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Often the joy of motherhood is darkened when, at the next weigh-in at the clinic, it suddenly turns out that the baby is gaining weight rather poorly. In such a situation, the first thing that occurs to a nursing mother is that she does not have enough milk.
Most likely, she will remember that walnuts during breastfeeding are considered a traditional remedy for increasing lactation. Is it really worth resorting to this method of solving the problem, or is its effectiveness just one of the myths surrounding breastfeeding?
What are the benefits of walnuts?
Let's start with the fact that the product in question is actually very useful, one might say, even unique in its own way. Walnuts contain:
- B vitamins, as well as A, E, P, K, zinc and copper, which helps prevent various diseases and slow down the aging process;
- vitamin C, and in terms of its quantity they are ahead of black currants, oranges, and rose hips;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids that cannot be obtained from animal fats.
Scientists have found that eating walnuts helps to lower blood cholesterol levels over a long period of time, which means they can be used to prevent cardiovascular disease.
What about the effect on lactation?
Whether it is possible to increase the “productivity” of the mammary glands with the help of nuts is not known for certain, since no one has conducted relevant research. Is it even worth using them during lactation? Both doctors and lactation consultants have differing opinions on this matter.
Some pediatricians, if they are dissatisfied with the baby's growth, advise the mother to eat walnuts, since even if with their help it is not possible to increase the amount of milk, then at least it is possible to increase its “quality,” that is, its fat content. In the case of a baby who is underweight, this is no less important.
But it doesn’t hurt to keep in mind that fattier milk tends to stagnate in the ducts, which leads to blockage of the latter (this looks like a white dot on the nipple), as well as to lactostasis and mastitis. If you are prone to such problems, just in case, exclude walnuts from your menu, or at least do not overuse them.
There is another opinion among doctors, according to which the composition of milk (or rather, the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates) is genetically programmed. It is not possible to change it with any products. This seems quite logical, because women have always managed to feed children even in the most difficult conditions, without access to nourishing and healthy food.
Nuts with milk - healthy or dangerous recipe?
Some mothers and even lactation consultants believe that cow's milk with walnuts is a real salvation in case of a lack of breast milk. They offer the following recipe: boil one and a half glasses of milk, pour in a handful of chopped nuts, place it all in a thermos for a couple of hours and drink throughout the day.
However, other consultants and doctors consider it inappropriate to use this drug during breastfeeding. The fact is that both cow's milk and nuts are included in the so-called “Big Eight” of the most significant allergens, which, in addition to the products mentioned, includes chicken eggs, peanuts, soy, shellfish and crustaceans, fish, and wheat.
Allergy symptoms may include:
- unstable stool with mucus (and sometimes streaks of blood);
- intestinal colic;
- skin rashes, redness of the cheeks, elbows, buttocks, groin folds, dry skin;
- less often – respiratory phenomena.
If you notice something similar in your baby, be sure to consult your doctor.
It is worth recognizing that walnuts are safer than, for example, hazelnuts. But still, a combination of two allergens is hardly a good way to establish breastfeeding, especially in the first month of lactation.
However, everything is individual, and many nursing mothers can drink milk with walnuts, since their children tolerate these products well. However, we definitely cannot recommend this recipe to everyone without exception.
How to stimulate lactation in case of allergy to walnuts?
First of all, do not forget that the most effective way to maintain your milk supply at the proper level is to feed on demand and have your baby breastfeed frequently. "Demand creates supply". If the mammary gland rarely empties, the body receives information that milk is not really needed, and less of it is produced.
You also need to ensure that the baby is properly attached (not only the nipple, but also the areola, especially its lower part, should enter the mouth). Otherwise, sucking will not be as effective, and painful nipple cracks may occur.
You should not neglect night feedings, since prolactin (a hormone that stimulates milk production) is produced in the mother’s body at night. Even if the baby sleeps well, you should try to feed him twice from 3.00 to 8.00 in the morning.
If even if all these conditions are met, the problem is not solved, it is better not to let things take their course, but to contact a breastfeeding specialist (on forums, by phone, or by inviting them home). Also, be sure to talk to your pediatrician, because weight loss may not be due to a lack of milk at all, but to some other disease.
In conclusion, we note that if both the baby and the mother tolerate walnuts well, then they can be consumed during breastfeeding in the amount of two to three walnuts per day, this will be quite enough to demonstrate their beneficial properties. It is better to buy thermally unprocessed and unshelled nuts. Bon appetit!
