before Eating Them

Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, fiber and a slew of vitamins and minerals. Which is why they come highly recommended as an addition to a balanced diet. Turns out, soaking nuts can enhance their benefits for you. The phytic acid and tannins in the skin make nuts harder to digest and inhibit the absorption of nutrients in your food. Soaking and removing the peel can do away with these. Plus, they're less likely to irritate a sensitive stomach and are cleaner as well this way!

They are a nutrient -dense snack and perfect for when the munchies strike! Satisfying but not sinful, they come highly recommended by the American Heart Association as part of a healthy diet. Although it's easiest to have these crunchy nuggets straight from the bag, have you wondered if you should be soaking or peeling certain nuts first? In some parts of the world like Asia, almonds, for instance, are soaked overnight and peeled the next morning before consuming. So is there some science behind this ritual and should you consider soaking nuts before having them?

What Happens When You Soak Nuts

When you soak nuts, it becomes easier to peel off their skin. That's not all, though. There are also certain changes to the nut itself when you soak it. While some nutrients are lost along with the skin, you may find that positive effects of soaking more than make up on other fronts.

• Washes away dust and other contamination

• Removes tannins and inhibit digestion

• Lowers physic acid content

• Break down and soften to digest easily

• Easy to peel away the skin

Bottom line, if you are looking to improve overall gut health, give soaking a try!

PAPAYA FOR GOOD DIGESTION

by minx life

While eating fruit with a meal is never recommended as it can have a negative effect on your digestion, papaya is one of the few exceptions.

Papaya fruit is a rich source of valuable proteolytic enzymes, such as papain, chymopapain, caricain and glycl endopeptidase, that can greatly aid in the digestive process. This is especially true of of meals that contain meat or other concentrated forms of protein.

But, as this page will show, papaya enzyme can have many other health benefits and may have an even more important role to play when taken on an empty stomach.

Many of us eat large amounts of low quality meat each week that can put great strain on our digestive system and enzyme producing pancreas. Processed meats, with additives such as the potentially carcinogenic sodium nitrite, are particularly worrying from a health perspective.

To make matters worse, rushed meals, extra large serving sizes, low digestive enzymes and stomach acid production, and poorly functioning digestive systems in general all contribute to this meat often ending up only partially digested by the time it reaches the lower intestines.

Here it can putrefy as it is acted upon by masses of flatulence causing bacteria. But smelly gas is the least of the potential health problems caused by undigested protein in the colon.

The place to fix flatulence and other more serious health issues associated with poor digestion, such as constipation, leaky gut syndrome and IBS, is not at the end of the process,  but at the beginning.

Proper chewing is important to break up food and can significantly assist carbohydrate digestion, but to get a head start on protein, proteolytic enzymes like the papain enzyme in papaya can really help. It's also a good idea to avoid certain foods for awhile, such as, meat, fried and fatty foods, eggs, refined sugars, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. 

Papaya Enzyme on an Empty Stomach

While papaya enzymes are most often taken with food, another strategy that is gaining popularity is to take green papaya enzyme powder blended up in a smoothie or with water on an empty stomach.

Under these circumstances little hydrochloric acid would be produced and the papain and other enzymes could pass into the small intestines in larger amounts. From here they can be absorbed into your bloodstream where they exert an anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body .

Proteolytic enyzmes circulating in the blood are known to reduce inflammation in your body, most likely by scavenging damaged and oxidized proteins and breaking them down.

These damaged proteins are implicated in a variety of debilitating autoimmune disorders such as severe allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome and a weakened immune system that is much more vulnerable to infections and disease. 

If you are looking for better digestion and an improved immune system give papaya a try!

What are the best antioxidants for your skin?

From red wine, berries, green tea and pomegranates, the variety of antioxidants that can be eaten,drunk or extracted and used in skincare is mind boggling. They are good for health and for skin because they help protect against free radicals, which, in a famous example, do the same thing to us that they do to a sliced apple. They oxidize it, turning it brown, and sending it quickly to..its eventual disintegration, otherwise known as ripe old age.

The sliced apple example has always resonated with people, but for some reason, until now, nobody was like, so what is it that keeps an apple from turning brown? Apple peels! Apple peels not only keep apples from turning brown, they keep them fresh and young looking for longer than practically any other fruit.

The research on whole apple peels' antioxidant power shows it's full of phenolic compounds, potent antioxidants, polyphenols, and more, all of which help to fight free radicals and keep us healthy.

Bottom line.. Eat apples for radiant skin!

