Hazelnuts, also called filberts, occupy a specific and carefully defined role in the Primal Diet. They are not a food that humans are biologically designed to eat freely or independently. Like all nuts, hazelnuts exist on this diet almost exclusively within the context of the Nut Formula, a precisely constructed preparation that neutralizes the inherent biochemical obstacles these nuts present to the human digestive system. Aajonus was explicit that humans are not squirrels, are not herbivores, and do not possess the digestive architecture, the gizzards, the extended intestinal tract, the specialized enzymatic profiles, needed to break down nuts in a general sense.

Within that framework, hazelnuts/filberts are listed among the softer nuts that are more amenable to human digestion than harder varieties like almonds. Aajonus grouped filberts/hazelnuts consistently alongside walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds as the acceptable nuts for the Nut Formula. They appear in both his books, We Want to Live and The Recipe for Living Without Disease, and are referenced repeatedly across workshop transcripts as part of the canonical nut list. Their primary utility in the body, like that of all nuts in this diet, is as a source of digestible starch, not protein, not fat, which the body uses to bind with and neutralize excess, overactive hormones.

Filberts are acknowledged as the most difficult to digest among the softer nuts. Aajonus noted this qualification repeatedly, distinguishing them from the easier and safer walnut and pecan. Despite this, they are still considered acceptable for people with good enough liver function and digestive capacity to handle them, and they appear in official recipes in both published books.

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The fundamental biochemical reality Aajonus described for all nuts, including filberts, is that humans digest essentially only the starch from them. When Aajonus examined feces of nut eaters, he found that approximately 95 to 99 percent of the protein and fat from nuts passed directly out of the body undigested. Only one-third to two-thirds of the starch was absorbed, depending upon individual digestibility. The implication is stark: hazelnuts and filberts are starch sources for the human body, not protein or fat sources, regardless of their nutrient label content.

Aajonus stated this plainly: "What we digest in nuts is mainly the starch, not the proteins, and definitely not the fats. Nut oils are almost impossible for humans to digest, maybe two percent, and that's about it." This applies to filberts as to all nuts.

Every statement Aajonus made about filberts/hazelnuts is inseparable from his understanding of phytic acid. Phytic acid is a compound present in all nuts, seeds, grains, and beans. Its presence in filberts creates a chain reaction of digestive interference:

1. Phytic acid prevents absorption of certain essential minerals, particularly zinc, as well as many other minerals. 2. The loss of those minerals prevents the body from properly digesting and absorbing proteins. 3. The proteins that cannot be digested are the very proteins involved in digesting fats. 4. The result is a cascading failure of protein digestion that extends not just to the nuts themselves, but to other foods eaten within 24 to 48 hours of the nuts.

Aajonus stated: "Even if they're raw, nuts are indigestible in the human system because they contain phytic acid that prevents proper protein digestion and absorption." He was equally clear about the temporal effect: "You not only do not digest the protein in the nuts and seeds, you don't digest the protein, assimilate the protein in other foods that you eat, in eggs and meat."

This protein digestion interference, lasting 24 to 36 or even 24 to 48 hours, is the central reason hazelnuts and all other nuts must only be consumed in the specific Nut Formula preparation.

Beyond phytic acid, Aajonus identified that nuts contain enzyme suppressants. These are distinct from phytic acid but work toward a similar outcome. He described eating nuts alone as causing an inability to digest proteins, and said it could manifest differently in different people, as depression, as sluggishness, as ongoing insatiable hunger where the person eats more and more nuts and yet cannot feel satisfied. As he described it: "You eat a lot of them, you get still hungry and you're more hungry and more hungry and you can't get satisfied."

The starch that humans do extract from filberts and other soft nuts serves one primary therapeutic function: it binds with excess, overactive hormones in the body. Aajonus described this mechanism as follows: "Your body will use that starch to bind with excess hormones in the body." He elaborated that these hormones are "radical acidic hormones" that cause anxiety, hyperactivity, and nervous agitation. The starch from nuts acts as a sponge, adhering to these hormones and removing them from the system, creating calm.

This is why the Nut Formula is specifically recommended when someone is hyperactive, anxious, has exercised and is still agitated, or is experiencing excessive hormonal activation. The starch's binding capacity is the core therapeutic value of consuming filberts and other nuts.

Aajonus noted in We Want to Live that "nuts and seeds help heal the vascular system and brain lesions." This is a more expansive claim about the value of the Nut Formula, and filberts/hazelnuts, as a component of that formula, participate in this function when properly prepared.

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Filberts must be raw and must not be soaked or germinated. This is a non-negotiable principle. Aajonus addressed germination and soaking at length and was unambiguous:

"Sprouting seeds and nuts, it makes it worse. It turns it into a vegetable."

When a nut is soaked or germinated, the phytic acid is partially altered, but in its place, three other enzymes are produced that behave identically to phytic acid in their interference with digestion. Aajonus argued that germination does not solve the problem, it replaces one inhibitor with three, making matters worse in aggregate: "You not only produce three other enzymes which do the same thing as the phytic acid, it's even more concentrated than the phytic acid."