Characteristics of a nutritious drink. What advantages does it have? What is the chemical composition of hazelnut milk? The healing properties of the drink. Use in cooking.
The content of the article:
Hazelnut milk is a drink made from chopped nuts and water. It is nutritious and perfectly quenches thirst. Athletes, children, vegetarians and those with lactose intolerance can safely include it in their diet. Hazelnut milk is well absorbed by the body, saturates it with micro- and macroelements, affects hematopoiesis and improves liver function. It is very useful for chronic fatigue. It is also worth noting that among all nuts, hazelnuts are the highest in calories. Milk can be consumed every day, but not more than 300 ml. Just one glass can replenish energy after a grueling workout or a hard day at work.
Composition and calorie content of hazelnut milk
Unfortunately, scientists have not studied the calorie content of hazelnut milk. As for the chemical composition, it is obvious that the drink contains the same components as the main ingredient - hazelnuts.
Let's look at its vitamin composition:
- Vitamin A (VE). Promotes intercellular metabolism, is necessary for vision, affects the reproductive system, accelerates skin healing, activates the production of sex hormones and improves eye accommodation.
- Beta Carotene. Helps the skin recover faster from injuries, eliminates the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. It also prevents the development of cataracts and glaucoma.
- Vitamin B1. Stabilizes digestive processes, increases brain activity, and has a positive effect on memory.
- Vitamin B2. Responsible for the synthesis of other vitamins, important for the formation of certain hormones, and protects the eyes from the negative effects of ultraviolet rays.
- Vitamin B4. Supports the activity of the nervous system, prevents the formation of gallstones, and normalizes heart rhythm.
- Vitamin B5. Produces favorable intestinal microflora and is responsible for the activity of sweat glands.
- Vitamin B6. Stimulates the synthesis of high-molecular organic compounds, has a diuretic property, and reduces the percentage of sugar in the blood.
- Vitamin B9. Synthesizes hemoglobin, enzymes and DNA, enhances metabolism, and has a positive effect on the digestive system.
- Vitamin C. Strengthens the immune system, restores the activity of the thyroid gland.
- Vitamin E. Stabilizes the endocrine system, prevents premature aging of the skin, the development of asthma and diabetes.
- Vitamin K. Helps with ulcerative damage to the gastrointestinal tract, ensures the interaction of vitamin D with calcium.
- Vitamin PP. Stabilizes blood pressure, reduces the negative effects of free radicals, and normalizes blood circulation.
- Niacin. Clears blood vessels of lipoproteins, controls the secretion of gastric juice, is important for brain function, synthesizes healthy cholesterol, converts sugar into energy and stabilizes the nervous system.
Also, hazelnut milk contains many amino acids, which stabilize the synthesis and breakdown of proteins, reduce blood sugar, and stimulate brain activity.
Note! When using additional ingredients in a hazelnut milk recipe, the composition of the drink will also change.
Beneficial properties of hazelnut milk
The unique combination of components present in the drink determines the benefits of hazelnut milk for the body:
- Sedative effect on the nervous system. The product normalizes sleep, relieves chronic fatigue, reduces irritability, gives more energy and prevents outbursts of unmotivated aggression.
- Activation of metabolic processes. The components of hazelnut milk stabilize redox reactions, stimulate fat metabolism and accelerate the burning of excess calories. They also have choleretic and laxative properties.
- Strengthening the immune system. Helps the body to better resist the harmful effects of viral and infectious agents. It also makes it easier to combat allergies.
- Normalization of the cardiovascular system. Unlike animal milk, hazelnut milk does not contain saturated fat and cholesterol, so your blood vessels will not become clogged with plaque. The walls will strengthen, become more elastic, and the activity of the heart muscles will improve. Hematopoietic processes are also normalized and microcirculation is accelerated.
- Strengthening tooth enamel. Thanks to the presence of calcium and phosphorus, the drink accelerates the strengthening of bone tissue and restores it.
- Positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract and stabilization of digestion. The components of hazelnut milk have a good effect on the mucous membrane, preventing bloating, constipation and diarrhea. At the same time, the process of food absorption is normalized, heavy metal salts, free radicals, and toxins are removed.
- Preventing the development of malignant tumors. Thanks to the presence of paclitaxel, hazelnut milk inhibits the uncontrolled division of cells that are capable of invasion into adjacent tissues.
