Author: lifehealth foods

Why India Is Switching to Almond Milk

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You must have most certainly stumbled upon almond milk at your local grocery store and wondered how it was any different from dairy milk or any other milk alternatives. The many alternatives are excellent in terms of health benefits and are also good for individuals who suffer from allergies or are vegan. In the case of almond milk India has recently opened its doors to it and has quickly become a household necessity and trend. If you’re wondering if almond milk is actually worth the hype, here’s a quick look at the health benefits of almond milk. Read on to know whether or not you should make the switch!

Reason 1: Almond milk is extremely low in calories as compared to dairy products. This makes it a great substitute for those of whom are trying to cut some pounds.

Reason 2: Almond milk is great for your heart since it is free of cholesterol, saturated-fats and sodium. It keeps your heart health in check and prevents high blood pressure.

Reason 3: You should buy almond milk if you complain of aching joints because almond milk is a good source of calcium and reduces the risk of bone problems like osteoporosis, arthritis and more.

Reason 4: Almond milk is great for skin health and can give you a glowing complexion and protect your skin against sun damage. Almond milk contains Vitamin E which nourishes your skin and keeps it healthy and glowing.

Reason 5: Almond milk can be consumed by diabetic patients since it has low levels of carbohydrates which don’t cause any disturbance in blood sugar levels. This reduces the risk of diabetes or any other blood sugar problems.

Reason 6: Being lactose-intolerant can be stressful because you can’t get the nutrients of milk or any dairy products. However, almond milk is packed with nutrients and is naturally lactose free so it can be consumed by individuals who are sensitive to lactose and get all the nutrients it offers too.

Health Benefits of Drinking Almond Milk

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Almond milk is obtained from almonds and is a plant-based milk. Almond milk has a naturally creamy texture and nutty flavor. Amongst the many benefits of almond milk, it has zero lactose and is very low on cholesterol. It is also available in unsweetened varieties for individuals who are watching their calories. Almond milk has been used as a substitute for dairy milk since years but is now more readily available and is also easy to make. Almonds provide more nutrients than dairy milk and can be consumed by individuals who cannot tolerate lactose or have any kind of allergies or those of who are vegan.

Almond milk has several health benefits. Let’s look at them individually below.

Controls/Lowers Blood Pressure – Research shows that almond milk helps in maintaining and lowering blood pressure. Almond milk serves as the best alternative to soy milk or dairy milk because all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are found in soy and dairy milk are also found in almond milk. The vitamins in almond milk keep the flow of blood healthy which contributes to regulating blood pressure.

Heart Health – A healthy heart means a lower level of cholesterol and since almond milk has no cholesterol it helps you keep your heart health in check. Research shows that badam milk benefits those who have heart conditions or at a risk for it. Almonds help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and also reduces the strain on the heart.

Strong Muscles – Everybody wants to build muscle mass and the consumption of certain foods speed up that process. Almond milk contains riboflavin which is a type of vitamin B and calcium which, in coordination with iron, helps to regulate muscle strength and growth. Almond milk contains protein which helps the body repair itself and maintain good health.

Kidney Health – In the human body, if calcium and potassium is found in a higher quantity than needed, it can be harmful for the kidneys. Dairy milk and soy milk have a higher amount of phosphorus and potassium. Almond milk, however, has limited amounts of phosphorus and potassium, which is beneficial for individuals who have chronic or acute kidney problems or even individuals who face recurring kidney stones.

Skin Care – To keep skin naturally healthy, it requires a certain number of vitamins and minerals. Almond milk is extremely good for the skin. It contains vitamin E, antioxidants, and vitamin A as well. This elixir repairs damaged skin delays the onset of wrinkles and fine lines and helps the skin repair itself as well. Moreover, home-made almond milk can be used as a skin cleanser and cleansing lotion. To see a better result, you can add rosewater to almond milk and use it as a cleanser.

Strengthens Bones and Improves Vision – Vitamin A is essential for good eye health and this is present in almond milk. It keeps your eyes healthy and nourished. It can help you avoid eye conditions and dryness. Almond milk contains calcium which is imperative for the forming and maintaining of bones and teeth in the body. Calcium also helps in regulating heart health, blood clotting and muscle health. Almond milk helps you avoid conditions like osteoporosis and can help your bones stay healthy well into old age.

Is Almond Milk Good for You?

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What is almond milk? 

