Good morning gorgeous steemit people. Today's smoothie was just yum and entered the favorite smoothie list. Is it the sweet and juices peaches or the cashew that did, I honestly do not now but the flavor was amazing.
Though I have been a cashew muncher for quite a while, I only recently started adding them to my morning smoothies to add an extra healthy fat and protein to turn into a complete and filling meal.
Is Soaking Nuts Necessary?
Yes, it is! Nuts have phytic acid, which can also be found in grains and legumes. Soaking nuts is essential for proper and better digestion.
When nuts haven’t been soaked, the phytic acid binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract, meaning these minerals can not be absorbed or used by our body. Over time this can lead to mineral deficiencies. By soaking your nuts, the phytic acid is broken down so minerals can be absorbed properly.
Furthermore, nuts house a high amount of enzymes inhibitors, making them hard to digest. Soaking again neutralizes the enzymes allowing for better digestion.
Best is to soak your nuts in lightly salted water. The salt will help to neutralize the enzymes. After the soaking, rinse the nuts and if you want to eat them you can dry them after. Since we are going to blend them, drying is not needed.
But if you are soaking a bigger batch and want to keep them for later, make sure to dry them to avoid them getting moldy. You do not want to dry your nuts any higher than 150°F or 65°C. You can use your oven or dehydrator for that.
Soak your nuts for at least 8 hours, overnight is best. Dry/dehydrate overnight or for 12 hours.
Ingredients (serves 2)
2.5 cups fresh spinach
2 cups water
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for a few hours, overnight is best
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 cups peaches
1 cup mango
1-2 tbsp raw cacao powder (optional)
Directions
- Place spinach, water, cashews, and coconut oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again. If the smoothie is too thick for you, add more liquid base. If you have a high-speed blender you can throw in everything at once.
- Optional: top with your favorite superfoods. I used raw cacao powder this time.
Happy Blending ღ ღ ღ
ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH FUJI X-M1