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Almonds! They are a great snack, make a wonderful nut butter, and almond flour offers a gluten-free alternative for baking.

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Almonds are technically a seed and are in the same plant family as the peach, cherry, and apricot. People have been consuming them at least since the Roman era. They are a very good source of vitamin E (think healthy skin), manganese, biotin, and copper; and a good source of magnesium, riboflavin (B2), and phosphorus. There are actually two types of almonds: sweet and bitter. We eat the sweet almonds and the bitter almonds are used to make almond oil.

Health Benefits
  • Lower LDL and reduce risk of heart disease. This is because almonds are high in monounsaturated fat, which is the same fat that is in olive oil. Vitamin E may be another contributor to heart health. The magnesium in almonds is beneficial because magnesium is nature’s own calcium channel blocker. When we have enough magnesium in our bodies, our veins and arteries are more relaxed. This in turn improves the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body.
  • Weight loss and lower risk of weight gain. Nuts, in general, help with weight control. In one study, people who ate nuts at least two times per week were much less likely to gain weight over those who ate little to no nuts.
  • Fight free radical damage. The trace minerals manganese and copper in almonds are helpful at disarming free radicals within the mitochondria; this in turn can help with improving energy production.
Releasing the Nutrients

Yes, almonds are healthy, and ounce for ounce are the most nutritionally dense nut/seed we can eat. The challenge is that all nuts and seeds have a protective layer (anti-nutrients) that make them difficult for us to digest, and for some may actually cause digestive distress such as bloating and cramping. After all, the almonds wants to produce more almonds not be eaten by us or any other critter! So for us to unlock the nutrition from all nuts and seeds, we need to use a pre-digestion technique such as soaking, sprouting, or fermenting. The easiest method is soaking, but any of these techniques will neutralize the anti-nutrients. I soak nuts and seeds, then dehydrate them in my Excalibur dehydrator. I love this dehydrator because of its ease of use, temperature and time controls, and versatility. You can also use an oven for the dehydrating process, but it will tie up your oven for 12 to 24 hours. You can check out how to soak and dry almonds in the notes section of the recipe.

Once you have properly prepared your almonds, here is a great savory recipe to flavor some of the almonds. The rosemary garlic blends well with the savory taste of lard from pasture-raised pigs. Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs; I think because it smells so wonderful.

Enjoy the recipe!

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Heather

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