Soak your beans for better digestion and less embarrassment!
For most of my life I was convinced that my body wasn’t able to digest beans and legumes. Even though I loved the taste, I avoided them like the plague. It just wasn’t worth the pain of bloating, stomach ache, constipation and terrible gas! Let’s just say I wanted to hide under a rock if I ate them accidentally…so embarrassing!
Fast forward many years later. On a quest for better health, I bought a copy of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and well, it changed my life in many respects, including being able to eat legumes again. Who knew that the reason I could not eat beans for so many years was that I had been preparing them all wrong!
Did you know that traditional societies, whose diets were legume-based, prepared them with great care by soaking and sprouting them before consuming them? They knew that this step could not be cut, otherwise their bodies could not properly digest or absorb the nutreints in them. I guess as we evolved into this quick-fix and convenience based society, we just started skipping this important step!
Beans and legumes contain what’s called phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, which makes them hard to digest and blocks the absorption of many nutrients. These can only be neutralized when soaked for 24 hours,12 for small beans or lentils.
Trust me, it seems like a long time to soak, but it doesn’t take up any of your time, and it makes a world of difference. You’ll actually enjoy beans without any kind of stomach upset and you’ll also be able to absorb their beneficial nutrients.
Just plan ahead and cover them with plenty of filtered water, a dash of apple cider vinegar and forget about them for 24 hours. Once the beans have soaked, drain the soaking water, rinse and place in a pot with fresh water, add a dash of real sea salt and cook according to cooking instructions on the package. Some legumes, like chickpeas, are a bit more high maintenance and can take 6-8 hours to cook, so plan to cook them on the weekend when you’re around, or put them in a slow cooker and forget about them. I like to do this in large batches and then freeze them in small portions for quick access.
If you want to go one step further, you can also sprout the beans, by dumping the soaking water, rinsing them and then repeating the process a few times a day for a few days, until you see little tails come up. I use a large mason jar and put mesh in place of the lid, to allow the water to drain, but maintain moisture. This is the cheap way to sprout without having to invest in fancy sprouting kits.
Make sure to buy organic beans, especially if you’re sprouting them. Pesticides may not allow the life to come back into the beans.
Wondering about canned beans? Although the high temperatures and pressure they are cooked under reduce the phytate content, many of the nutrients are lost and the proteins become denatured. So eat these sparingly.
Try it out. It’s easy and your gut will be much happier!
Here’s my favourite hummus recipe, made with soaked chick peas:
Hummus
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic minced
3 tbsp raw organic tahini
4 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp filtered water
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Consistency should be a smooth paste, so add a bit more water for a creamier consistency. Have a quick taste and add a pinch more salt if necessary. Drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy with sliced cucumbers and carrots. Yum!