Almond milk is made from ground almonds and water. Even though most people buy almond milk off the supermarket shelves, it is also easy to whip up at home. Almonds and water are blended and then meticulously strained to get rid of the pulp. This then leaves you with a milky, white-ish, smooth liquid. Most commercial almond milk variants are laced with thickener and preservatives to improve its texture. Almond milk is also available in many flavors like chocolate almond milk, strawberry almond milk, vanilla almond milk etc. Almond milk is dairy-free which means that it is without a question suitable for vegans and individuals who have dairy allergies or lactose-intolerance.

What is the nutrition value of almond milk? 

Almond milk is significantly low on calories, on an average, only about 39 calories per 240ml. Almond milk protein content is about 1 gram per cup, which means that it serves as a rich source of protein. Almond milk is a low-fat alternative as compared to dairy and contains only 3 grams of fat per cup. It is also considerably low in carbohydrates and contains only 3.5 grams of protein per cup. Almond milk provides a good amount of fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin D and vitamin E in every serving.  Since almond milk is rich in vitamins and calcium, it serves as an essential component for bone health and is a vital source of nutrients that keeps the body healthy.

In a nutshell, almond milk is largely preferred over dairy-milk or any other kind of milk available like soy milk, organic milk, skim milk etc. In India, it is slowly gaining fame for its many healthy properties and because veganism is on the rise. It is also believed that almost 40% of adults are lactose-intolerant and almond milk is a great substitute for dairy-milk.

 

Healthy Snack Alternatives That Your Kids Can Gorge On

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Very often you must find yourself telling your children not to eat chips, not to gorge on unhealthy snacks, not to spoil their appetite before meals and many more things pertaining to their unhealthy eating habits. Do you, however, understand the rationale behind these dialogues well enough? After all, children get hungry at odd hours and they do require snacks between their meals, and no, it doesn’t always ruin their appetite. So, what is the solution? How can we allow our children to snack, and yet, prevent them from developing unhealthy eating habits? How can we get them to eat their veggies or voluntarily opt for badam milk instead of sugary powders? Here’s a middle ground.

First, let’s lay the ground for snacks by saying that if snacking is done right, it can play a pivoting role in your child’s nutrition levels. It also keeps your kids from getting cranky or irritable and can be used as an incentive too. If you look at the bigger picture, the problem is not snacking but what kids to snack on. What can you do? You can jazz up your children’s snacks by making it interesting so that they voluntarily opt for, for example, badam milk instead of sugary fruit boxes.

Need some ideas? Here are a few.

Smoothies for the win – Sweet, cold treats are the way to a child’s heart so why not give it a healthy twist? Blend up fruits, veggies and nuts to make a nutrition packed smoothie that your child will love. To make it healthier, instead of dairy milk almond milk is a better alternative.

Quesadillas – If you’re wondering how to get your kid to voluntarily eat veggies and enjoy it too, we have just one thing to say – QUESADILLA! You can add any and every vegetable to the mix and it will still taste as delicious as ever. You know better that kids absolutely cannot resist Mexican food, so why not take advantage of that, yeah?

Baked Sweet Potato Fries – There’s nothing that a child loves more than fries! A healthier alternative? Sweet potatoes carry greater nutritional benefits as compared to potatoes and of course baking is healthier than frying. Easy to make, tasty to eat, you have yourself a winning snack!

Custard with Fruits – Custard carries many essential nutrients. To make it healthier, add chopped up fruits like bananas, apples, pears or dry fruits like almonds, raisins, cashews, walnuts etc. This also serves as a healthier way to satiate your child’s dessert cravings. To cut down more calories, buy almond milk instead of dairy milk and make the switch since almond milk is low in calories and is lighter on the stomach.

There you have it, moms! You no longer must worry about your child munching on chips fried in bad oil or finishing every chocolate in the refrigerator. Get your child accustomed to healthy snacking alternatives so that they are conscious of what they eat in a healthy way instead of meticulously evaluating everything they eat. They are children, and sometimes need to indulge, so don’t cut it down, just replace it with what’s better, and every once in a while, let them dig into something their taste buds absolutely love.

How You Can Use Almond Milk For Skin Care

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You probably already know that almond milk is used as a great alternative to dairy milk and is very popular amongst people who are lactose-intolerant and vegan. Almond milk nutrition facts are easily available on the internet and people are globally aware of its benefits in terms of consumption by itself or if added to smoothies, oatmeal, milkshakes, desserts, soups etc.

