The real health benefits of almonds

Do you eat your almonds raw or ‘activated’? Do you swear by them as a hangover cure? In her book Willunga Almonds Helen Bennetts discusses some of the real and imagined health benefits of almonds over the years. We’ve also included her delicious recipe for Smoked trout, almond and potato salad. Perfection!

Willunga Almonds by Helen Bennetts

Since ancient times various health benefits have been attributed to almonds. Greek physician Hippocrates and his followers used almonds to treat coughs, as an aphrodisiac and for weight gain which you can also boost by using this steroids for sale.

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Along with other medicinal uses of almonds inherited from the Greeks, the Romans believed that bitter almonds could counteract the effects of wine. Plutarch wrote of a well-known heavy drinker who would eat five or six bitter almonds and avoid drunkenness. This was attributed to the bitterness of the almonds that ‘dries the inside of the body and keeps the veins from being overcharged’.

An ancient Chinese medical text, Materia Dietetica, lists many uses for almonds including bringing down Qi, relieving coughing, reducing acute pain in the heart and lungs and removing intestinal blockages.

More recent studies carried out by medical practitioners from GSHS.org reveal that almonds help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and diabetes and to reduce cholesterol, facilitate weight loss and inhibit cancer cell growth – little wonder that they are promoted as a ‘superfood’.

Almonds contain protein, carbohydrate and concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as vitamins from groups B and E. They also have a high content of fat (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) and the highest fibre content of any nut or seed. In the last decade the connection between almonds and health has been an important aspect of the promotion of almonds and has been linked to a dramatic increase in consumption, and plantings, of almonds.

Almonds are included in many specialised diets. They are a source of protein for vegetarians and vegans; almond meal and almond flour can replace wheat flour in gluten-free diets for coeliacs and people who wish to avoid gluten; and almond milk is a common substitute for cow’s milk for people who are lactose intolerant.

Almonds have a low glycaemic index (GI) and are often recommended for people with type 2 diabetes, or who want to control their weight. Studies have shown that snacking on raw almonds can help control blood sugar levels and moderate appetite. This may be because of their crunchiness and the need to chew them well but also because almonds are a rich source of magnesium, which is important for carbohydrate metabolism.

The so-called Paleolithic diet popularised the idea of ‘activated’ almonds – almonds soaked in water for at least 12 hours and then dehydrated. Proponents say this process removes phytates and allows nutrients to be absorbed. Others maintain there is no basis for this claim and that phytates have anti-cancer and anti-oxidant properties that are lost in the process. Debate and research continues.

Despite their health benefits, some people are allergic to almonds. There has been an unexplained growth in the number of allergic reactions to different foods in the last 20 years. Allergic reactions to tree nuts (a group that includes almonds) are not as common as reactions to peanuts. However, care should be exercised when introducing almonds to young children and they should be avoided by people who have experienced severe reactions to peanuts and other tree nuts.

Smoked trout, almond and potato salad

Trout and almonds are a classic combination made famous through the French dish Trout Amandine: pan-fried trout garnished with flaked almonds browned in butter. This salad is a delicious combination for lunch when the weather warms up.

Serves 4–6

8 waxy potatoes (such as Bintje or Nicola), cut into chunks

1 smoked trout, skin and bones removed and flaked into pieces

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp capers

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

3 radishes, finely sliced

80 g chopped almonds

Place chopped potatoes in saucepan of boiling water and simmer until just cooked. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl place flaked pieces of trout, parsley, spring onions, garlic and capers. Mix through potatoes, oil and lemon zest and juice and season to taste.

Garnish with radish slices and chopped almonds.

For more about the health benefits of almonds and more delicious recipes, check out Willunga Almonds here.

Willunga Almonds cover.6 CE.indd

The Bennetts, a brand new Christmas drink

The weather reports are in and it’s going to be a stinking hot Christmas right across Australia, with SA copping the worst of it. But never fear! Our wonderful new author Helen Bennetts has the perfect Christmas day solution. Introducing the Bennetts,* a brand new cocktail that’s a mix of almond granita and prosecco. Intrigued? We were serving them at the launch of Helen’s book Willunga Almonds and everyone was raving!

