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Recipes with Almonds: Cream of Asparagus Soup with Thyme & Mushrooms
Strength & Energy Building Tonic
Long before the agricultural revolution, humans feasted off nuts. This ancestral food is still one of the best ways to strengthen your body. Warm and creamy almonds contain more protein per serving than any other nut (20% by weight). That makes them an important protein source for vegetarians and those wishing to build muscle mass. Their calcium and magnesium content supports smooth muscle function, including the heart. Their rich nutritional profile makes both serves as a blood tonic for anemia and to nourish the bones.
Unlike chilis that ignite a short-lived metabolic flare-up, almonds nourish a deep, slow burning metabolic fire that simmers with lasting warmth. Almond's hearty fuel will sustain you through a long workday. Their mild stimulating qualities keep you warm even as the thermometer starts to dip in Autumn.
Calm Your Nerves
Most of us feel a little frazzled these days. We live demanding lives, we're on the go, and some of us struggle with an over-active nervous system. Ayurveda has some unique tips to ground your nerves. Every nerve in your body is coated in fats, called the myelin sheath, that insulates, protects, and guides the electric impulses of your neurons. Without this protective fatty barrier, your signals will go haywire, and be scattered. Nourishing this fatty layer of the nervous system is key to settling your mind.
Almonds are rich in natural oils and fatty acids, from 36 to 60% by weight. Almonds and sunflower seed are also the top two whole food sources of fat soluble vitamin E. By adding almonds to your diet, you will feel calmer and more at ease, and improve your ability to think a little clearer. Almond also contains minerals like magnesium that support muscle relaxation. In the ancient science of Ayurveda, almonds have been used to preserve intelligence for thousands of years. To receive the brain building benefits of almonds, simply soak, peel and enjoy 10 almonds daily. Note: Despite their oily nature, they are generally good for those with high cholesterol. So don't shy away from healthy fats - you need them!
Recipes with Almonds: No Bake Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Cookies
Sexy Nuts?
When it comes to its aphrodisiac and reproductive support qualities, almonds are second to none. Don't you find its sweet flavor and aroma arousing? There's probably a reason so many beauty products contain almond oil. Celibate men beware - eating almonds encourages a build-up of "vigor" or Ojas (the vital nectar of life). If this vigor remains "pent-up" it may cause great discomfort in the prostate and testicles. Almonds are also symbols of male fertility and its high zinc content aids in sexual potency. Sexually active men should drink a glass of Almond Milk with Saffron (homemade) after ejaculation to rebuild fluids and vitality.
The Beauty of Almonds
Looking for soft, firm, supple skin? Adding almonds into your diet will nourish you from within. Topical uses are also very popular, as the rich almond oil adds luster, promotes hair growth and reduces breakage. Almond oil provides moisture to dry skin, helping to reduce the signs of aging. You will notice a youthful glow to your skin, and who doesn't want that?
Nutritional Information & Other
Almonds are high in oil, fatty acids, protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, phosphorous, zinc & vitamins B1 and E. Like most tonics, almonds are heavy & concentrated, and may provoke stagnation in the upper GI. Soaking almonds, then preparing them with cinnamon and other spices is a great way to improve their digestibility. Almonds oily nature lubricates the intestines. Together with it's high fiber, almonds are a general laxative encouraging regular elimination.
The skins of almonds provoke pitta dosha due to high tannic acid content. Due to their energizing nature, do not consume almonds if you have high pitta in the blood. Peeled almonds are sattvic.
Almonds contain goitogens, which may inhibit thyroid function, so we suggest cooked almonds (cooking neutralizes the goitogens) for those concerned with thyroid issues. Since almonds also contain zinc, roasted almonds may improve thyroid function. In chinese medicine, almonds are used to move stagnant lung qi.
About Almonds
As the most widely cultivated nut tree in the world, almonds (Prunus dulcis) have been revered across ancient cultures for their unique ability to build strength, sharpen intelligence, and nourish the body deeply. Originally native to the Levant region and extending across Northern Africa as far west as Morocco, almonds hold a distinguished place in Greek, Unani, and Ayurvedic medicine traditions.
Recipes with Almonds: Saffron Rice with Rose Petals
Buying & Preparation
Almonds are frequently shelled, but are also sold with the beige, hard outer shell in many mixed nut preparations. Almonds with the seed coat are brown whereas once blanched and peeled they are white. They may be purchased raw, pasteurized or roasted. They may be purchased slivered, ground into a flour, mashed into a paste, or as almond butter. You may also purchase in the form of almond oil, almond extract and almond milk.
If desired, soak almonds for thirty six hours before eating to help activate the seed. We also recommend peel the skin; it contains tannic acids that are stimulating and irritating. After soaking, a few minutes in hot water makes the skins easy to peel. Pinch the butt of the almond to make the seed pop out of the skin.
