Today was activate my nuts day.  I have read many times recently that we should activate nuts and seeds before eating them.  To activate them means to start the germination process which activates enzymes that makes them easier to digest and metabolise .  You do this by soaking them for hours (at least 12) and then drying them slowly with a very low heat.  I use my dehydrator and it works really well.  This is because nuts and seeds contain molecules that inhibit digestion so when you soak them in water, these molecules leach out.  I change the water several times during soaking to wash away the molecules I am trying to get rid of.

Another benefit of activating nuts and seeds is it reduces the amount of starch and fibre.  I assume the protein and fat soluble vitamin content remains the same but I would guess the water soluble vitamins leach out.

If you like nuts and seeds but feel “heavy” after eating some, try some activated ones instead.  I definitely feel better when I activate them and I do it myself which is much cheaper than buying them already activated.

I keep a jar of activated mixed nuts in the fridge but I had run out.  I wanted to use some to make Sarah Wilson’s granola hence I soaked some yesterday, dried them overnight and they were ready by this morning.

In the fridge I had one of the egg and bacon muffins I made yesterday.  It fitted in to its little pot perfectly and so in to my handbag.  This is a great snack to have with you as it takes up very little room and kept me going all morning.  I left one out for Harvey to have and he loved it too. I ate mine at my desk and it was delicious cold.  No need to warm it up in the nasty microwave.

181 calories – what a bonus; filling, mainly good for you, tasty and low calorie.  I will be making these again! At lunch time I went for a walk up Regent Street. These buildings are so beautiful. I had forgotten Carnaby Street even existed.  I often wandered round here in my youth but I doubt I have been here for about25 years. I surprised myself with my lunch choice.  I decided on the spur of the moment to go in to a Hawaiian themed burger bar!  Yes, really I did.  I ordered an Americano which came with warm milk on the side which was a nice touch.  It was very good coffee actually- really strong. This was lunch.  A burger without the bun but with cheese and an onion ring plus tomato, lettuce and raw carrot on the side plus a portion of chips.  Well, this is Week 1 of an 8 week quit sugar plan so I ditched the white carb bun I was not allowed and enjoyed what I am allowed.

I think that lot cost me about 760 calories.  I clearly should not have had the chips but I have been craving sugar badly today and so told myself I could have what I liked as long as it was within plan which this lunch is. Just as well I had a filling lunch as round the corner I came across Choccywoccydoodah.  That has to be my favourite name of any shop anywhere.  I had to go inside! I didn’t know they had a Choccy’ shop outside of Brighton.  You can look at their website here.  It is an extraordinary shop and I enjoyed the genius of the chocolate creations.  I enjoyed walking out and managing to resist buying anything even more 🙂 . I need to forget that is there. I went to Wholefoods instead – much safer. I needed coconut flakes and a snack for this afternoon. I bought these – activated almonds with Himalayan salt.  Really yummy but calorietastic – 419 calories in this 70g bag!  Buy them to share with a friend as once you start you can not stop. Supper was a smoothie.  Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’ book is beautifuly laid out but not always enough detail for me.  For example, it does not state in week 1 that I have to give up all fruit.  I am assuming I do because at the end of the programme you can introduce some low fructose fruits back in.  I find this uncertainty a little frustrating.

Knowing I had only a few calories left, I made a smoothie for supper.  Harvey had one too with a handful of nuts on the side which he was not too happy about initially as he wanted “proper’ food rather than a drink but he really enjoyed it and soon stopped moaning.  His smoothie had a frozen banana, an orange, coconut yogurt sweetened with Xylitol rather than sugar, avocado, flax seeds and almond milk.  I made one with coconut water, flax seeds, 1/8 th of a large avocado and spirulina.  Since I used the same blender jug and didn’t wash in between, I would have had some remnants of his much sweeter smoothie.  Hence I went to look up if I am allowed fruit to see if it matters.   I also made Sarah Wilson’s Coco-Nutty-Granola.  So called because it is full of coconut and nuts!  I will let you know in the morning how that turned out.  It smells great and an early taste test shows great promise.I am pleased I resisted sugar today and feel more confident about managing to be sugar free tomorrow too.
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