Rice growing in the fields of Blue Moon Acres Farm.
A number of my longtime clients are elderly women who have come to me with a variety of health concerns. I have counseled these women over many years regarding their diet and lifestyle practices according to macrobiotic principles. Some of these women have had serious falls where you would except them to break a bone, and surprisingly they have not. I attribute their strong bones and quick recovery to their macrobiotic practice. Even those of my clients that have experienced broken bones, have healed in about half the time expected. This would not be the case if they had osteoporosis.
In addition, my longtime observation is that children who were born and raised following the macrobiotic diet and lifestyle have stronger and thicker bones than their peers. This is something I have found to be true around the world. Both of these situations lead me to believe that there is not a problem with phytic acid and mineral absorption from the amount of grain we eat as part of our macrobiotic practice.
There is a general consensus that soaking grains is desirable for taste and digestibility; however there is not a general agreement on the best method for soaking grains. I found the information in the blog post from macrosano.com very interesting and helpful. I would like to inform you of the way we recommend soaking grains. Experiment and see which way you like best. The only way to really know is to try a specific way for weeks or months and try to see which method is more suitable. If you are not sure, you can always vary your soaking method.
This is our method for soaking and cooking rice. We recommend rinsing the rice in cold water two or three times. Measure out the water for cooking and soak overnight or longer, basically between 8-22 hours. Overnight soaking is more beneficial. When ready to cook the rice, add a pinch of sea salt or a half inch square piece of kombu and then boil or pressure cook as normal.
We’ve been soaking grains in this way for many years and feel very comfortable in it. Brown rice is the most sensitive food to our intentions, feelings and emotions; it is uniquely sensitive to our own condition. Taking time to properly prepare rice in this manner ensures a happy and satisfying meal. Soaking and cooking rice in this manner is not an afterthought; it is an act that conveys respect and appreciation.
Rice drying at Blue Moon Acres Farm
According to Paul Pitchford, author of HEALING WITH WHOLE FOODS (North Atlantic Books, 1993), p 418, soaking grains starts the sprouting process. What sprouting actually does to a food is further described on page 528. Also, germinated rice is now available for purchase, about double the price of rice purchased in bulk bins.
The issue of phytic acid in grains and their alleged demineralizing
effects was popularized by dentist Weston Price and his foundation. However, it appears that this theory was conjecture and not supported by any controlled studies.
Andrew Chaplowitz, Kushi Level 1graduate. New York, 1991.
I had understood that it is best to dispose of soaking water before cooking as it is this water which contains the phytic acid.
Also I add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to this soaking water. Might this be problematic?
Thank you.
I believe that soaking the rice prepares it to sprout and the sprouting process breaks down the physic acid. We use the soaking water at home. I also recommend using the soaking water to my clients and they do well that way. I guess the apple cider vinegar is okay if you are discarding the soaking water but you may be losing valuable nutrients that way.
I’ve also been adding the few drops of apple cider vinegar. A little bit of acid helps the enzymatic process get going. I also leave the rice at room temperature and crack the lid on the pot a little to let it breathe.
After slow-steaming the rice, I take if off-burner and let it sit 10-12 more minutes, then I dish it out of the pot into a cool pot for storage.
I also use a little more water. This works for me, as I like my rice moister than some. It’s delicious!