Happy Wednesday, friends!
We are gearing up to head out to the wonderful hill country of Texas for a sweet friend’s wedding this weekend, and let’s just say I can’t wait to get my dance on.
If you’ve never experienced Texas hill country, you are seriously missing out. Gorgeous rolling hills of green + dozens of interesting wineries, with an all-encompassing, laid-back vibe that leaves you wishing you could just pick up and move right then + there. GO VISIT Y’ALL. Just do it, and then tell me about it!
Anyway, today I am sharing a budget-friendly + healthy way to get your almond milk for those yummy smoothies you’ve been blending up in your fancy Vitamix. Besides the obvious benefit that almond milk is a dairy/lactose-free “milk” alternative, if you make it yourself, you can save some serious moolah + even prevent further unknown damage to your gut.
But what about those almond milks in the refrigerated section?
Well, unfortunately there is a sneaky ingredient in there that we all should be staying away from that causes serious inflammation in the digestive system, even if it is dairy-free.
So…What is it?
CARRAGEENAN
It is food additive derived from red seaweed that acts as thickener + an emulsifier for various products… particularly processed cheeses, yogurts, milks, soy products + our beloved ice creams.
WHY IS IT SO BAD? It comes from a plant, doesn’t it?
It is linked to the damage + inflammation of the intestinal lining which can lead to ulcers, cancers + other gastrointestinal diseases. Chronic exposure to things that cause inflammation are NOT GOOD for the body. This is why we are seeing so many serious Auto-Immune Diseases pop up lately. It’s all due to constantly irritating a leaky gut! Think of it like adding salt into the wound. A compromised intestinal wall can’t heal when you keep feeding it stuff that furthers the inflammation in the first place!
Check out this article for more information on Carrageenan + the affects it has on our bodies.
Slowly but surely I am working towards making transitional steps in cleaning up the ingredients we bring into our house. Most of us can’t afford be superwoman + change out our kitchen’s contents overnight, but if you are downing multiple protein shakes and smoothies a week, you should seriously consider making your own almond milk.
It’s super easy, and only has two ingredients: almonds + water.
HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK
- 1 part raw organic almonds to 3 parts filtered water. (I did 2 cups almonds + 6 cups water for this batch.)
Soak the almonds in the water in a container for at least 24 hours at room temperature. Rinse almonds. Add clean water plus almonds into a high-powered blender and blend for 2-3 minutes. Strain milk through a fine mesh sieve, several layers of cheese cloth, or a nut milk bag. (tehehe… nut milk bag)
You can choose to leave it unsweetened in all of it’s almond-y glory, or you can experiment with a couple vanilla stevia drops if you’d like!
Store in an air-tight glass jar for 3-5 days in the fridge.
KITCHEN TIP #1:
Want your almond milk to last longer for your smoothies? Try freezing it in ice-cube trays! Once you are ready to make your smoothie, you can pop a few cubes + whip up a quick smoothie that isn’t watered down by plain ice!
KITCHEN TIP #2:
Not sure what to do with the leftover pulp? Dehydrate it and use it as an almond meal for baked goodies!
What is your favorite way to use almond milk?
Let us know in the comments below!