Ines bought this along to the Breakfast on the bridge last Sunday, and I just had to make it. Thanks for the recipe Ines! Ines also told me that by soaking the almonds, your body is then able to absorb up to 90% of the vitamins, whereas your body can only absorb up to 10% of the vitamins of an un-soaked almond.
So, this inspired me to do a bit of research and after a quick look on the interweb, I have found the following:
Almonds are considered one of the healthiest and most nutritious nuts of all. They are a well balanced food, which are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and zinc. They reduce blood sugar levels and free radicals in the body and play an important role in stabilising the state of a human being. It has even been noticed that almonds reduce the risk of weight gain, if taken twice a week.
Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Almonds
* Prevent cancer as they are low in saturated fat.
* Assist strengthening of bones as they contain protective nutrients like calcium and magnesium.
* Protect against cardiovascular diseases and cancer as they contains phyotchemicals.
* Reduces the risk of heart attack.
* Help in checking blood cholesterol levels.
* Good for the digestive system as they contain lots of fiber.
* Reduce levels of homocystein (the amino acid thought to contribute to the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries) as they contain folic acid.
* Assist in controlling diabetes, by lowering blood sugar after meals.
* Help to clean the body of free-radicals as they provide essential anti-oxidants.
However it is not all good news! Almonds are difficult for most people to digest because of an enzyme-inhibiting substance in their brown coating, so before you eat almonds they should be soaked (or sprouted) overnight to remove the inhibitor so that the enzymes secreted during digestion can do their job.
How to Soak Almonds
It is best to use raw, organic almonds, but these directions can also be followed for blanched almonds too. Simply rinse your almonds and then cover them with purified water in a glass or stainless steel container overnight for 8-12 hours. Some websites recommend that you change the water and wash them every few hours, but as a minimum give them a good wash in the morning before you use them and throw that water away. Once soaked, you can then drain, pat them dry with paper towel and refrigerate them in an airtight container, for up to 6 weeks.
How to eat them
Almonds are best combined with fermented foods, non-starchy land vegetables (especially dark green leafy ones) and ocean vegetables. They also combine with other protein/fat foods like milk kefir and avocado. They're great to toss into a green, leafy salad, or in the delicious smoothie recipe below.
So, this inspired me to do a bit of research and after a quick look on the interweb, I have found the following:
Almonds are considered one of the healthiest and most nutritious nuts of all. They are a well balanced food, which are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and zinc. They reduce blood sugar levels and free radicals in the body and play an important role in stabilising the state of a human being. It has even been noticed that almonds reduce the risk of weight gain, if taken twice a week.
Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Almonds
* Prevent cancer as they are low in saturated fat.
* Assist strengthening of bones as they contain protective nutrients like calcium and magnesium.
* Protect against cardiovascular diseases and cancer as they contains phyotchemicals.
* Reduces the risk of heart attack.
* Help in checking blood cholesterol levels.
* Good for the digestive system as they contain lots of fiber.
* Reduce levels of homocystein (the amino acid thought to contribute to the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries) as they contain folic acid.
* Assist in controlling diabetes, by lowering blood sugar after meals.
* Help to clean the body of free-radicals as they provide essential anti-oxidants.
However it is not all good news! Almonds are difficult for most people to digest because of an enzyme-inhibiting substance in their brown coating, so before you eat almonds they should be soaked (or sprouted) overnight to remove the inhibitor so that the enzymes secreted during digestion can do their job.
How to Soak Almonds
It is best to use raw, organic almonds, but these directions can also be followed for blanched almonds too. Simply rinse your almonds and then cover them with purified water in a glass or stainless steel container overnight for 8-12 hours. Some websites recommend that you change the water and wash them every few hours, but as a minimum give them a good wash in the morning before you use them and throw that water away. Once soaked, you can then drain, pat them dry with paper towel and refrigerate them in an airtight container, for up to 6 weeks.
How to eat them
Almonds are best combined with fermented foods, non-starchy land vegetables (especially dark green leafy ones) and ocean vegetables. They also combine with other protein/fat foods like milk kefir and avocado. They're great to toss into a green, leafy salad, or in the delicious smoothie recipe below.
Avo, Almond & Date smoothie
This is so creamy and delicious! You can control the sweetness by varying the number of dates you add. I only had 8, and that was sweet enough, but I know Ines used 10 and that was great too. So, play around to your own taste.
Ingredients
1 x ripe avo
a small handful of soaked almonds
8 - 10 dates (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 - 2 glasses of water (depending how thick you want it)
Method
Peel the avo.
Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I added about 2 glasses of water and it was still thick.
Storage
This will keep in the fridge for a few days and Ines said that she freezes hers. Its always a good idea to freeze in an ice cube tray and when frozen move into a small ziplock bag, as the smaller amounts will cause the item to freeze quicker. Keep away from smelly things in your freezer.
Eat - Yum!
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