When We’re Scaring Ourselves With The Idea of Soaking And Sprouting

Question: What scares me about going raw is the time involved in making some things: soaking, sprouting, etc. I know from going vegan that it gets easier with practice, but do you have any suggestions about that?

There are lots of things that we can scare ourselves with when we’re thinking about eating more raw food or switching entirely to a raw food diet…

Soaking and sprouting are two of them.

But I’m going to come out right now and tell you something bold…

You don’t have to do either one of them.

I’ve been raw for almost a year and a half at this point, and I’ve probably only sprouted things in my kitchen 3 times. EVER.

Why?

Because other people are doing it so that I don’t have to. (There’s so much support everywhere!)

So if I want sprouts, I go to the health food store or farmer’s market and buy some that someone else took the time to sprout.

(Alfalfa sprouts, sunflower sprouts, bean sprouts, sprouted chickpeas, sprouted lentils, etc.)

Could I do it myself in my own kitchen?

For sure!

But it’s totally not necessary.

Just because we CAN sprout our own things, doesn’t mean that we have to.

Here’s the thing…

Making a transition into raw food brings its own learning curve with it…I’m sure you’ve already noticed this.

And what a lot of us do, is instead of making it easy on ourselves, we distract and scare ourselves by focusing on things related to eating raw food that seem hard and time consuming.

This is just the mind’s way of trying to talk us out of making positive changes for ourselves…

And when we do that, we wind up feeling discouraged about making the transition to raw foods, see?

So check in with yourself…

Are you focusing on how hard it is to eat raw food, or are you focusing on things that reinforce how easy and awesome it is to eat raw food?

Eating raw food is as much of an inner game as it is about making new food choices about what we put on our plates.

So what about soaking nuts?

You’ll find plenty of people advocating soaking raw nuts before you eat them…and it’s true: soaking nuts is a good idea because it allows the natural enzymes in the nuts to get activated which makes them easier for our systems to digest.

But if you’re not soaking your raw nuts and you’re eating them straight out of the bulk bin bags, or the package you bought them in, you’re going to be just fine!

No need to freak out, worry, or get stressed over it.

At some point – after you’re feeling more solid in your choice to eat raw food – you may be more interested in taking the time to soak your nuts in water over night and then rinse them out the next morning and keep them fresh in the fridge…

But if you’re not drawn toward that right now, it’s totally okay.

Just do what you can. And celebrate the great choices you’re making!

Buy your sprouts at the store if you want some sprouts and don’t want to grow them at home.

Eat raw nuts straight out of the bag if you want to without soaking them.

It’s all totally okay.

If you’re trying to transition to a raw food diet, soaking and sprouting should be the LEAST of your concerns.

Instead of worrying about that, focus on all the things that are EASY to do with raw food.

Focus on all the things that you LIKE to do with raw food.

Switching to a raw food diet is a process of evolution. It can’t be rushed. And there are degrees of progress along the way. Be patient.

In the beginning, make sure you’re putting all of your attention on the stuff you LOVE about raw food and that makes it enjoyable.

And trust that more advanced or types of things will come to you when it’s time or you’ll find your way around them.

Ready to start right now!?

Use the comments section below to give voice to at least 2 things that are easy, fun, and that you LIKE about eating raw food.

1-2-3 go!

I’m going to celebrate with you!