Any thoughts on if it's better to eat nuts raw or lightly toasted? Also,
anyone know if nuts affect the thyroid gland or are considered goitrogen,
and
if so, would toasting them lightly help the same way cooking kale helps
deactivate its goitrogenic potential? Speaking of toasting nuts -- what
temps are best to do this?

In my opinion nuts are very sensitive to rancidity and are better eaten raw
in the shell and as fresh from harvest time as possible . To my taste who
are use to that quality of nuts , most nuts commercially available are just
awfull tasting especially if they have been shelled ..
to makes them easier on the digestion and washed out enzyme inhibitors,  and
for them to be tastier,  i let them rehydrate in the shell for few days
under the rain .
cashew nuts for ex are eaten sprouted ( after being burried till the rain )
by indian childrens that allow them to bypass the problem of the toxic oil
in the shell.

I could send you some filberts and walnuts harvested and stored by my care
so you can have the experience of the difference in taste with commercially
treated nuts ( at least dried at high temperature or bleached etc...)
You can also demonstrate the difference by letting them sprout , something
that most commercially "raw " nuts are unable to do .

the most stricking experience is between a really raw cashew in the shell
and a commercailly "raw" cashew ( that are not raw at all in fact ) i could
send a sample also .

jean-claude