He used the example of birds: "If you feed birds that normally eat sprouts, if you feed them only a diet of sprouts, they will die in two days." This illustrated that even species better adapted to germinated foods cannot thrive on them exclusively, making the point that germination is not a nutritional solution.

He further stated: "So germinating doesn't help. It just compounds the problem."

Soaking also changes the cellular structure in a way that makes digestion more difficult, not easier. He explained: "When it's dry, it's harder to digest. When it's saturated and full, it becomes easily penetrable. However, the cellulose composition of that fluid makes it difficult for us to digest whereas when it's in its dry form our hydrochloric acid penetrates it very easily and dissolves it."

This is a counterintuitive finding, the dry nut, despite seeming harder, is actually more accessible to the body's hydrochloric acid than the soaked nut.

Filberts in their whole form cannot be utilized by the Nut Formula. They must be blended in a blender jar, specifically an 8-ounce or 12-ounce canning/jelly jar, on high speed until they have been reduced to a fine powder or flour. This grinding is not optional and is not merely for texture. It is biochemically necessary because it breaks down the cellular structure, making the starch accessible and allowing the fat and egg ingredients to reach and neutralize the enzyme suppressants and phytic acid throughout the mass.

Aajonus stated: "You have to grind them until they are flour and add eggs with some fat."

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Aajonus briefly noted that filberts/hazelnuts can be found organic. There is no specific contamination warning for hazelnuts in the source passages beyond what applies to all nuts generally.

While filberts are categorized as soft nuts appropriate for the Nut Formula, Aajonus explicitly noted they are "the most difficult of those", meaning among the acceptable soft nuts (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, filberts, pine nuts), filberts present the greatest digestive challenge. This has implications for sourcing: the nuts must be truly raw and in good condition to be used at all.

The standard preparation protocol for filberts, as for all nuts in the formula, is: 1. Place filberts in an 8-ounce or 12-ounce jelly/canning jar 2. Blend on high speed until the nuts are reduced to flour/powder 3. Once powdered (noting that the volume will expand, 4 ounces of nuts will rise to approximately 6 ounces of powder volume unless pressed down) 4. Add the remaining Nut Formula ingredients and blend on medium speed

Aajonus cautioned against using a Champion juicer or similar machine to make nut butter: "It heats up too fast. So, if you make it, you've got to only use a small amount at a time, a few ounces before the machine heats up, because it heats up very quickly with nuts."

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The combination of ingredients in the Nut Formula is not a matter of taste preference. It is a biochemically required protocol without which eating filberts causes active harm. Aajonus described years of experimentation to arrive at this formula, stating: "That formula took me years to come up with. It neutralizes the enzymatic suppressants in nuts without germinating them."

The precise mechanism: "When I combined egg, honey, and butter or some other fat with the nuts, put the, made the, blended the nuts until they became a flour and then added those other ingredients, it neutralized the phytic acid."

Without this combination, "Eating nuts that are not in combination with all of the foods in the Nut Formula often interferes with protein-digestion of any food consumed within 48 hours after eating nuts."

Fat (butter as first choice, raw cream as second, coconut cream as third, peanut oil as fourth): The fat is essential for neutralizing the enzyme suppressants. Butter is consistently identified as the superior fat: "Butter is always the best." Raw cream is the next preference. Coconut cream also works. Peanut oil, specifically the Spectrum brand pressed below 96 degrees Fahrenheit, which appears very light yellow in color, was used previously but Aajonus noted concerns about the product's sourcing integrity once Spectrum began cold-pressing toasted peanuts. He warned: "If the peanut oil is very light yellow in color and clear, it's probably the good peanuts. But if it's amber or red or orange, then it's not the right peanuts."

He also warned explicitly against olive oil, flax oil, and other vegetable oils in the formula: "Any other kind of oil with it, whether it's olive oil or flax oil, you're likely to cause a neurological detoxification and you might find yourself not able to sleep."

Egg: The egg is non-negotiable. Aajonus said "always" when referring to the egg, and in multiple passages corrected himself mid-sentence to include it: "Oh, I'm sorry, an egg, always." The egg provides the complete fat and protein profile that works alongside butter and honey to neutralize the phytic acid and enzyme suppressants, while also helping the body utilize the starch that is released from the nuts.

Honey (unheated only): Honey must be unheated. Heated honey becomes a different substance entirely in Aajonus' framework. The unheated honey works with the fat and egg to convert the enzyme suppressants: "The butter and the honey will convert the enzyme suppressant into an enzyme active ingredient." He stated: "With that combination, you don't have to worry about the phytic acid in the nuts interfering with protein digestion."