- Accelerate muscle building. It’s not for nothing that athletes include hazelnut milk in their diet. The drink promotes the production of the male reproductive hormone - testosterone. And thanks to the presence of protein, muscle fibers are formed and strengthened.
- Improving breast milk production. The components of the drink activate the mammary glands and make mother's milk more nutritious.
Contraindications and harms of hazelnut milk
Any product that is consumed in excess does not benefit the body.
Hazelnut milk can be harmful if:
- Diabetes mellitus. The components of the drink can cause dry mouth, thirst and weight loss. The patient feels constant fatigue, drowsiness and apathy.
- Liver and intestinal diseases. Metabolism is disrupted, performance decreases, and dyspepsia occurs.
- Severe headache. If consumed in excess, hazelnut milk can cause cerebral vasospasm. This will cause nausea, increased sweating and increased heart rate.
- Atopic dermatitis. The components can cause dry skin, increasing itching, the appearance of red spots, erosions and ulcers. Such wounded areas are most often observed on the elbows, the back of the hands and feet.
- Tendency to allergies. Constipation, diarrhea, nausea, yellowing of the sclera of the eyes and increased sweating occur. Red spots and itching appear on the skin.
How to make hazelnut milk?
So, now let's figure out how to make hazelnut milk. The required ratio of nuts and water is 1:4. But if you want to make the drink richer and thicker, you can use 3 cups of water and 1 cup of hazelnuts.
It is important to note! It is advisable to buy hazelnuts in shells, because this way the breakdown of vitamins and minerals does not occur. The product retains all its healing properties. The shell also protects the kernels from the negative influence of the environment. And you should not forget that the shelf life of hazelnuts is no more than 6 months.
Before cooking, soak raw nuts in water overnight. Then drain off the excess water and wash the hazelnuts. It is not necessary to remove the skin from the nuts. Next, add the required amount of filtered water and beat the ingredients in a blender. You can strain this milk through cheesecloth. As you can see, the recipe for hazelnut milk is quite simple, and preparation does not take much time.
Do not rush to throw away the remaining cake. It is a great ingredient for baking, desserts, sauces and even soups. It is also used in cosmetology, making various scrubs, ubtans and hair masks.
Dates, honey, Jerusalem artichoke syrup, vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg will help highlight the taste and aroma of hazelnut milk.
Be careful! The drink does not go well with bananas, potatoes and melon.
Recipes with hazelnut milk
Hazelnut milk will add piquant notes to dishes, a sweetish taste and a subtle nutty aroma. It can be added to mousses, protein shakes, puddings, biscuits, casseroles, omelettes, jellies and creams.
Below are easy and interesting recipes using hazelnut milk:
- Cheese omelette. 2 tomatoes are washed and cut into thin slices. 50 grams of hard cheese are passed through a grater. In a separate container, beat 3 eggs with a pinch of black pepper and salt. Then add cheese and 4 tablespoons of hazelnut milk. Whisk all components. Heat the frying pan and oil it, add tomatoes and fry them on both sides. Then pour in the egg mixture and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to minimum and fry for about 2-3 minutes. The finished omelette is sprinkled with chopped herbs and served for breakfast.
- Khachapuri with cheese. Combine 2 cups of flour and 200 ml of hazelnut milk in a container. Then add a few pinches of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 0.5 teaspoon of soda and 2 teaspoons of yeast. Knead soft dough. Next, it is cut into several parts. Each should be rolled out into a small cake. Place the filling in the middle. For it, you should grate 100 grams of suluguni, 100 grams of Adyghe cheese and 90 grams of softened butter. The dough is pinched around the edges, like large dumplings. Fry in a dry frying pan for 2-4 minutes. Then the khachapuri is coated with the filling again and served.
- Envelopes with chicken and mushrooms. Combine flour with hazelnut milk, egg and knead unleavened dough. Place it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Meanwhile, 4 onions are cut into rings and fried. 400 grams of champignons are fried in another frying pan (you can choose any mushrooms according to your preference). Then 4 chicken breasts are washed, dried with paper towels and cut into small cubes. Combine all filling ingredients, salt and pepper to taste. The dough is taken out of the refrigerator, rolled out into thin layers and the filling is laid out. Then the portions are glued together into an envelope and cooked in a pressure cooker for about 15 minutes.
