Deliciously Healthy Walnut Milk

Are you ready for this?

I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I cannot get enough of this walnut milk. I love that I love it, and I love that I can drink as much as I want, and it doesn’t cause me to break out. In fact, it seems to really help my skin stay clear and pretty. It’s just so good and healthy, especially for acne sufferers.

This is the recipe for my delicious walnut milk. I can’t take all the credit for this one, though. I thank Ty’s Conscious Kitchen royally for this wonderful recipe. I’ve made nut and seed milk before, but this is by far my absolute favorite milk. It’s simple, doesn’t take long at all (well, except for the soaking of the walnuts), and it tastes so good!

Why Walnuts Are Great

All nuts outside of walnuts are high in omega-6 fats. If you’re eating a traditional American diet of fast food, restaurant food, and home-cooked food, you’re already getting more than enough of omega-6 fats. For acne-sufferers, we need a balance of omega 3, 6, and 9 fats, and if that balance is consistently out of whack, breakouts occur. Most acne-sufferers are deficient in omega-3 fats. For us, an omega-3 deficiency is especially crucial. Because of that, it’s imperative to supplement with a good quality omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 fats help to balance out-of-control hormones in acne-sufferers and clear up your skin. It’s common knowledge that foods that are high in omega-3’s are wild-caught fish, like salmon and sardines. I mentioned before that most nuts are high in omega-6 fats. The only type of nut that’s high in the oh-so-needed omega-3 fats is walnut.

For acne-sufferers, walnuts are a snack that will provide that omega-3 fat content that is so desperately needed. That’s why I love walnuts. They’re full of omega-3 fatty acids, and they’re great for not only your skin, but your hair, nails, brain, and heart.

Caution With Walnuts

With all foods, no matter how healthy, there comes some kind of caution. Walnuts are no exception. Even though they’re really healthy, there are some things that need to be kept in mind when it comes to walnuts.

Walnuts are amazing, but like all nuts, they’re not to be consumed in excess at one time. This is because all nuts form a paste in your gut once you eat them. Think about the consistency of peanut butter or almond butter. They’re thick and kind of sticky. Well, walnuts are no different. When you eat them, and they’re all digested in your intestines, they too form a thick, pasty, butter-like consistency in your gut, which can be clogging if eaten in excess. So, when you munch on them for a snack, keep that in mind, and try not to go overboard with the consumption. About a handful per serving is usually good enough.

Also, I soak the nuts in the process of making this milk. There’s a reason for that. Walnuts, like all nuts, have what is known as enzyme inhibitors. This means they have substances in them called phytic acids and enzyme inhibitors that can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

Raw nuts (along with grains, and raw seeds), contain moderate levels of phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid is a natural protective mechanism for the plant, as it helps safeguard the nut or seed until proper growing conditions are present and germination can occur. These enzyme inhibitors prevent the seed from sprouting prematurely but can cause potential problems in humans by binding to nutrients in our bodies, and preventing proper absorption of that food, and contributing to nutrient deficiencies and digestive system irritation. This is a problem for everyone, but a serious no-no for us acne-sufferers. We need all the beneficial nutrients we can get, and our digestive system to be functioning at its best for pretty skin.

Seeds and nuts store phosphorus as phytic acid and it becomes a phytate when it binds to a mineral. This just means the protective enzymes of the nuts become a tad worse when eaten and combines with minerals within us. In the body, this process can stop nutrients from being absorbed in the digestive system and reduce the digestibility of these foods. In other words, just because nuts and seeds are considered good sources of protein and nutrients, doesn’t mean your body can absorb these nutrients. All plants contain phytic acid in some levels, but grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds typically contain the highest levels.

Also, keep in mind that it’s the dose of phytic acid that causes the problems. Modern diets high in processed grains (like white rice) and low in nutrient-dense fats and minerals makes it more likely of nutrient absorption problems and make it even more important to reduce phytic acid levels in food. Some phytic acid is naturally neutralized during the digestive process, but foods that are especially high in phytic acid benefit from the process of soaking to further reduce the anti-nutrient content. Soaking is great for helping to break down much of the phytic acid, and making the nutrients more available to the body.  Some people say soaking their nuts makes it taste much better.

I do know that soaking the walnuts makes it much easier to make this recipe. The nuts will be wet and easier to work with. AND it makes the milk more creamy, so there may be something to that enhancement of the taste.

So, let’s make it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

•  1 cup Whole walnuts (shelled)

•  A bowl that’s big enough to hold the walnuts and water

•  Clean source of water (I use filtered water from my Brita pitcher. I’m open to suggestions for other clean sources of water?)

•  1 tbsp of Agave

•  1/4 tsp of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt (or any other healthy salt besides table salt)

•  1 Cheesecloth (or other nut milk bag with really really fine holes)

•  Bowl

•  Blender or food processor

•  Pitcher

Now that you’ve got your ingredients, here’s what you do:

1. Soak your walnuts in the Tupperware with enough water to cover the nuts overnight or anywhere from 6-8 hours.
2. Once the soaking is completed, drain the water, and rinse the nuts off in a colander or just rinse them in the tupperwear with additional water
3. Place the nuts in your blender/food processor
4. Add 1 cup of purified water, agave, and salt to walnuts into the blender.
5. Blend it up for about one 45 seconds to one minute, depending on your blender or food processor
6. Get your bowl handy and spread your nut milk bag over it. Pour your blended mixture through the nut milk bag.
7. Give the bag a squeeze, removing all the milk and goodness from it

And voila! There you have your delicious, omega-3 filled nut milk. Of course, you can sweeten it more or adjust the recipe accordingly.

See me make it here!

The walnuts will keep in the fridge anywhere from 4-6 days, so make it as you need it, and consume it within that time-frame. I usually make half a gallon (about 8 cups) at a time, and it’s always gone within that time.