Dear Health-Conscious Friend,

Just in case there are any lingering doubts, let me dispel the myth once and for all that nuts are bad for you. Yes, they are higher in fat than other snacks like carrot sticks or air- popped popcorn. But, let's be honest here, they're also much more satisfying (meaning it takes less of them to fill you up). Plus, almost all of the fat in nuts is the healthy monounsaturated variety. So if you've been shying away from nuts, the good news is that you don't need to. The better news is that there's a simple way to make them even healthier.

It's a technique called "sprouting" and according to a recent article I read, it eliminates some of the biggest problems with eating nuts in the forms you typically buy. Most nuts you'll find in the grocery store have been roasted or at least dried. Dried nuts actually neutralise the enzymes your body uses to control inflammation and aid in digestion. To combat this, your pancreas goes into overdrive, sending out massive amounts of digestive enzymes to break down the nuts and move them through your system. Unfortunately, while your pancreas is spending so much time dealing with the dried nuts, it's not able to produce enough enzymes for the rest of your body. While eating one or two dried nuts won't kill you, eating them on a regular basis definitely puts your pancreas – and, as a result, the rest of your body – at a disadvantage.

Roasted nuts don't have the same inhibiting effects, but they do have their share of problems, not the least of which is that the roasting process itself actually destroys most of the nuts' nutrients.

Sprouted nuts, on the other hand, don't have any of these disadvantages. In fact, the "sprouting" process actually increases the nutritional value of nuts. It also makes them easier to digest (freeing up your pancreas to do its job more effectively).

Sprouting your own nuts at home couldn't be easier, though, admittedly, it is a bit time-consuming. All it involves is buying your favourite type or types of nuts in their fresh, raw, undried form, rinsing them, and then soaking them in water with a little sea salt for 24 hours (it's a good idea to rinse them and change the water a few times throughout the process as well).

Once the nuts are done soaking, you dry them at a very low temperature ideally 65 degrees Celsius) When they're dry, they're ready to eat.