FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the most common questions we get asked….. if you have others please let us know.

What is the best way to store the nuts I just bought?

The Best place is in a Cool, Dry and Dark environment.

You can keep them in the bag they came in or use your own bags or a Tupperware container.

The refrigerator is Best but not necessary.

Most nuts will last for up to a year in the refrigerator and up to 6 months or more in a Cool, Dry, and Dark environment.

Almonds tend to stay more fresh for longer periods.

What are raw living foods?

Raw and living foods are uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, sprouted grains,

and other foods. Raw and living foods are foods that contain enzymes.

Cooking food changes the molecular structure of the food. In general,

the act of heating food destroys enzymes in food. Living and raw foods

also have enormously higher nutrient values than the foods that have been cooked.

There is no argument that some vitamins and minerals are lost in cooking.

In addition, heating foods can cause chemical changes that can adversely affect

ones health (like free radicals, as one example).

Still other heating processes turn good fats into transformed fats, or “trans-fats.”

Trans-fats have been found in studies to be bad for your health.

What are the nutritional value in nuts?

The broad spectrum nutritional value of Living Nutz is extensive.

For starters almost all of our Nutz are recognized for their contribution to heart health, weight control and diabetes reduction.

The healthy unsaturated fats that Nutz are composed of may lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Nuts contain Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids, Vitamin E, high protein and loads of antioxidants.

Plus with the latest research showing that roasting almonds creates possibly harmful levels of acrylamide, a threatening by-product produced from the amino acid asparagine, it becomes apparent that eating RAW sprouted nuts is the best option.

With this and our nutrition enhancing process of germinating and low temperature dehydrating our flavored certified organic nuts in mind, you can count on our products to be considered elite Superfoods.

What is all the talk about the pasteurization of nuts? Can I buy unpasteurized nuts?

Right now all almonds grown in the USA are pasteurized and NOT raw.

This is due to a federal mandate passed in 2007, see petition http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/mandatory-almond-pasteurization-is-wrong.html
Since this has happened many raw food companies started selling unpasteurized imported almonds from countries like Spain and Italy.

In addition, if you are in California you can buy raw almonds from farm stands. Some companies are still selling raw almonds from California online with the hopes of being unnoticed.

We at Living Nutz applaud them for doing this. But the bottom line is that none of these methods are optimal and that is why we have formed a petition to help the Cornucopia Institute win the battle to make domestic almonds legal again.
In addition to almonds, many people are not aware that pistachios and cashews are usually steam treated at high temperatures to break the shells that contain the edible nut. While this is not a federally mandated necessity, it is the method of choice used by most processors.

Living Nutz sources its certified organic pistachios and cashews from farmers that crack them open as opposed to steaming them.

What is the value in soaking nuts before eating?

Sprouting nuts is similar to the process that they would undergo in nature. When a nut falls off a tree during the Autumn months, it sits on the ground until spring when it begins to germinate and grow.

The benefits to doing this are first to disarm the inedible tannins and toxins that reside in the nut that prevent it from prematurely germinating in nature.

The effect this has on the product is noticeable in how it transforms a normally dense nut into a much lighter, easier to digest nut that is more alkaline with enhanced nutritional delivery.

The sprouting process also provides the nut with more vital life force due to the fact that the nut is now further along in its growth cycle as opposed to being ungerminated.

 

What is so special about Living Nutz Products?

At Living Nutz we use only certified organic nuts and ingredients.

We do not roast our nuts!

Most in the raw food community agree that heating foods greater than 118 degrees (F) lose their enzymes and thus a significant amount of their nutritional value! At Living Nutz- we agree! That is why we dehydrate the nuts at a lower temperature.

Also, roasting nuts at a temperature higher than 170F

will cause a breakdown of their fats and the production of free radicals.

When nuts roasted at the high temperatures the are used commercially are consumed,

the free radicals they contain can cause lipid peroxidation-

(the oxidizing of fats in your bloodstream ) that can trigger tiny injuries in

artery walls-a first step in the build up of plaque and cardiovascular disease.

Here is how we prepare our Flavored and Naked nuts:

We first soak the nuts overnight.

Soaking benefits:

• Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.

• The amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases.

• Digestion is much easier.

• Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.

Next, we flavor the nuts (marinate)

and then gently dry under low temp. to perfection!

Our flavored and naked nutz are prepared over a span of 4-5 days!! Like fine wine ~ it’s worth the wait!

 

Where do you get your organic ingredients that you use in your products?

Most of the ingredients that we use in Living Nutz are from the USA and almost all of them are 100% USDA/MOFGA certified organic.

The few ingredients that are not certified organic are wild-crafted.

Some of the ingredients that we use that are not from the US are our vanilla (from Madagascar) and our almonds (from Italy). We also support small indigenous family farmers in nations like Bali and Bolivia for our Cashews and Brazil nuts.

Soon the almond pasteurization issue may be resolved in which case Living Nutz will then use certified organic almonds grown in California.

My family has some dietary restrictions. Are you gluten free?

All of Living Nutz’s nut products are gluten free!

Living Nutz does not make any claims or advise anyone to eat nuts if they have a known allergy!

What are some additional benefits of Raw/Living Foods?

The benefits of going raw-vegan are boundless.

Raw foods are easy to digest, and they provide the maximum

amount of energy with minimal bodily effort. Studies have shown

that living foods have healing powers that can alleviate many illnesses from low energy,

allergies, digestive disorders, weak immune system, high cholesterol, candida, to obesity

& weight problems (weight normalization), etc..

Research and real life experiences have also shown that a person can

prevent a body’s healthy cells from turning into malignant

cancerous cells by consuming mostly a raw food diet & whole organic foods!