6 Liver Friendly Foods to eat

The liver is an incredible multitasker. You can think of this vital organ as a filter system. It helps your body get rid of toxins while also harvesting nutrients from the foods you eat.

When it comes to liver health, not all foods are created equal. This is especially true if you have a condition like cirrhosis or hepatitis C, which can make make it difficult for your liver to filter nutrients and waste as it should.

Eating liver-friendly foods like the ones below can help lessen the damage caused by liver disease.

1. Avocados

Avocados are staples in many cuisines. They’re technically a part of the berry family and offer many health benefits, including improved liver health.

Research from 2015 took a look at the role of certain foods in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). The researchers report that avocado may help lower blood lipids, or fats, and help prevent liver damage.

What is known is that people who eat avocados are more likely to have a lower body mass index(BMI) and waist circumference. According to a 2013 study they may also have higher levels of HDL(good) cholesterol.

It’s a thought that some of these effects are related to the high fiber, healthy fats, and water content of avocados. A 2014 study in rats suggests that avocado oil may help the liver heal from damage. And eating fiber-rich foods is a good way to support health.

2. Coffee

Your daily cup of coffee may play an even more critical role to your health than you thought.

When it comes to your liver health, some studies suggest that coffee reduces the risk of cirrhosis, cancer, and fibrosis in the liver. Regular, moderate amounts may even help slow the course of current liver diseases.

Research from 2021 indicates that drinking coffee could reduce your risk of developing liver disease or fatty liver disease by around 20 percent.

In the same study, drinking coffee lowered the risk of death from liver disease by 49 percent. All types of coffee-decaf, instant, and ground- had similar effects.

The key to such benefits is to drink coffee daily. For overall health, it’s best to avoid adding sugars and artificial creamers. Instead, try swapping in dairy milk, unsweetened soy milk, almond milk, cinnamon or cocoa powder.

3. Oily Fish

Fish may also provide some underlying benefits to your liver health, especially oily types of fish.

Oily fish such such as salmon can help reduce inflammation and fat buildup in the liver while also promoting a lower overall BMI, according to research from 2015. Oily fish is also high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for heart and brain health.

The authors of this review found oily fish was beneficial in reducing blood lipids when consumed two or more times per week. If you can’t eat fish, fish oil supplements may be an option to consider.

People who used fish oil supplements also appeared to reduce their risk of liver cancer by as much as 40 to 52 percent, depending on cancer type.

4. Olive oil

When consumed over a long period of time, olive oil has been found to improve heart health. A large 2020 study suggests that eating more than a half of a tablespoon of olive oil every day could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent.

A number of small studies suggest that olive oil can help reduce liver enzymes and liver fat that contribute to disease. Olive oil may also increase the amount of HDL(good) cholesterol in the blood, which could have benefits for your liver.

Olive oil is high in calories, so you may want to use in moderation. You can sprinkle olive oil on salads in lieu of fatty dressings, sauté vegetables with it, or roast root vegetables in the oven with a drizzle of the oil. If you’re trying to reduce your calorie intake, olive oil can also make your meals more filling so that you’ll eat fewer calories.

5. Walnuts

Nuts, when consumed in small amounts, are nutrient-dense snacks that are also high in healthy fats. Aside from boosting cardiovascular health, nuts may also help reduce the incidence of liver disease.

Of all types, walnuts are amongst the most beneficial for reducing fatty liver disease. This is thanks to their higher antioxidant and fatty acid content. Walnuts have the most omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as polyphenol antioxidants.

People who ate walnuts at least 5 or 6 times a week had significantly greater liver fat loss than those who ate walnuts less often. This fat loss was associated with overall ant-inflammatory and metabolic health benefits. To get these potential benefits, try sprinkling walnuts on top of salads, oatmeal and yogurt.

6. Complex carbohydrates

While your entire diet shouldn’t consist of carbohydrates, you do want to eat a balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats.

Complex carbohydrates are better than simple carbs because they’re metabolized slower and prevent wide fluctuations in blood sugar. This is why it’s best for people with NAFLD to choose complex carbs over simple cabs, as the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases advises.

Nonrefined carbs also have essential nutrients like zinc, B vitamins, and higher fiber levels, which are all important for a healthy liver and metabolism. The key is selecting whole grains, such as:

• wild rice

• whole wheat bread and pasta

• brown rice

• whole oats

• rye

• corn

• bulgur

Takeaway

As a general rule, whole foods are best for your liver and the rest of your body. Certain liver conditions may require a more specialized diet. In some cases, people with advanced liver disease may not be able to absorb the fats they eat and may have to limit oils and fatty fish.