Nuts about Almonds!

One of the first things people start to do when embarking on a new diet is to snack on almonds. Your body needs fuel on an ongoing basis - You want to have a steady stream of fuel throughout the day in order to keep your blood sugar levels balanced, which is what makes almonds a great snack! Did you know that just a small handful of almonds can provide a great amount of essential nutrients? So, what is in that handful of almonds that has the ability to assist in relief from a host of health ailments as well as assisting the aesthetics of your hair, skin & teeth?

Firstly, almonds are a great source of protein, Protein with no cholesterol!  They also contain vitamin E, a valuable antioxidant with many cancer-fighting qualities. It doesn’t stop there, by consuming a small quantity of almonds; you are consuming minerals like magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, as well as fibre, calcium and folic acid. Don’t fall for the myth that almonds are fattening - most of the fat in almonds is unsaturated, which is "good" fat.

All of this sounds great, but how will almonds really help you?

Almonds are going to help the health of your heart! The fat, protein and potassium contained in almonds are good for the heart. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and reduces the risk of heart diseases. The presence of magnesium in almonds helps to avoid heart attacks. Almonds help reduce C-reactive protein which causes artery-damaging inflammation. Almond is also a source of folic acid. They therefore help to reduce the level of homocystein, which causes fatty plaque buildup in arteries.

The potassium present in almond helps to regulates blood pressure. Almonds are very low in sodium which also helps in containing blood pressure.

Regular consumption of almonds helps to increase the level of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and reduce the level of low density lipoproteins (LDL), thereby effectively controlling cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol.

Almonds are rich in fibre. Like most other fibre rich food, almonds also help in preventing constipation.  By assisting movement of food through the colon, this can also assist in the prevention of colon cancer.

Still worried about the fat?

The mono-unsaturated fat contained in almonds satisfies appetite and prevents over-eating. Studies have revealed that almond rich low calorie diet is good for obese people to assist in shedding their weight. Furthermore, The presence of manganese, copper and Riboflavin in almonds helps with energy production, which means you are going to have more energy to exercise!  Almond milk is a great substitute for dairy if you are looking at ways to tweak your diet to aid with weight loss!

Here is a great cake recipe that caters for most (No Gluten, No Dairy, No Wheat, No SUGAR), unfortunately if you have a nut allergy you may want to steer clear though!  Not only does this posess all the benefits of eating almonds, but this cake will provide vitamin C as well! Enjoy!

Middle Eastern (Superfood) Orange & Almond Cake

Ingredients

2 large Oranges

1 tsp Tonic Superfoods Camu Camu Powder

6 eggs

250g whole almonds (don’t use almond meal – blend/crush them yourself!)

200g xylitol

1 tbsp Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder

Method

Wash and boil oranges (unpeeled) in water for 2 hours, don’t cover them with water but keep topping it up so it doesn’t boil dry.
Preheat oven to 190.
Prepare a cake tin with butter or baking paper

Let the oranges to cool, then cut them open and remove pips.
Throw the whole almonds in to a food processor to grind them finely, however a few chunks are good as it will give the cake a slightly crunchy texture.
Take the almonds out of the food processor and then use the processor to blend the oranges & make them quite “pulpy”
Toss the oranges into a bowl with the almonds, then throw in the eggs (beaten) , the xylitol, camu camu & maca powder. Give it a good mix.
Pour in all into the cake tin, preferably one with a removable base
Bake at 190 C or about an hour, or a little longer if still very wet, although a little bit moist is great for this type of cake!

Camu Camu - The ultimate immune health booster!

Camu Camu (Myrciaria Dubia) is a miracle fruit born from a low growing South American riverside shrub. Emerging from the Amazonian rainforest, the Camu Camu fruit is a purply/red colour and can be harvested once a year during the wet season.

Although Amazonian cultures do not perceive Camu Camu to be nutritionally relevant, what makes Camu Camu such a miracle fruit is its extraordinary high vitamin C content. This making the Camu Camu fruit extremely sought after on the international market - due to its immune system enhancing properties!

As well as its high vitamin C content, the Camu Camu fruit is rich in flavonoids (bioflavonoids) with the antioxidant activity of such flavonoids assisting with cancer prevention. Furthermore, incorporating flavonoids into ones diet can assist with anti-depressant treatment, by providing nutritional support to the bodies own mood balancing chemistry.

Camu Camu is also a significant source of potassium, providing 711 mg per kg of fruit. It also has a full complement of minerals and amino acids that can aid in the absorption of vitamin C such as anthocyanins (a powerful antioxidant), bioflavonoids, and other essential co-factors. In addition to the chemicals mentioned above, camu-camu contains beta-carotene, calcium, leucine, protein, serine, thiamine, and valine, making it particularly invaluble for the formation of white blood cells, maintaining a healthy immune system, and support for the brain, lymph glands, heart and lungs.

Benefits of Vitamin C
As mentioned earlier, Camu Camu, posesses an exceptionally high vitamin C content. In comparison to oranges, Camu Camu, provides 30 times more vitamin C per serving. As a high dose vitamin C botanical Camu Camu works as an absorbic acid, which is required to assist with metabilic reactions in the body including the synthesis of collagen.

Vitamin C deficiency means that the body's collagen is to unstable to perform regular functions and can lead to decreased immune function and scurvy. By increasing the levels of vitamin C in your body, you are ensuring strong immune health, the abiltiy to fight of winter colds more effectively, as well as a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C consumption has shown to support
the immune system maintain excellent eyesight create beautiful skin ward off viral infections support strong collagen, tendons and ligaments decrease inflammation improve respiratory (lung) health help maintain optimal clarity of mind in times of
stress and anxiety.

How to take Camu Camu
As the fruit is extremely acidic, it posesses a unique flavour and is best utalised in a powder form, where it can be combined with other ingredients. A great way to enjoy the benefits of Camu Camu is to add between 1 and 3 teaspoons (or more) to
juices, smoothies, or simply to your drinking water. It can also be used in conjunction with MSM powder helps rejuvenate collagen and improve the health of the skin. If you would like to incorporate the flavour of Camu Camu into a meal, the below recipe is a favourite of ours!

To a serving of cooked quinoa add:

1 tablespoons of coconut butter
1 tablespoon of raw honey
1/4 teaspoon of Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Tonic Superfoods Camu Camu Powder
A small pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of soaked Tonic Superfoods Goji Berries

To the quinoa add the coconut butter and honey then mix well. Then stir thru the maca, camu-camu and cinnamon. Finally, on top place the goji berries.