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Cutting Nuts from Your Diet
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ragingbassist
Level 2

Join date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey, USA
Posts: 183

I just read the new Chek article and I'm curious as to how you all feel about his statement of eliminating nuts from his diet. Especially after an article was published on how great Almonds are.

Here is a statement for those that have not read the article:

TM: Whoa, I've heard eliminate gluten before, but eliminate nuts? They're on basically every nutritional authority's "good foods" list?

PC: And what research are these "authorities" basing their recommendations off of? Each other's bullshit, incestuous, agenda-driven research.

I'm a clinician. I work with patients every day, and 95% of the time when I remove all gluten, nuts, and seeds, I see dramatic improvements within five days.

Nuts and seeds have phytic acid in their coating, which is a known mineral and enzyme blocker and is broken down in the sprouting process. If eaten without breaking it down first, phytic acid inhibits the absorption of a variety of minerals and trace minerals, and can neutralize our own digestive enzymes.

This results in many of the digestive disorders experienced by people that eat unsprouted grains. Eating nuts and seeds without soaking them in quality drinking water for at least 8-12 hours to break down the phytic acid can, and frequently does, block our digestive enzymes from functioning. This has led to un-estimable problems with digestion, which can, and often do lead to disease.



Is this all true? I mean I eat a good amount of almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds daily. At least 1/4 cup of all 3. Is this bad? Good? I'd appreciate any thoughts or opinions.

Thanks in advance!!

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spadesofaces
Level 4

Join date: Aug 2008
Location:
Posts: 333

I'll trust all the impressive physiques that have been built with almonds and peanut butter.

I know I can't live without "naturally more" peanut butter. They add egg whites to up the protein content and flax seeds to balance the fat profile and add more fiber. Absolute godsend for dieting or bulking.

god that sounded like a bad infomercial haha

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tolismann
Level 0

Join date: Apr 2009
Location: Greece
Posts: 44

ragingbassist wrote:
I eat a good amount of almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds daily. At least 1/4 cup of all 3. Is this bad? Good?

Eliminate them (completely) from your diet for about 3-4 weeks and see how your body reacts.

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jehovasfitness
Level 4

Join date: Jan 2006
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 8542

If you're worried, just soak them.

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grettiron
Level 2

Join date: Mar 2009
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 762

If you want to listen to Chek and you want to eat nuts, then soak them. Seems lots of people stopped reading at "don't eat nuts..." and never got to "...without soaking them".

Eating nuts and seeds without soaking them in quality drinking water for at least 8-12 hours to break down the phytic acid can, and frequently does, block our digestive enzymes from functioning.

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Bill Roberts
Level 5

Join date: Mar 2003
Location:
Posts: 7410

Chek is not a scientist or a person whose thinking process -- for example with regard to need for evidence -- is remotely like that of a scientist. He is more like a yoga sort of dude. (Very roughly and broadly speaking.)

Look at his statements in that light.

If you're the kind of person who, on account of his guru saying it is the thing to do, will for example put crystals under his bed so that their energies will increase his chakra power or whatever, then likewise this sort of advice is suited for you.

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Dipset
Level 0

Join date: Nov 2009
Location:
Posts: 6

I personally think the problem was that his patients had a bad digestive system to begin with. Proteins and fats are pretty hard to digest. And if u soak them in water it helps break down the bonds of the amino acids and fats; in turn making it easier to digest, making it easier on their digestive system, and resolving some problems. Plus i think the acids are in the fruit of the nut not the seed itself, maybe it carries over to the skin but im not 100% so there shouldn't be much if any on the actually seed.

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HK24719
Level 3

Join date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 1969

I've never detected any problems digesting nuts, so I don't plan on eliminating or soaking them.

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WestCoast7
Level 0

Join date: Aug 2009
Location: California, USA
Posts: 1017

If you have digestive problems, eliminate nuts for a week or two and see if anything changes. Otherwise, if it aint broke then don't fix it.

Also, it is true that almonds contain an enzyme inhibitor in their brown skin. Although this is brought up by a so called "clinician", I do think that the idea of soaking them before eating it a good one.

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WestCoast7
Level 0

Join date: Aug 2009
Location: California, USA
Posts: 1017

Do you think almond butter, or other nut butters in general would contain less of this enzyme inhibitor? or would be easier to digest?

(whose going to be the first to laugh at nut butter?)

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ds1973
Level 2

Join date: May 2009
Location: New York, USA
Posts: 573

Whoever wants me to soak my nuts can go soak their head.

Stop eating peanut butter? Go butter your nuts.

Where's the guy who was having trouble with almonds, worried he was shitting money?

:)

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Westclock
Level 0

Join date: Aug 2008
Location:
Posts: 2725

Ive closed in on 2-3 cups of almonds a day for a bit, if you take them with you in a bag you tend to eat them out of boredom.

And I can say for sure that your body cant really process that much fiber and fats completely.

That said, I have not noticed any sort of stomach problems from normal intake.

I love nuts and I feel shitty without them, I have no intention of eliminating them.

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jsbrook
Level 5

Join date: Mar 2005
Location: New York, USA
Posts: 9442

Nuts to that. Long live nuts.

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silverhydra
Level 3

Join date: Sep 2009
Location: Ontario, CAN
Posts: 725

Can't really take this info about phytic acid to heart. Never was it mentioned how much phytic acid is in nuts (on average) and whether this amount is anything to be concerned about.

Brocolli has goitrogens in it, but that doesn't mean that it's automatically bad. The dose is too low for normal people to worry about it.

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mtylermartin
Level 0

Join date: Nov 2009
Location: Kansas, USA
Posts: 37

After we take out the nuts, let's take out all the meat. That way we won't be eating anything bad, because we won't be eating anything at all.

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BulletproofTiger
Level 4

Join date: Feb 2009
Location: California, USA
Posts: 1483

This is something to consider, just not worry about.

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Dipset
Level 0

Join date: Nov 2009
Location:
Posts: 6

its really not even much to consider unless u eat like a 1lb of almonds a day, the acid is derived from the fruit of the nut so the seed itself has a very low amount that shouldnt harm any healthy digestive tract.

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