Vegan Lifestyle part two: How to absorb the nutrients in plant-based foods.

Vegan Lifestyle part two:  How to absorb the nutrients in plant-based foods.

So we have covered the basic nutrients a vegan needs to thrive on this choice of lifestyle but more and more, people are dealing with food intolerances and their digestions are struggling to cope with this new amount of roughage.

Why is this occurring?

Grains, Beans, Nuts and seeds; these are wonderful nutritious foods! Which can supply the body with everyday minerals and vitamins plus amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.

We need 8 essential amino acids to create a complete protein; Most of these foods are incomplete with the exception being Quinoa, Buckwheat, Hemp seeds and Chia seeds: These contain the 8 essential amino acids all by themselves!

Quinoa and Buckwheat are actually seeds! But cook just like the fellow grain.  You can combine beans and grains together or grains and nuts/seeds and beans and nuts/seeds, which will create a complete protein that, the body can utilize just like meat, fish or vegetarian foods such as cheese, eggs and yoghurt. Whilst these foods are very healthy, in their raw form they also contain anti-nutrients known as Phytates.

Phytates can hinder the absorption of vital minerals such as Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium and Iron!  Phytates can also remove these vital minerals from the body leaving an acidic ash behind which can alter our bodies Ph. Grains, beans nuts and seeds also contain lectins, which have recently been touted as digestive irritants and can actually damage the digestive lining and may increase gut permeability.

Phytates and Lectins may be one of the major causes of food intolerances, common digestive complaints such as Gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux, Gluten sensitivity the list is infinite! Fortunately we can still consume these foods with the Phyates and lectins reduced and digest them far more easily with a little extra preparation.

All that is required is to soak the phytate and Lectin rich foods in some filtered water overnight and by the morning you will discard the soaking water and what you will have is a Germinated, activated food that is now far more digestible and the body will deliver many more nutrients than before now that the nutrient blockers can no longer steal vital vitamins and minerals from the body!

If we place the drained foods on a plate by the windowsill we can also begin to sprout the food by rinsing them every day, morning and night and after 3-5 days (some shorter) the Grain, nut, seed, or bean will begin to grow little tails. When this happens the food is now at it’s height in nutrition and bodily absorption and best of all? It’s practically free! And it is incredibly easy to add in to the diet. The aim as written above is to begin to heal common ailments, which phytates and lectins may trigger.

Isn’t it worth trying such a simple method for perhaps a one-month duration to see if it can be of help in yours or your family and friends lives? 

Soya is also a complete protein all by itself but it also contains lectins and phytates, now this bean is already very difficult to digest for a lot of people but in it’s unfermented form (fermented form known commonly as unpasteurized Miso) it has also been linked with thyroid dysfunction, digestive complaint, infertility and immunity issues. The crop is being overused (most are genetically modified crops) and even in its organic form, without fermenting the soy, it doesn’t make for a healthy choice for a vegan or vegetarian or healthy conscious person.

There are many complete protein foods, which are not carrying such potential risks such as Spirulina, Chlorella, Buckwheat, quinoa, hempseeds, chia seeds, Brewers yeast and grains/beans together.

One last benefit of sprouted foods is that the carbohydrate level drops quite rapidly making it the perfect choice for those on weight loss programs or Candida protocols. For those trying to gain weight it can be a tough task and we do need the extra calories but we also need an easy digestion of these calorie rich foods and soaking/sprouting/germinating is the best way to get the most out of carbohydrates, that and proper chewing of your carbohydrates! (Please refer to the article on chewing post)

This is so important. When we chew for a longer period of time our saliva releases the digestive enzyme amylase, which allows the starch to break down into Maltose and finally glucose. If we do not chew properly we may suffer from the typical symptoms of indigestion, diarrhea, tummy ache, heartburn, belching, burping, flatulence acid reflux etc., so you can see why it is so important. Our saliva also helps us in the breakdown of fats right there in your mouth. Our saliva releases the enzyme Lipase from glands, which are secreted from under the tongue. Normally if we eat fast, we can stuff ourselves with a lot of food! But try next time to take your time with your food and only swallow it when you can feel your saliva releasing and wrapping around it. Take note on the difference between non-soaked nuts, seeds, grains and beans VS soaked versions of each, along with adequate chewing I firmly believe a lot of our common health complaints would diminish to some degree.