- Lemon cookies. You should first preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a square baking pan, line it with parchment paper and grease again. Then, in a separate container, beat 0.5 cups of butter, 0.5 cups of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt until fluffy. Next, add a glass of flour and knead the dough. After this, it is placed in a mold 2.5 cm thick. Punctures are made throughout the entire area with a fork. You need to bake for about 15-17 minutes. Beat 4 egg yolks, 250 ml hazelnut milk and 3/4 cup lemon juice with a mixer. Pour this mixture over the baked crust and bake for another 25 minutes. Then the dessert is cooled and placed in the refrigerator for 2 hours. After this, it is sprinkled with powdered sugar and cut into squares.
- Pancakes with hard cheese. In a container, beat 3 eggs with 300 ml of hazelnut milk and a tablespoon of sugar. After this, add 3-4 tablespoons of wheat flour, 100 grams of hard grated cheese and mix thoroughly until smooth. Bake pancakes in an oiled frying pan for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Then they are placed on a plate and sprinkled with chopped herbs.
- Tuscan cheese and zucchini pie. In a bowl, beat 3 eggs, a pinch of salt, 100 ml hazelnut milk and 80 ml water. Then add 160 grams of sifted wheat flour, chopped green onions and a clove of garlic. 350 grams of zucchini are cut into rings, 80 grams of hard cheese are grated and everything is added to the rest of the ingredients. The zucchini mass is poured into an oiled baking dish. The pie is baked at 180 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
It is important to know! To prevent “flakes” from forming when adding hazelnut milk to coffee, you should warm it up a little and pour in gradually.
Nut milk was popular in the Middle Ages. This drink lasted much longer than cow's milk. Nutritious and healthy food was prepared on its basis.
Monks add hazelnut milk to their diet. It saturates the body with important elements that are missing during fasting.
One hazelnut contains about 60% organic oils and 20% easily digestible vegetable protein. Thanks to this ratio, the product has a stimulating effect on the brain, accelerates hair growth and strengthens the lipid barrier of the epidermis.
In ancient times, healers prescribed hazelnut milk for respiratory diseases.
Watch a video about hazelnut milk:
We looked at how to prepare hazelnut milk, what it is combined with and what benefits it has for the body. It is worth emphasizing that the drink is stored only in a sealed container and for no more than 4 days in the refrigerator.
Very often in culinary recipes you can read something fabulous, for example: “Now add a quarter glass of pine nut milk.” Wait... what kind of milk? The pine nut does not seem to be a cow and is not milked. So what are we talking about?
And yet we are talking specifically about the milk of nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts. In cooking (and - let's add - for medicinal purposes too) a milk drink from a variety of nuts is used - in fact, all of which nature is rich in. Each one can be “milked,” that is, a tasty and healthy mixture of nuts with water or milk can be prepared in a special way. Try, for example, making almond milk - you will like it, you will want to repeat it.
How to make nut milk - instructions
How to make almond milk
Important! We can only talk about sweet almonds. Bitter, when mixed with water, forms poisonous hydrocyanic acid.
Soak the nuts overnight at the rate of 1 part nuts: 2 parts water. In the morning, remove the skin from the swollen almonds and dry the nuts with absorbent paper or a towel. Then grind the almonds with a blender to the consistency of porridge and add water (there should be 3 times more), mix and strain immediately. The result is a white liquid very similar to milk - almond milk.
How to make milk from walnuts
1) Grind the nuts thoroughly, adding cold water to them (you can, on the contrary, boiling water), stirring and bringing to a paste or soft puree. Leave for 2 hours and strain. If you leave it longer, the taste will become more sour and kefir-like. (So you can get “kefir” from walnuts and any other nuts).2) Soak overnight in cold water, drain the water in the morning, crush the softened nuts and pour milk. Leave the mixture for 3 hours, then boil, stirring, over low heat for about half an hour. Strain and cool.
3) Roast the nut kernels and crush them. Add vanillin to this mass at the tip of a knife (you can use a teaspoon of honey) and pour in milk. Leave in a water bath or in a warm oven for half an hour.
How to make milk from pine nuts
Peeled nut kernels should be ground with a wooden pestle in a wooden mortar. Gradually, as you chop the nuts, add water until you obtain a homogeneous paste. Then this paste should be placed in a glass container and put on low heat. Bring to a boil, drain, cool and transfer to a clean container. You can strain the resulting nut milk through a fine sieve.
Milk is prepared in the same way from any other nuts and seeds. For culinary purposes, you can use both the liquid itself and the cake.