The following quantities appear across multiple source passages:

• Nuts: 2 to 4 ounces (or "2.5 to 3 ounces" in one passage; "3 to 5 ounces" in another depending on body size; "half a cup" is another common specification; "4 ounces" is the most-cited standard amount)
• Butter: 3 to 4 ounces; or "4 to 8 tablespoons"; or "2 to 3 tablespoons" in smaller versions; or "3 ounces" as a common mid-range
• Egg: 1 to 2 raw eggs
• Honey: 1 to 2 tablespoons; or "1½ to 2 tablespoons"; "2 tablespoons" is the most common cited amount
• Alternative fat, Raw cream: 3 to 4 ounces
• Alternative fat, Coconut cream: 2 to 3 ounces; combined with dairy fat protectors in some versions

From We Want to Live formal recipe: "2 to 4 ounces raw pecans or walnuts, pine or hazel nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or peanuts, 4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted raw butter, 1-2 raw eggs, 1½-2 tablespoons unheated honey."

From The Recipe for Living Without Disease: "2 to 4 ounces raw pecans or walnuts, pine or hazel nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or peanuts; 4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted raw butter; 1 to 2 raw eggs; 1½ to 2 tablespoon unheated honey."

Alternative from benefits_of_eggs_and_cheese.txt: "4 oz. of nuts (pecans, walnuts, filberts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds), any one of those or any combination of all six of them. Blend them to a powder. Blend one to two eggs; two tbsp. of honey, three to four oz. of cream, raw coconut cream, butter, of the Spectrum peanut oil which is light yellow in color. Blend that for about 30-50 seconds."

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Aajonus described eating "about three ounces of that at a time" from a batch of the Nut Formula, not the full batch in one sitting necessarily, but rather spreading it across a meal or two.

"I recommend once a week to be careful." This is the general Primal Diet recommendation for nut formula consumption, including when hazelnuts/filberts are used.

"Have the nut formula once a week. It'll help keep you sane."

One specific case was given a recommendation of once every 10 days, showing that individual variations exist and the general once-a-week guideline may be tightened depending on conditions.

"Most people can digest only 1 cup per week if they eat them in combination with raw fat and unheated honey."

"I've been eating nuts just like crazy every day... Don't do that anymore.", Aajonus's direct instruction to a workshop participant.

Eating nuts more than once a week, especially two days in a row, "can cause neurological detoxification that will interfere with sleep between 12:30 and 5:30 A.M."

"It is better to eat nuts and seeds rarely for the first 7-9 months on a predominately raw diet, unless you crave them or need them to help prevent depression." This applies to filberts as part of any nut formula during this initial period.

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From The Recipe for Living Without Disease, formal recipe:

Nut Butter/Nut Formula, 1 to 2 Servings - 2 to 4 ounces raw pecans or walnuts, pine or hazel nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or peanuts - 4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted raw butter - 1 to 2 raw eggs - 1½ to 2 tablespoon unheated honey

Blenderize nuts in an 8- or 12-ounces jar on high speed until they are flour. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Blenderize on medium speed for 20-25 seconds, until smooth. ALTERNATIVE: Substitute coconut cream for butter.

The result: "It tastes like a delicious nutty candy." Aajonus described it colloquially as "candy" in multiple workshop contexts.

"You can have that with your last meat meal." The Nut Formula, including versions made with hazelnuts/filberts, can be eaten alongside the last meat meal of the day, making it a "nutty meat recipe." Some people consume half the formula with a meat meal one day and the other half the next day.

Hazelnuts/filberts appear explicitly in the ingredients list for Gingerbread Balls:

Gingerbread Balls, 1 Serving - 3 tablespoons unsalted raw butter - 1 tablespoon unheated honey - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root - 1 tablespoon raw carob powder - 2½ ounces raw walnut or pecan halves, pine or hazel nuts, or sunflower seeds

Warm butter and ginger in a 4-ounces jar, capped and immersed in a bowl of mildly hot water. Blenderize nuts in an 8-ounces jar on high speed until they are flour (or pulse-blend to make it chunky). When butter melts, add honey and blenderize for 5 seconds. Add nuts and carob powder and stir for 60 seconds. Put on plate and let stand for 2 hours until it firms. Form into balls. To harden it more, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Alternatives include: using honeycomb for chewier texture; stirring in 1 teaspoon soft fresh bee pollen; rolling balls in finely grated coconut meat.

From The Recipe for Living Without Disease, the Pecan Fudge recipe notes: "ALTERNATIVE 2: Substitute walnuts, pine or hazelnuts for pecans." This confirms that hazelnuts can be used in the fudge preparation as a direct 1:1 substitution.

Pecan Fudge, 1 Serving (with hazelnut alternative): - 2 ounces pecan halves (or substitute hazelnuts) - 4 tablespoons unsalted raw butter - 1 raw egg - 3 tablespoons unheated honey - 2 tablespoons raw carob powder - 1 drop organic vanilla extract

Blenderize nuts in an 8-ounces jar on high speed until they are flour. Place the rest of ingredients in jar, stir, and blenderize on medium speed until smooth. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate to harden for 2 hours.

In workshop transcripts, Aajonus described a personal version: "I'll add a tablespoon or two of honey and sometimes a teaspoon of carob powder, raw carob powder, and blend that together and have myself a little pudding treat." This variation is compatible with filberts as the nut base for those with sufficient liver function.

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