<p class="p1"><span class="s1">I love healthy, nourishing and delicious food! My friend Sarah came over with these cookie dough </span>balls, and my kids and I just loved it. The recipe came from the cookbook Oh She Glows! It's a vegan recipe to glow from the inside out. I asked her for the recipe, and since then have been improvising with it for improvement. The original recipe called for <span class="s1">almond flour</span><span class="s2">. At first, </span><span class="s1">I was simply grounding almonds into the food processor to make almond flour. </span><span class="s1">Then I tried using sunflower seeds, as they are cheaper than almonds. I realized I could have soaked the sunflower seeds and sprouted them to increase the nutritional value.</span></p>

<h3 class="p3" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1"></span><span class="s1">Why is it a good idea to soak seeds? </span></h3>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1">To remove nutritional enzyme inhibitors (phytic acid, polyphenols, </span>tannins, nitrogens, etc.) and toxic substances that can be minimized or eliminated by soaking. "Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in unfermented whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first, but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects." <a href="http://www.foodmatters.com/article/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds"><span class="s4">http://www.foodmatters.com/article/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds</span></a></p>

<h3 class="p1" style="text-align: center;"><span class="s1">Why Soak Nuts, Grains, And Seeds?</span></h3>
<ul>
 	<li class="p1"><span class="s1">To remove or reduce phytic acid.</span></li>
 	<li class="p1">To remove or reduce tannins.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To neutralize the enzyme inhibitors.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To encourage the production of beneficial enzymes.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To increase the amounts of vitamins, especially B vitamins.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To break down gluten and make digestion easier.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To make the proteins more readily available for absorption.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To prevent mineral deficiencies and bone loss.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To help neutralize toxins in the colon and keep the colon clean.</li>
 	<li class="p1">To prevent many health diseases and conditions.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The recipe also includes maple sugar and/or any other sweetener. I have been trying the recipe with </span>dates instead, and even though my kids say they hate dates, they love these balls. I usually sneak them into the food processor without them seeing.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">You know the best part about these balls? They are super easy to make! You add everything into the </span>food processor, roll them into balls, and put them into the freezer until they harden.</p>

<ul>
 	<li class="p1"><span class="s1">1 cup 1/2 rolled oat</span></li>
 	<li class="p1">5-6 dates</li>
 	<li class="p1">1/2 cup of soaked and starting to sprout sunflower seeds</li>
 	<li class="p1">A fews drops of stevia</li>
 	<li class="p1">2 tablespoons of coconut oil</li>
 	<li class="p1">2 tablespoons of peanut, almond, or any of your favorite seed/nut butter</li>
 	<li class="p1">1/4 cup of mini chocolate chip</li>
 	<li class="p1">1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li>
 	<li class="p1">1 teaspoon of sea salt</li>
</ul>