Blog

Ditching Dairy? Try Nut Milk!

With endless varieties of nut milks lining the grocery shelves, you might wonder “Can I make my own nut milk at home?” Yes you can, and it’s not as difficult as you might think. You can enhance this basic recipe, good for nearly any nut, by adding fresh berries, coconut, or blending varieties of nuts (Cashew-Almond Milk, for example). Start simple and when you’re comfortable with the basic recipe, experiment with flavor.

Nut Milk Basics

• Buy raw unsalted nuts
• Soak the nuts overnight according to guidelines listed below (also see website listed in Resources)
• Drain and rinse the soaked nuts
• Blend the nuts with fresh, clean water (use a high quality blender)
• Strain the nut milk. For sustainability, use a piece of clean cotton cloth. It can be washed and reused hundreds of times.
• Sweeten with raw honey, molasses or stevia if desired
• Chill, drink, enjoy!

Helpful Tips

A blender is the best tool for this job, but a food processor works too. Nut milk from a blender is a bit creamier and sweeter.

After blending, straining the milk provides the best consistency for a drinkable nut milk.

Some folks prefer to leave their nut milk unstrained, especially those with high-powered blenders, but unstrained milk will separate more in the fridge and will need to be mixed again before serving. Unstrained milk is thicker and creamier than strained.

Another option, for those who prefer a thinner milk, is to add clean water to strained or even unstrained milk. Simply add clean water until the milk reaches your preferred consistency.

To make 2 cups of Cashew Nut Milk:

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, or any raw nuts without skins
• 2 cups water
• Soaking water

Soak the nuts: Place the nuts in a medium glass bowl. Cover with water. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let sit overnight at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. The nuts will plump as they absorb water and should feel a little squishy if you pinch them. The longer the nuts soak, the creamier the milk will be.

Drain and rinse the nuts: Drain the nuts through a fine-mesh strainer or colander, then rinse them thoroughly under cool running water. Place the nuts in a blender (or food processor) and add the 2 cups of water.

Blend on high speed: Pulse the blender a few times to break up the nuts, then blend continuously on high speed for 3 minutes. If using a food processor, process for 4 minutes total, pausing to scrape down the sides halfway through. The nuts should be broken down into a very fine meal, and the water should be white and opaque.

Strain out the nut meal: Line the fine-mesh strainer or colander with either an opened nut bag, 2 layers of cheesecloth or a piece of cotton and set over a measuring cup or bowl. Pour the nut mixture through the strainer. Gather the nut bag or cheesecloth around the nut meal and twist close. Squeeze and press with clean hands to extract as much nut milk as possible. You should get about 2 cups.

Refrigerate the nut milk: Store the nut milk in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If it separates, just shake to recombine. Save the nut meal for another use such as in vegan lasagna, enchiladas, home-made ice cream, cookies and more!

Nut Soaking Guidelines by Hardness

Long-soak nuts (almonds, pistachios, and hazelnuts) need at least 8 hours.

Medium-soak nuts (pecans, walnuts, and Brazil nuts) are oilier and swell up quickly, so require less soaking time.

Short-soak nuts (cashews, macadamias, and pine nuts) have the highest fat content and require only 2 to 4 hours soaking. Do not soak these nuts for longer than 4 hours. Soaking them for extended periods of time breaks down their health-promoting oils.

References

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Cutting-Edge Intervention to Rebalance the Microbiome

All that bacteria in your gut? Trillions of bacteria, in fact. It has a job to do: protect your microbiome and ensure it remains in balance. But when there’s trouble – when a microorganism becomes overgrown, the resulting imbalance damages the integrity of the microbiome, leaving it open to disease processes that affect other systems in the body. One particular bacteria that is a normal part of our gut biome, but which is likely to overgrow and cause damage, especially after antibiotic use, is C. difficile, which is often difficult to control.

An innovative, cutting edge treatment is Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT), or stool transplantation; in randomized, controlled clinical trials, it has resolved 80-90% of infections caused by C. difficile. With FMT, an infusion of bacteria from a carefully-screened, healthy donor’s stool is transplanted into the recipient’s colon. The procedure may be done in different ways, depending upon the needs of the patient. Methods used for FMT include: colonoscopy, naso-enteric tube or capsules, each having unique risks and benefits.

Experts indicate that FMT works by repopulating the patient’s microbiome with diverse microorganisms that rebalance the microbiome. Other health conditions that may be helped by FMT include Irritable Bowel Syndrome, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and Crohn’s Disease. However, more research must be conducted to confirm the safety and efficacy for these conditions. Current FDA guidelines permit the use of FMT only for the treatment of C. difficile infection that is not responsive to standard antibiotic therapy. It is not recommended for people who are immunocompromised.

The procedure is performed by a licensed physician (Holistic or Medical Doctor). FMT can lead to serious health complications if performed by untrained individuals. To be considered for this procedure, you must have a complete medical evaluation and be assessed for your candidacy. Consult with a holistic physician for more information.

References

Cinnamon’s Sweet Surprise: It’s Good for Your Gut!

A favorite sweet herb for cooking, cinnamon has been used for centuries to treat health concerns such as fever, menstrual problems, congestion, sore throat and cough, and gastrointestinal distress. Preliminary research shows that cinnamon helps support the optimal environment for “friendly” gut bacteria to thrive, while suppressing the growth of “unfriendly” bacteria. This effect appears to be adaptogenic, meaning the bioactive chemicals in cinnamon adjust to your body’s specific needs.

Cinnamon has four main varieties, with dozens of subtypes. The two most commercially used are Cinnamomum cassia – aka Cassia Cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon, and Cinnamon zeylanicum – aka Ceylon or True Cinnamon, from Sri Lanka. The other two, Saigon and Korintje, are often used for their essential oils. Each contains a varying amount of biologically active compounds.

Ceylon is the most commonly studied because it has the lowest levels of coumarin, which is high in other varieties, and can be toxic to the liver. Preliminary evidence suggests that Ceylon has anti-microbial, anti-parasitic, antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. This means it supports the body’s innate processes for reducing inflammation, protecting the cells from damage, supporting detoxification, and maintaining the integrity of tissues, particularly in the intestinal lining. In a nutshell, cinnamon appears to exert its beneficial effects on the gut by supporting a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, while decreasing the inflammatory effects of “unfriendly” bacteria.

Almost every part of the cinnamon tree, including the bark, leaves, flowers, fruits and roots, has some medicinal or culinary use. The chemical composition can vary drastically in each of these parts, which suggests each may have different effects in the body as well. As a medicinal supplement, each of us responds to different doses and forms of cinnamon whether used in cooking or taken as a supplement. Because cinnamon can change the way some medications work, it’s important to speak with a holistic physician before taking a cinnamon supplement.

References