Cooking Almonds
Almonds may be served raw or roasted. Their hearty crunchiness makes a great garnish for savory vegetable dishes. They may be blanched, skinned, and elegantly slivered atop your favorite cookies and cakes. Almond paste is featured in desserts worldwide, from pastry fillings in Morocco and marzipan in Turkey. Crunchy slivered almonds provide a welcome contrast of textures when mixed into a soft rice pudding in India. Almonds are enjoyed worldwide as snacks, and especially in Iran where sour green almonds are dipped in salt. In Ayurveda, almonds are commonly pureed to form delicious and nourishing drinks, especially in the fall. Cinnamon and other spices go very nicely with almonds.
Although almonds are a great addition to desserts, diabetics can safely indulge. You won't get any spikes in blood sugar with these little delights. Almond flour is also a fitting substitute for diabetic friendly cakes and cookies. For those with celiac, Almond flour is a great gluten-free substitute for wheat. Allergic to peanuts? Try almond butter. Almonds are cooling and easier to digest than peanuts. For our lactose intolerant readers, your palate will love the creaminess of almond milk. Soak a cup of almonds overnight in water, puree until smooth, then strain for your very own homemade almond milk treat.
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AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Health Virtues of Almonds
Personalized medicine systems use biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic nature of food, hebs, lifestyle choices, indivdual constitutions, and disease.
METABOLIC NATURE / BIOCHARACTERISTICS
Metabolic Nature / Biocharacteristics
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(vital qualtiies).
Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick.
Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia.
They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature.
Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.
Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.
A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Almonds
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr
Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.
A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.
An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.
Herbs that increase sexual arousal through various actions including increased circulation, relaxation, stimulation, or tonics that strengthen glandular health.
Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.
Dosage:
Standard Serving Size: A typical serving size for almonds is about 1 ounce (28 grams), which equals roughly 23 almonds.
External use:
Ground Almonds for exfoliation or face masks:
A typical face mask made from almond paste would require about 1 tablespoon of ground almonds.
TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
Almonds may temper these symptoms.
The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
We will use this information to better predict food that helps you.
CONTRAINDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
Almonds may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms.
Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
Almonds are generally considered safe and nutritious for most people, but there are some contraindications and potential side effects to be aware of, especially in specific circumstances.
Nut Allergies: People with nut allergies, especially those allergic to tree nuts, should avoid almonds. Almonds can trigger severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC
“Almond skins are brown because they contain tannins, an acidic and astringent substance that provokes Vata and Pitta. The cyanide in almond skins is toxic to the liver and starves the cells of oxygen (prana).
Skinned, the creamy, gentle, oily sweetness of almonds is wonderful for Vata in small amounts. But even skinned nuts can provoke Vata because their density makes them difficult to digest. Almonds are much easier to digest when soaked for thirty six hours first.
Oily nuts, when eaten in excess, stress the liver and may increase Pitta. Nuts, brown rice and other foods are also high in arginine, an amino acid that encourages proliferation of the virus that causes cold sores in infected indviduals."
“Sometimes I buy the almonds blanched. At my local supermarket, blanched almonds are actually cheaper than almonds with the skins. Pre soaking the skins and then rehydrating them greatly reduces the number of tannins, making them easier for Pitta Vata to digest. Almond butter usually contains the skins and can be aggravating for Pitta dosha."
“Almonds are generally ok unless there is a strong Kapha imbalance. They should be chewed carefully and ideally taken with spices like cinnamon, cayeene, and cumin. Yes, warm almond milke with turmeric, ginger and cardamom is generally safe for Kapha. We have a number of almond drinks on the website that are Kapha pacifying. Enjoy!"
“above almonds are marked as cold, in the text as heating. some other ayurvedic websites categorize them as hot and heating except one that states with skin as heating, pealed and soaked as cooling. can someone clarify that?"
“Niklas, there is some debate about this, and depending how they are used. Ground skinned almonds topically are cooling (as is Almond Oil). Eaten, they heat up metabolism but are cooling in the GI. With skins, they are hot."
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* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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Comments and reviews
That makes them an important protein source for vegetarians and those wishing to build muscle mass. Their calcium and magnesium content supports smooth muscle function, including the heart. Their rich nutritional profile makes both serves as a blood tonic for anemia and to nourish the bones.
Skinned, the creamy, gentle, oily sweetness of almonds is wonderful for Vata in small amounts. But even skinned nuts can provoke Vata because their density makes them difficult to digest. Almonds are much easier to digest when soaked for thirty six hours first.
Oily nuts, when eaten in excess, stress the liver and may increase Pitta. Nuts, brown rice and other foods are also high in arginine, an amino acid that encourages proliferation of the virus that causes cold sores in infected indviduals."