Hi LIndi, what you've heard is correct - nuts, seeds and grains do contain enzyme inhibitors and this means that they can lie dormant for long periods of time and only start growing when conditions are good (eg grains that are thousands of years old have been discovered in egyptian tombs and, when planted and watered, have then sprouted!)
Soaking them de-activates the inhibitors and makes the enzymes etc more available to your body and also allows easier digestion, so it is a good idea. Many recipes call for soaked nuts anyway, but if there is a recipe calling for dry nuts (or you just prefer eating them crunchy!) you can soak and then dehydrate them for about 10-12 hours (depending on the type) because this doesn't 're-activate' the inhibitors.
Have fun soaking away!
Freedom

I have come across this answer from Doug Graham regarding soaking nuts/seeds because of enzyme inhibitors interferring with digestion.

It is in Living Nutrition Magazine vol. 17.

This is what he says -

Different kinds of enzyme inhibitors are located within the skins and the meat of nuts and seeds.  They do not, as commonly believed, inhibit the digestion of the nuts and seeds; rather, they inhibit germination.  Water inactivates some of the enzyme inhibitors and activates others.  The addition of water to any dried food, including nuts and seeds, does improve digestibility, but this is not related to the inhibition or activation of the food's enzymes.

I think both are correct. The inhibitors are for the nuts growth, not related to our digestion/growth. However if you soak out the inhibitors and allow the nut/seed to start growing then it is easier to digest, and actually has more nutrients too. Make sense?

This may sound silly, but the nuts taste too rich if I soak them first. I eat em unsoaked in summer and only soak them for nut milk in winter.

Joss

That site isn't living food based so they're not really interested in soaking.

Flax is a difficult one - it is an old Ayurvedic recommendation for bowel regulation, and soaking them seems to promote that side of their benefits even more, IF you don't chew well and break up the seeds.  They've got quite a protective coating on them, and if that is not broken they tend to move through the digestive tract fairly rapidly without breaking down, soaked or unsoaked.  So there is a health benefit for those with slow digestive systems anyway.

If you chew them well, and/or put them in a food processor/blender to break the outer layer of the seed, you can get to all the nutritional benefits inside the seed, the secret is breaking that outer layer.

As for having them ground, if you are buying them ground, not good, they contain a lot of essential fatty acids (why you can get flax seed oil) and once the hard coating on the seed is broken when they are ground, they essential fatty acids start breaking down quite rapidly, resulting in rancid oils.  A good quality ground flax seed should be in the fridge at the health food store and in your fridge at home, buying ground flax seeds off an unrefridgerated shelf is BAD.  Grinding your own flax seeds is fine.  Grinding your own soaked flax seeds which results in a bit of a mush is best, but most people prefer them ground unsoaked since you can sprinkle them more easily.  Unsoaked freshly ground linseeds are generally regarded as OK as they're usually consumed for the high omega3 (essential fatty acids) and soaking doesn't make that aspect of the seeds more available.

Well you're getting the digestive system regulation benefit   Maybe chew a bit more Or maybe try putting only some of the soaked seeds in the blender and add a bit of extra liquid (the water/lemon juice/vegetable juice) to make it blend up more easily, then mix it in with the unblended soaked seeds?  Blended soaked flax seeds are a rather phlegmy consistency and appearance which unnerves some people, but it really does let you get to what's inside the outer seed casing, some whole seeds are fine for their bowel regulation effects.  Cleaning the blender should be a bit easier if it's a bit wetter.  Adding extra water just increases the dehydrating time, you just don't want to make them so wet they pour off the dehydrator tray. (It's always a bit of a joke with linseeds/flaxseeds in cooked bread and biscuits - they will always just slide out the other end unchewed.....)

whole brown flaxseeds do tend to look a bit like lots of mini-*roaches in flaxseed crackers  Understandable why they are a bit unnerving - I hope I'm not putting anyone off flaxseed crackers, just raising awareness of how they can appear. 

Glad to hear you are chewing them up a bit Chewing is good