It is a very tasty and “culinary” ingredient in many recipes. In addition, prepared almond milk and the milk of other nuts are not consumed as a composition, but separately, on their own.
Cow's milk is not always well absorbed by the human body. This is especially true for older people and young children (which is why most infant formulas are made with goat or soy milk). In addition, according to the book “,” cow’s milk protein may be the cause of some autoimmune diseases.
Walnut kernels contain fatty oil (up to 60-76%), proteins (up to 21%), carbohydrates (up to 7%), provitamin A, vitamins K and P, amino acids (asparagine, cystine, glutamine, serine, histidine, valine, phenylalanine). Walnut fatty oil consists of glycerides of linoleic, oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids.
"Wikipedia"
When making milk, some of the beneficial properties are lost, but most still remain.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shelled walnuts;
- 3 glasses of water + water for soaking;
- honey to taste;
- a pinch of vanillin.
Preparation
Measure the nuts using a glass of any size and fill with cold drinking water so that it covers the nuts. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, take out the nuts, drain the water, pour them into a blender and pour three glasses (the same volume as you used for the nuts) of cold water.
Beat with a blender for several minutes until smooth and strain through cheesecloth. After this, you can add a little honey and vanilla to taste, or you can leave it pure. Shelf life: 2–3 days in the refrigerator.
You can make very tasty cocktails using this milk! First option: beat it with banana, dates (3-4 seeds, pitted), a pinch of cinnamon and honey. Second option: beat together with cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and dates (5-6 pieces). You can adjust the quantity of bananas and dates according to your taste.
Another option is to use nut milk as a base for cocktails with frozen berries (any you like) and honey, and also add it to coffee. The only thing is that this milk is not very homogeneous in consistency; when added to coffee, it separates into flakes and does not look very appetizing, so it needs to be stirred well.
Even though I don't really like walnuts, I liked the milk made from them! It has a pleasant taste and the coffee is simply amazing. If you feel the milk is not rich enough, add less water next time.
And don’t forget that this nut milk is very rich: 100 ml contains 79 kcal. You should not drink it in large quantities because nuts, although a healthy product, are quite difficult to digest. You don’t drink liters of cow’s milk, do you?
Next time we will experiment with rice milk and be sure to share the results!
Cow's milk is not always well absorbed by the human body. This is especially true for older people and young children (which is why most infant formulas are made with goat or soy milk). In addition, according to the book “,” cow’s milk protein may be the cause of some autoimmune diseases.
Walnut kernels contain fatty oil (up to 60-76%), proteins (up to 21%), carbohydrates (up to 7%), provitamin A, vitamins K and P, amino acids (asparagine, cystine, glutamine, serine, histidine, valine, phenylalanine). Walnut fatty oil consists of glycerides of linoleic, oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids.
"Wikipedia"
When making milk, some of the beneficial properties are lost, but most still remain.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup shelled walnuts;
- 3 glasses of water + water for soaking;
- honey to taste;
- a pinch of vanillin.
Preparation
Measure the nuts using a glass of any size and fill with cold drinking water so that it covers the nuts. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, take out the nuts, drain the water, pour them into a blender and pour three glasses (the same volume as you used for the nuts) of cold water.
Beat with a blender for several minutes until smooth and strain through cheesecloth. After this, you can add a little honey and vanilla to taste, or you can leave it pure. Shelf life: 2–3 days in the refrigerator.
You can make very tasty cocktails using this milk! First option: beat it with banana, dates (3-4 seeds, pitted), a pinch of cinnamon and honey. Second option: beat together with cinnamon, nutmeg, honey and dates (5-6 pieces). You can adjust the quantity of bananas and dates according to your taste.
Another option is to use nut milk as a base for cocktails with frozen berries (any you like) and honey, and also add it to coffee. The only thing is that this milk is not very homogeneous in consistency; when added to coffee, it separates into flakes and does not look very appetizing, so it needs to be stirred well.
Even though I don't really like walnuts, I liked the milk made from them! It has a pleasant taste and the coffee is simply amazing. If you feel the milk is not rich enough, add less water next time.
And don’t forget that this nut milk is very rich: 100 ml contains 79 kcal. You should not drink it in large quantities because nuts, although a healthy product, are quite difficult to digest. You don’t drink liters of cow’s milk, do you?
Next time we will experiment with rice milk and be sure to share the results!
