Making sense of seeds and nuts - especially flax

HDH74HDH74 Raw Newbie

I am currently researching dehydrators, plus recipes and ingredients to use.

I rather like the idea of being able to make raw flaxseed crackers and the like. I think it would help me get completely off bread which is my sticking point right now. I gave up all other cooked grain products and all other wheat but I just need something else to munch on to go the whole hog.

I gather not all nuts and seeds are raw so it seems pointless to splash out lots of cash to end up with something that isn't really raw.

I have found some sites sell nuts which they describe as raw but I haven't seen 'raw flax seeds.'

Is this because flax seeds are normally raw anyway or am I looking in the wrong places?

Someone told me you can sprout flax seeds so therefore they must be raw? Is this true? Can I assume anything that would sprout or grow is raw?

Would be very grateful for any information to help me take the next step forwards. Thankyou for reading.

Comments

  • I'm pretty sure they're 'raw', the only reason they are not labeled so is because nobody makes roasted flax seeds, there's no market for them. And the seeds are super protected, they don't go bad for like a year because of all the enzyme inhibitors. That being said, flaxseeds are one of the best kinds of fat you can get, and I would definitely invest in a $20 coffee grinder to be able to grind them up. I've tried soaking them and the enzyme inhibitor turns into this slime that won't come off the seeds.

  • HDH74HDH74 Raw Newbie

    Thanks very much.

  • powerliferpowerlifer Raw Newbie

    Watch and not go overboard on flaxseed, flax contains goitrogens which interfere with thyroid function.

    Here is an article i did on Goitrogens and the raw food lifestyle

  • HDH74HDH74 Raw Newbie

    Thanks, I have been reading about goitrogens but didn't know they were in flaxseeds. Think I'll get some seaweed too.

  • there's no such thing as a raw grocery store nut / seed. lets not kid ourselves now. dehydrated food, raw?

    but i know what you mean. and there all dried and processed. but I ate them as a transition foods, now i'm on avocados.

  • HDH74HDH74 Raw Newbie

    Well I'm still trying to get to grips with this though some of it is starting to make sense.

    It seems to me that organic seeds, bought from a sprouting or gardening company, ie sold to grow therefore raw, should be a better bet than nuts, though I have found some places that sell some raw nuts in their shells so shall have to get busy with a nutcracker or hammer.

    If I want to use seeds as they are rather than sprouting should they be soaked like nuts because of enzyme inhibitors? At the moment I just sprinkle them on things as they are.

    I don't really buy much from regular grocery stores now. We have some great local markets and farmers shops for fruit and veg and I go to a wholefoods supplier to stock up on a lot of things. Unfortunately they don't seem to differentiate between raw or otherwise on anything although they are very good with organic etc. So I submit everything questionable to the sprouting test. Are there any spouts from seeds or nuts that I shouldn't eat?

    Can you sprout sesame seeds? I'm not even sure what they actually are. I mean sunflower seeds grow into sunflowers, flax seeds grow into flax, pumpkin seeds grow into pumpkins but what do sesame seeds grow into?

    I am also getting more into avacados. I always think the stone is so pretty, like a little egg. I hate just discarding it. Can I use it for anything? Maybe grow it? Grind it up to make a skin scrub?

    Sorry for so many questions. The smoothies, salads, and fruit meals are fairly easy but as soon as I venture outside that it gets a bit baffling.

  • I am right there with you HD! I too am trying to figure out the whole sprouting, not sprouting/soaking deal for nuts. I think I have a better handle on the seeds though. I just bought some unhulled sesame seeds at my local health food store and am going to see if they sprout. They have to have their hull to sprout. They actually grow into sesame seed plants. Here is an interesting article about how they are grown in the states: http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/sesame.shtml

    I am glad you mentioned it was "organic seeds" that you are seeking at your local seed supplier as other seeds are often chemically treated among other things. I would just be careful to know what the seeds look like before hand, because often times smaller seeds are coated to make them easier to plant. Also, I would double check to make sure they didn't put some kind of organic compound on the seeds as it is possible that the seed you buy there may be organic, but they may not be be "food grade". I am going to look into that.

    As far as the avocado seed, you can grow it, it makes an interesting houseplant. I haven't thought about making a skin scrub out of it, but I bet it would work nicely. I've also heard of people grinding it up and eating it by adding it to their smoothies for more fiber.

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