Pull up a chair and sit a spell, because I want to share one of my oldest morning secrets with you. I call it my breakfast ritual, though it’s not fancy. No bacon, no eggs, no flapjacks. Just a simple bowl of nuts soaked overnight in artesian spring water. That’s how I begin most every day, and I swear by it. At ninety-seven years of age, with no doctors keeping me propped up, I figure I must be doing something right.
Here’s how it goes. Before I turn in at night, I take a handful of raw nuts: almonds, walnuts, maybe a Brazil nut or two, and I cut or split them. That part is important. Most people don’t know this, but once you shell a nut, it immediately starts to go bad. The oils inside react with the air, and rancid toxins begin to form. If you just toss whole nuts in water, a lot of that rancidness stays locked up inside. But if you split them before soaking, those old toxins are released into the water. By morning, you can see the cloudy film. I pour that water down the drain; it’s done its job. Then I rinse the nuts. It takes about four rinses before the water runs clear. What’s left is pure, clean food that feels alive again.
I sit at my kitchen table with that bowl of softened nuts, and I enjoy every bite. They taste sweeter, gentler, easier to chew and digest. And I can feel the difference in my body. When I was younger, I could eat just about anything and never think twice. But the older I got, the more I noticed how hard my body had to work to break down certain foods. Soaking the nuts removes that strain. It’s like giving my body a head start each morning.
This isn’t just an old rancher’s tale. Ancient people knew about it too. In Ayurveda, India’s old healing system, they teach you to soak almonds overnight for their life force and digestibility. Across the world, families soaked seeds, grains, and nuts to unlock nutrients. Science now confirms it. Soaking reduces phytic acid, which ties up minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Once it’s gone, your body can use those minerals for strong bones, steady nerves, and lasting energy.
You can’t fool an old body. It knows what it wants. Mine craves foods that are alive, not stale or rancid. That’s why I tell folks: treat nuts as medicine, not just as snacks. Walnuts bring omega-3 oils that fight inflammation and keep your brain sharp. Almonds are loaded with vitamin E to protect your skin and cells. Brazil nuts pack selenium, which keeps your immune system humming. Put them all together, and you’ve got yourself a little breakfast pharmacy in a bowl.
But let me say this, this ritual is more than nutrition. It’s a moment of gratitude. At night when I drop the nuts in water, I whisper a thank-you for another day. In the morning, when I pour out that cloudy water, it feels like I’m releasing yesterday’s toxins from my own soul. Then I eat the clean, softened nuts, and it feels like I’m starting fresh, filled with new energy. That’s no small thing when you’re pushing a hundred years.
Now, some folks might say, “Herb, that’s too simple. Surely there’s got to be more to it.” But I’ve found health and longevity don’t come from complicated schemes or expensive treatments. They come from small, faithful rituals you do every day. A man doesn’t reach his nineties in good health by accident. You build it, one morning at a time.
So here’s my invitation. Try it yourself. Tonight, take a small handful of raw nuts, split them open, cover them with clean water, and let them soak. In the morning, pour off the water, rinse them thoroughly, and taste the difference. Give it a week and see how you feel. Maybe you’ll notice less heaviness after eating, more energy in your step, maybe even clearer thoughts.
And if you ever catch yourself wondering how an old coot like me can still walk the ranch, tend the farm, and keep up with life at ninety-seven, well, now you know one of my secrets. Start your day with living food, and your body just might thank you for decades to come.
Herb’s Healthy Tips for Longevity
“Split the nut before you soak it.”
That’s how you release the hidden rancidness. A whole nut keeps its poisons inside, but a cut nut lets the water wash it away.
“Pure water makes pure food.”
I use artesian spring water because it’s alive. But any clean water will do. The better the water, the brighter the nut.
“Pour off the cloudy water.”
That murky stuff isn’t for drinking; it’s yesterday’s toxins leaving the nut. Toss it, rinse it, and keep the clean food. It’s possible you may want to soak some dried fruit also. Do not soak it together with the nuts. With soaked fruit, you keep the water as part of your breakfast.
“Variety is strength.”
Almonds for vitamin E, walnuts for brain oils, Brazil nuts for selenium. Change it up. A good mix feeds all of you. Costco has a good variety of organic nuts.
“A ritual done with gratitude heals deeper.”
When you soak your nuts at night, whisper thanks for the day. When you pour out the water in the morning, let it carry yesterday’s burdens away.
“Small faithful habits build a long life.”
It’s not about complicated cures. It’s the little things you do every day that stack up into decades of health.
“Food is more than fuel, it’s life force.”
A soaked nut isn’t just easier to digest, it’s alive again. Eat living food and you’ll feel more alive yourself.