ALMONDS

ALMONDS AND THEIR ADULTERATION

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is solely the opinion of the author and is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Almonds are a delicious source of protein, minerals, vitamins and high-quality unsaturated oil. Almonds are closely related to the peach, plum and apricot. Unlike these other fruits, however, the almond seed is eaten and the fruit discarded.

Almonds are an ancient food. They are mentioned in the bible and elsewhere, for example. Almonds were a staple food among the French and English since medieval times.

VARIETIES OF ALMONDS

Almonds come in two varieties. The sweet almond is eaten whole. A bitter variety is used for its oil to make various cosmetic products and others, as well. Almond oil is a favorite for cosmetics and massage oil. It has been used for centuries as an anti-wrinkle cream when mixed with onion, wax and rose water, for example.

ADULTERATION OF ALMONDS

Sadly, the US federal government has approved irradiation of almonds and then they are allowed to be labeled as “raw”. This is horrible and a gross deception, and must be stopped. Stores that sell these irradiated almonds include Costco (Kirkland brand) and Whole Foods Markets.

To make sure you are getting healthy almonds, please go to the following link:

http://www.organicpastures.com/raw-almond-expose.html

HOW TO EAT ALMONDS

Because almonds are a fruit, that grows high in the air on a tree, they are very yin in terms of Chinese medicine. For this reason alone, they must be eaten sparingly on a nutritional balancing program.

Also, they are best eaten roasted, as this makes them much more yang in nature. It is true some nutrients are destroyed in the roasting process, and the oil is not as healthful. However, overall, the benefits of roasting seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Also, as with all nuts and seeds, almonds are best eaten in the form of almond butter, rather than the whole nuts. The reason is that most people do not chew the nuts well enough, so the nutrition in them is not well absorbed. The nut butter should be as fresh as possible, preferably ground at the health food store, if possible.

However, most commercial almond butter is fine, providing it is not eaten past its expiration date. Be sure to keep the butter or just almonds refrigerated to preserve freshness. Organic almond butter is best, but the regular almond butter is also okay if the price of the organic nut butter is too high.

ALMONDS AND DEVELOPMENT

Toasted almond butter contains special compounds of selenium, gold and other minerals that are required for development and very difficult to find in other foods. Development is the goal of the healing programs we set up.

For details about development, read Introduction To Development and Introduction To The Development Program.

WARNING - ALMOND MILK AND CHEESES

Almond milk and cheeses are sold as a substitutes for animal dairy products. This is a horrible lie. Almonds, while nutritious, do not contain nearly the amount of calcium and many other nutrients as are found in cow or goat milk, especially if the animal milk is raw – unpasteurized and not homogenized.

The animal dairy products are far superior in nutrition and definitely best for a nutritional balancing program.

Also, almond milk and cheeses are much too yin in macrobiotic terminology to be eaten in any quantity. Often they also have sugar or other chemicals added to them, which just makes them worse foods. We don’t recommend using almond milk.

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