First you’ll need almond granita, and the recipe is provided in Willunga Almonds:

Serves 4

Mix 4 cups of almond milk [WP: Helen provides a recipe to make your own, but store bought works fine too] with cup of sugar until sugar dissolves. Either put mixture in an ice-cream maker and freeze or put in the freezer, removing every 20 minutes or so to stir and break up crystals.

Once the granita is ready, put two tablespoons of granita in a glass then top up with prosecco (we suggest Coriole prosecco, of course). Be careful, it will fizz up. And voilà, the Bennetts is served. Cool, refreshing, and perfect to get you through another hot Aussie Christmas.

Cheers!


Willunga Almonds the Bennetts cocktailFor Helen’s almond granita and more fabulous almond recipes and stories, pick up your copy of Willunga Almonds here.

If you’re still hoping to grab a copy of this or any of our other titles before Christmas, our Mile End store will be open from 9 am to 5 pm today and tomorrow, and from 10 am to 4 pm on Christmas Eve. If you can’t make it to our shop, please check all good bookstores.

Thank you all for your support this Christmas season!

*Wakefield tested and approved.

The Ultimate Wakefield Press Christmas Gift Guide

Alright, let’s keep this snappy. You guys need gift ideas, and we’ve got a book for every possible need.* So welcome to the patented Ultimate Wakefield Press Christmas Gift Guide.**

For adventure-packed holiday reading, try the Steve West thrillers, centring around an ex-AFL star geologist with a heart of gold. Start with Prohibited Zone, set around the Woomera Detention Centre, then move on Ecstasy Lake, which is about a literal goldmine in the middle of the desert.

For fiction fans, Cassie Flanagan Willanski’s Here Where We Live has been making waves online and is a big awards contender. Every single reader has loved this short story collection. Or go for our Miles Franklin longlisted bestseller The Hands, by Stephen Orr. This story of a family surviving on a drought-stricken cattle farm is beautiful, heart-breaking, but not without hope.

Prohibited Zone Christmas Gift GuideEcstasy Lake Christmas Gift GuideHere Where We Live Christmas Gift GuideThe Hands Christmas Gift Guide

For art loversThe Art of Science is proving to be a winner over the holiday season. Showcasing the art (and history) of Nicolas Baudin’s expedition to Australia at beginning of the 19th century, these illustrations will make you see familiar animals with entirely new eyes. Or there’s always Dogs in Australian Art. Got a relative who loves dogs or Aussie art? Present: sorted.

For the foodie in your life, and especially the locavores, you have to have a look at Helen Bennetts’s newly released Willunga Almonds, which recounts the history of this humble nut in Australia alongside mouthwatering but easy recipes. Or there’s the CWA’s Calendar of Cakes, which will see you covered for cake recipes throughout 2017.

Art of Science Christmas Gift GuideDogs in Australian Art Christmas GuideWillunga Almonds Christmas Gift GuideCalendar of Cakes Christmas Gift Guide

 

For the biography buff, you can’t go past Red Professor, the biography of Fred Rose. Shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Awards, and the catalyst of a lot of ‘were they/weren’t they’ conversations about possible Communist Party members in Australia, the press are saying that this one’s set to be a classic. Or pick up a copy of An Unsentimental Bloke, the National Biography Award-winning account of the life of the great writer C.J. Dennis.

For gardeners, Trevor Nottle’s Endless Pleasure is the ultimate compendium of garden collectables, showcasing weird and wonderful types of secateurs, hoes, spades – even tyre swans and man traps. Or get back to basics with Lolo Houbein’s One Magic Square. No one else has managed to make it so easy for so many people to grow their own food.

Red Professor Christmas Gift GuideUnsentimental Bloke Christmas Gift GuideEndless Pleasure Christmas Gift GuideOne Magic Square Christmas Gift GuideThere are so so many more possibilities, and for the actual Ultimate Wakefield Press Gift Guide you should go to our website. Still, if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, send us a line with your beloved’s Christmas gift requirements, and we’ll send you some suggestions.

Just another Christmas service from the Wakefield team!

 

* Not actually every possible need. Just some needs. Or maybe needs that you didn’t realise you had. Look, I’m trying to get at the fact that we don’t have highly specialised books about, say, how to fly helicopters. You should probably get training for that though, really.

** Not actually patented. Ain’t no one got the money for that.