I absolutely love cashews. Their creamy and soft texture makes for a fun and yummy snack. Cashews are loaded with healthy benefits and are a nutrition powerhouse. Cashews are rich in antioxidants, protein, vitamins (B, C, E, and K), and essential minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and sodium). These nutrients found in cashews help to reduce the risk of diabetes, boosts bone and oral health, prevents and reduces risk of anemia, can help prevent gallstones, and boosts immune system health.

Why Turmeric?
I chose turmeric to season my cashews because of the amazing health benefits it has to offer. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants and full of bioactive compounds that offer very powerful medicinal properties. Curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, is a very strong antioxidant, with powerful anti-inflammatory effects. This helps to reduce inflammation within the body, reducing risks of diseases, disorders, and infections. Curcumin, an anti-inflammatory compound, is also known to have anti-neoplastic and anti-carcinogenic benefits.
Curcumin is also found to help patients with arthritis, preventing and treating Alzheimer’s Disease, lower risk of heart disease, delay aging and age-related chronic diseases, and many more.
Always pair turmeric with black pepper. Curcumin, when consumed as is, is expelled quickly by the liver, without getting the chance to be absorbed into the blood stream.
The piperine in black pepper allows for proper absorption of curcumin by 2,000%.
This happens because the piperine dilates blood vessels for better, quicker, and more efficient absorption into the blood stream.

Why Sprouting?
Now that we know the benefits of cashews and turmeric, why sprouting?
Sprouting is important because it helps with better absorption of vitamins and minerals, makes food easier to digest, decreases anti-nutrients and phytic acid, increases protein and fiber content in the food, breaks down gluten, reduces allergens, and increases the bioavailability of enzymes and antioxidants.
Nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and legumes contain anti-nutrients aflatoxins and phytic acid. These occur naturally in plant foods. These anti-nutrients interferes with our digestive system’s ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals (vitamin B1, B12, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium) because it binds with these nutrients. Phytic acid also prevents our digestive enzymes from working efficiently.
These are amylase (breaks down carbohydrates), trypsin and pepsin (breaks down protein).
The sprouting process neutralizes the phytic acid, to help improve nutrient absorption.

Ingredients:
Filtered water
16 ounces organic cashews
1 T avocado oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne (optional)

Directions:
1. Soak cashews in filtered water for at least 8 hours.
2. After soaking, dump the excess water.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Toss the soaked cashews with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Spread cashews on parchment paper over a baking sheet roast.
6. Place baking sheet in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes.
7. Toss every 5 minutes and keep an eye on your cashews so they do not burn.
8. Once toasty, allow to cool. Enjoy!