HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALNUTS
Have you looked into the health benefits of walnuts? If you did, I am sure they would be a staple in your household.
Most nuts and seeds are either a monounsaturated or a polyunsaturated fat. Walnuts are a polyunsaturated fat. We cannot live a healthy lifestyle without some fat in our diets. Fats protect our body tissues and organs. They help maintain body temperature and are a concentrated form of energy.
Walnuts are a source of Omega 3 fatty acids in the same context as cold-water fish such a salmon and mackerel, flax seed, flax oil and the amazing chia seed. According to the Mayo Clinic “Omega-3's appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.”
Our body does not produce omega 3's, so we must get them from our diet. Omega 3's are an essential fatty acid. This is where the health benefits of walnuts stands apart from other nuts.
I personally did not like walnuts growing up. I would pick them out of mixed nuts, banana breads and even out of brownies. But, for some reason when we had raw nuts that fell off a tree and we had to crack the shell, I was well into that. They just somehow tasted better. They were sweeter and didn't have that bitter aftertaste.
Here in Oregon, we have wonderful walnut and hazelnut trees, so obtaining raw is not a problem. Still, raw nuts can be hard to digest. I love going to our local farmer's market and there is always a nut marketer and I always buy raw nuts from them. I take them home and I soak them.
Soaking/sprouting raw nuts (must be raw) activates their enzyme activities and turns that nut into a live food. Nuts, seeds and grains all contain enzyme inhibitors which protect them from decay which is why it is sometimes difficult to digest. Soaking releases the beauty of that internal seed and because it begins to live and gain some activation properties, your body is now able to digest it more like a vegetable with all its wonderful proteins. It's like it has to be 'born again'. The seed/nut comes into this world and while its growing inside it's pod, it's still living. But once it is full grown and on its own, it is basically dead. By soaking it, it accepts the water of life and begins to live again, ready to reproduce and propagate if given the chance.
To obtain the health benefits of walnuts, soak walnuts no longer than 8 to 12 hours in 2 to 3 times the amount of water. Rinse and drain. You can then:
~Dehydrate them at low temperatures (105f to 110f) until crisp. If you find they are not quite crisp enough, continue dehydrating or store in fridge.
~Store in refrigerator. Only soak small amounts at a time to reduce the likelihood of spoilage.
~Throw approx 1/4 cup in your favorite green smoothie. This requires a high power blender like the Vita-mix.
Most nuts and seeds are either a monounsaturated or a polyunsaturated fat. Walnuts are a polyunsaturated fat. We cannot live a healthy lifestyle without some fat in our diets. Fats protect our body tissues and organs. They help maintain body temperature and are a concentrated form of energy.
Walnuts are a source of Omega 3 fatty acids in the same context as cold-water fish such a salmon and mackerel, flax seed, flax oil and the amazing chia seed. According to the Mayo Clinic “Omega-3's appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. They may also protect against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels.”
Our body does not produce omega 3's, so we must get them from our diet. Omega 3's are an essential fatty acid. This is where the health benefits of walnuts stands apart from other nuts.
I personally did not like walnuts growing up. I would pick them out of mixed nuts, banana breads and even out of brownies. But, for some reason when we had raw nuts that fell off a tree and we had to crack the shell, I was well into that. They just somehow tasted better. They were sweeter and didn't have that bitter aftertaste.
Here in Oregon, we have wonderful walnut and hazelnut trees, so obtaining raw is not a problem. Still, raw nuts can be hard to digest. I love going to our local farmer's market and there is always a nut marketer and I always buy raw nuts from them. I take them home and I soak them.
Soaking/sprouting raw nuts (must be raw) activates their enzyme activities and turns that nut into a live food. Nuts, seeds and grains all contain enzyme inhibitors which protect them from decay which is why it is sometimes difficult to digest. Soaking releases the beauty of that internal seed and because it begins to live and gain some activation properties, your body is now able to digest it more like a vegetable with all its wonderful proteins. It's like it has to be 'born again'. The seed/nut comes into this world and while its growing inside it's pod, it's still living. But once it is full grown and on its own, it is basically dead. By soaking it, it accepts the water of life and begins to live again, ready to reproduce and propagate if given the chance.
To obtain the health benefits of walnuts, soak walnuts no longer than 8 to 12 hours in 2 to 3 times the amount of water. Rinse and drain. You can then:
~Dehydrate them at low temperatures (105f to 110f) until crisp. If you find they are not quite crisp enough, continue dehydrating or store in fridge.
~Store in refrigerator. Only soak small amounts at a time to reduce the likelihood of spoilage.
~Throw approx 1/4 cup in your favorite green smoothie. This requires a high power blender like the Vita-mix.
Walnut Milk
~Make some yummy healthy walnut milk. This is one of the times any blender will work. I have a Vita-Mix blender, but I turn the power down to '7' when I make walnut milk. Get some unbleached muslin from the fabric store to use like cheesecloth. Soak 1 cup walnuts. After rinsing and draining, put in blender with 3 cups purified water and a pinch of himalayan salt. Blend. Do not blend to a mushy mush as it will be hard to strain through the muslin. Put the muslin in some sort of small strainer or funnel over a bowl or jar. Pour the milk and squeeze. Wala...walnut milk. Top the jar off with water to make a full quart. Shake and you are ready to go. You can make chocolate milk, banana milk, strawberry milk. The possibilities are endless.
Baked Banana Walnut Smoothie
Baked Banana Walnut Smoothie
~Make a smoothie. This is a left over baked banana recipe I froze in sections. I froze the left overs in a glass pie pan. When it was frozen enough to cut, I quartered it and froze each section individually, wrapped it in wax paper and placed in a freezer bag. When the mood strikes, I just take a section out of the freezer and blend in 8oz of walnut milk. So Good!
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