Our almonds are actually raw. Not only are almonds a great tasting snack, they are one of the most nutrient dense nuts you could eat. High in antioxidants, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium, almonds contribute to heart health, they help keep blood sugar under control, and they taste great! Whether you choose to eat them raw, bake with them or sprout them, you’ll be doing your body a favor.
Raw almonds for heart health
Raw almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same kind of health-promoting fats that are found in olive oil, which have been linked to decreased risk of heart disease.
In addition to monosaturated fats, almonds are also very high in the antioxidant, vitamin E, which further contributes to heart disease prevention. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, dangerous molecules that move throughout the body “stealing” electrons from healthy cells. Antioxidants do this by donating one of their own electrons, thereby ending the electron-“stealing” reaction. They act as free radical scavengers, helping to block cell and tissue damage that could lead to heart disease and cancer.
Also found in almonds are the important minerals, magnesium and potassium. In just a quarter cup of almonds, there are 99 mg of magnesium (24.7% of the recommended daily allowance), and 257 mg of potassium.
Magnesium, the mineral responsible for all the electrical impulses of the body, is vital for normal muscle and nerve functions, healthy heart rhythms, strong bones, a healthy immune system, normal blood sugar, normal blood pressure, normal brain function and a healthy GI tract. Various studies now suggest that approximately 90% of Americans are deficient in magnesium; some data suggests the number is even higher. For the best absorption of heat-sensitive magnesium, our almonds should be eaten raw or sprouted.
Potassium, an essential electrolyte involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of all muscles, including the heart, is another mineral that is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Almonds support your cardiovascular health by providing 257 mg of potassium per quarter cup serving.
Almonds lower the glycemic index of a meal
All carbohydrate foods can be measured in terms of their effect on blood sugar levels, on a scale called the glycemic index or GI. Eating low GI carbohydrates – the ones that cause only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels – is important for reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes and very helpful for maintaining weight loss. Almonds eaten with a meal significantly decrease the rise in blood sugar levels. In fact, the more almonds you eat with a meal, the less fluctuation occurs in your blood sugar levels after the meal.
Eating almonds with your should prove to be a delicious approach lowering your after meal blood sugar levels.
Activating enzymes by sprouting almonds
Sprouting almonds? Yes, and for good reason. All seeds contain natural enzyme inhibitors, which gives them the ability to lie dormant on the ground between the time they ripen in fall, and the spring, when they begin to grow. These enzyme inhibitors make almonds difficult to digest, and put stress on the digestion if too many almonds are eaten at once. That is why you may feel a heavy feeling in your stomach after eating too many almonds.
Soaking almonds for several hours in salt water, or sprouting them, neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors they contain. After soaking or sprouting, the almonds can be dehydrated to make them crunchy again. This simple process brings out the full flavor of the almonds, while making their nutrients more readily available. It only takes a little while, and it is well worth the nutritional benefit.
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