Almond milk: benefits and harms, cooking recipes
Almond milk is a delicious and healthy drink. It is recommended for use with a lack of vitamins and minerals. You can cook it yourself at home, but before that, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the process technology.
Beneficial features
The product contains:
- Calcium. It has a positive effect on strengthening bones, improves the condition of hair and nails, as well as teeth.
- Phosphorus - provides bone regeneration.
- Magnesium. The component helps to normalize the work of the cardiovascular system. It also creates barriers to heart attack or coronary artery disease.
- Tocopherol (vitamin E). Almond milk contains up to 50% of its daily value. The component minimizes the risk of skin photoaging and the appearance of cancer.
- B vitamins. They improve the condition of muscle tissue, as well as contribute to its strengthening and growth.
Vitamin A (beta-carotene) is present in small amounts in the drink. It improves visual function, normalizes eye pressure. Also, almond milk is devoid of cholesterol and carbohydrates, which makes it even more beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Do not forget about zinc and iron, which complete the list of components.
The calorie content of almond milk is 50 kcal per 100 ml.
Application in cosmetology and weight loss
A natural product is used to maintain beauty. In this case, the drink is used as face masks, homemade toners. This is possible thanks to the cleansing, nourishing and regenerating effect.
Basic rules of application:
- Almond milk is applied exclusively to clean skin;
- can be used as a mono-agent or mixed with olive oil, nourishing creams;
- you can process the skin every day, but not more often than once.
The product contributes to weight loss, improvement of the immune system, metabolism. It is prescribed as part of diets, taking into account the creation of a feeling of fullness, which leads to the absence of hunger. In addition, given the presence of vitamins and minerals, the body is not deficient in these components. Therefore, the change in diet occurs without loss for all physiological systems.
How harmful is almond milk and contraindications to its use
The drink may turn out to be undesirable and provoke adverse reactions if contraindications are neglected.
These include:
- allergic reaction to almond or lactose;
- children's age up to two years;
- gastritis, colitis and other inflammatory diseases in the acute stage.
Symptoms of adverse reactions include itching, redness of the skin, and nausea or vomiting. Normally, they pass on their own within 48 hours.
It is recommended to use antihistamines such as Suprastin.
If this does not help, you need to see a doctor. In order to avoid such reactions, it is recommended to study the benefits and harms of almond milk in advance or consult a nutritionist.
How to cook at home
A non-store drink is good because you can independently control the quality and proportions of the main components.The result is a useful and rich composition - the one that is necessary depending on age, weight and other individual characteristics.
The following ingredients are used to prepare the drink:
- one glass of almonds - about 70 g;
- water - 500-600 ml;
- natural honey (can be replaced with cane sugar) - 1.5 tsp;
- vanilla extract - 0.5 tsp;
- salt - a little, to taste.
The recipe for making almond milk at home starts with placing the nuts in a deep container. Then they are filled with water and left overnight.
Seven to eight hours will be enough for the almonds to soften and crush better.
Further it is necessary:
- Drain off the liquid that remains after soaking. The softened almonds must be washed.
- Pour the nuts into a blender, where they are poured with three glasses of water.
- Beat the composition until the mixture is as homogeneous as possible. This must be done for at least 60 seconds, at an average blender power.
- Using a gauze cloth, strain the composition. A sieve with fine fractions is also suitable for this - it is important that small pieces of nuts do not get into the drink.
To make almond milk rich, salt, honey or sugar are added in a specific order. Then the composition is mixed and vanilla is introduced. It is important that the mass is homogeneous, without lumps or colored areas.
The most appreciated drink has a creamy texture. To achieve a similar effect, add a little coconut to the nuts.
Features of selection and storage
After studying the recipe for almond milk, it is necessary to store the product properly. A drink purchased in a store has a shelf life - most often no more than a week. It is not recommended to use milk after its completion.
The shelf life of self-made almond milk is even shorter: no more than two to three days. It is recommended to store it in the refrigerator, on the bottom or side shelf, in a glass container. Given the short shelf life, it is better to prepare the drink in small portions. This will allow you to improve the recipe, as well as use an exceptionally fresh and healthy almond composition.
This animal milk substitute is beneficial for all body systems. Due to its rich composition, optimal calorie content, it is recommended for improving immunity, combating vitamin deficiency.