Nuts and seeds, milks and butters …Oh My!
Nuts and seeds are powerful little packets of goodness that should be added into but are often sadly neglected in many people’s diets. Let’s take a look at all of the goodness they offer.
First off I want to offer up this awesome simple little guide to helping you make nut milks and nut/seed
“butters” as a healthy alternative to conventional dairy and soy (find out why soy is NOT a healthy option in THIS ARTICLE)
You’ll notice in the guide it states to soak the nuts before using them. The reason for this is that nuts contain a substance called “phytates” which are considered an anti-nutrient because they bind minerals in the digestive tract, making them less available to our bodies. The work around these phytates is simple. When we soak grains, seeds and nuts it essentially “pre-sprouts” them. This means that soaking begins the germination process which makes them digestible. At this point in the conversation many people check out because they think this step is too “high level” of too time consuming. Read on and let me change your mind…
Last night I soaked a big bag of almonds and today they are in the dehydrator doing their thing (you can also use the oven at btw 105-150 degrees for 12-24 hours). It literally takes 5 minutes, the rest is set it and forget it, so don’t be intimidated about that part at all.
Also, while roasted nuts taste amazing, high temperatures cause a breakdown in their nutrients so they should always be eaten raw and dehydrated at very low temps.
Let’s take a quick look at the nutrients and benefits in some of the most common nuts:
Almonds: Antioxidants, increases HDL (good) cholesterol, high in protein- Macadamia nuts: Hi in fat, low in carbs and protein, vitamin B, magnesium
- Pecans: 19 vitamins and minerals, lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, creates healthy articles, anti-inflammatory, high in magnesium
- Walnuts: 1/4 C = 100% daily omega 3’s, anti-oxidants, great for brain health, may curb tumor growth, 90% of its anti-oxidants are found in the bitter skins
- Brazil nuts: High in selenium, fiber and anti-oxidants
- Pistachios: High in beta carotene and vitamin E – always get organic and unbleached
Seeds also have loads of nutrients and minerals and are so often left out of the diet. Let’s give some of them the attention they deserve:
- Sunflower seeds: High in vitamin E and selenium (both of which are anti-oxidants) copper,
phosphorus and phytosterols which are excellent for heart health
- Pumpkin seeds: High in copper and zinc ( important for prostate health and the immune system), high in protein and phytosterols which are free radical scavengers in the body
- Flax seeds: high in Omega 3 fatty acids which fight inflammation and have been shown to prevent migraines.
As I was studying up on nuts and seeds I found it interesting to note that while flax seeds have been shown to prevent migraines in some people, the other seeds can actually trigger them in some patients.
One very important thing to remember is that while it is key to soak and sprout seeds for better digestion, with this comes a slight risk of contamination with salmonella and ecoli. This article shows you how to avoid it.
Nuts and seed make awesome “butters” as well. They are super simple. In the Free guide i give you instructions for soaking and drying nuts and seeds as well as different ideas for add-ins to make them ultra tasty. I also give you some tips on how to use the left over pulp from the nuts… nuts and seeds can be spendy so lets use up the whole thing. Download the guide HERE
Click Here for the Guide
I hope that gives you some good insight about nuts. When incorporating them into your diet it is important to remember that they are high in fat and calories so if fat loss is your goal you will want to keep your portions to about one handful a day.