Let’s stray away from the fact that almond milk is commonly used by direct consumption and evaluate how it can be used otherwise as well. Have you ever thought that applying almond milk to your face can do the job of a skincare product? That’s right! Almond milk is an expensive and effective way to take care of your skin. Almond milk serves as a great natural elixir for your skin. Almond milk serves as a natural and gentle care potion for any and every skin type and is especially beneficial for sensitive skin.

Who knew badam milk benefits are infinite? Let’s take a look at a few of them closely.

  • Almond milk is a great moisturizer for the skin. It provides the right amount of moisture for your skin and it keeps your skin plump and hydrated.
  • Almond milk contains vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B6, zinc, magnesium and calcium which are all great for your skin.
  • Almond milk refreshes and rejuvenates your skin and makes it soft and keeps it glowing.
  • Almond milk contains antioxidants that prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
  • Almond milk cleanses your skin and nourishes it gently.
  • Almond milk is especially beneficial for dehydrated and undernourished skin.
  • Almond milk serves as a skin lightener and can also be used for acne marks, age spots and skin discoloration.
  • Almond milk is great for sensitive skin and can help soothe irritations, rashes and redness.
  • Almond milk can also be used to soothe sunburns.

Almond milk v/s Cow’s Milk

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If you look at it from a purely caloric point of view, almond milk comes with lower calorie content in comparison to whole cow’s milk, same calories as semi-skimmed cow’s milk and more calories than skimmed cow’s milk. Both cow’s and almond milk are equally rich in vitamin B12. However, almond milk may be slightly healthier than cow’s milk and if you look at the macronutrients, cow’s milk’s fat content is more than that of almond milk. Plus, it is lower in carbohydrates and is not recommended for people who are lactose intolerant. Almond milk protein is extremely beneficial for your body, is known to be the best dairy alternative as it is easy to digest and is undeniably the healthiest addition to your regular diet.

Healthy portion size of almond milk

A healthy portion of regular intake of almond milk would be around 250ml, which is known to be enough for cereal or tea and coffee during the day. Almond milk can also be used in any recipe that requires milk as an ingredient. It also works well as a dairy-free alternative.

Suitable for everyone

If you have nut allergy, almond milk is definitely not suitable for you. Thus, it should be avoided if you have one. If you’re looking for an option for kids, cow’s milk is one of the best sources of important nutrients that play a major role in ruling out any potential nut allergies.

Buying the best almond milk

Want to make your own almond milk? It is the best thing to do for those who have sufficient time. If you’re buying a commercial variety of badam shake, you must look for unsweetened almond milks. Check the ingredients list too, as there are a number of brands that use rice milk as a base, which means lower almond as well as micronutrient content.

How To Find The Best Almond Milk Brand?

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Lately, almond milk is gaining more and more popularity as an alternative to normal traditional dairy almond milk. This healthy drink is low in sugars, calories and protein. Most of the almond milk brands make almond milk with higher calcium, vitamins and minerals content. It also provides a high antioxidant and flavonoid content and ensures the best benefits to cardiovascular health and cancer.

Apart from being healthy, almond milk is lactose and cholesterol free, which makes it the perfect switch for people who cannot consume regular milk due to various health reasons. Thanks to the long list of benefits that tag along, more and more people are jumping on board to buy almond milk that comes in a variety of tastes and uses. While some brands taste better straight out of the bottle, others taste better when used as a creamer in your beverages. Choosing the right taste and brand is one of the most difficult tasks.

Almond milk brands come with a unique taste, considering everyone has a different opinion on what tastes the best to them, thicker consistency or added flavors. This milk tastes delicious with pancakes or in a cup of coffee. Plus, it comes in a wide range of flavours – most popularly, chocolate and vanilla. Most of the almond milk brands choose to match and mix coconut, rice, and cashew flavors too.

Be it the nutty milk or mild flavoured milk, almond milk tends to delight your taste buds every time you sip on it. Almond milk is sure to make you fall in love with its savour and texture. Although finding the right almond milk is a task, it takes 1-2 trials to decide which taste you’d prefer for long term. Depending on that, you must pick the right almond milk brand and started adding it to your daily menu.

Various Plus Points of Consuming Almond Milk

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As we all know, almond milk comes with a number of benefits, which is one of the reasons why it serves as good alternative to dairy milk and an ideal addition in the regular foods of people who are lactose intolerant. One of the benefits of almond milk is that it comes with low fat content and more calcium and vitamins. Plus, it is a very good way to prevent all kinds of heart diseases as well as cancer. Almond milk is also known to be ideal for proper functioning of the brain. It also plays a major role in helping you control your blood sugar levels. There wouldn’t be anything wrong in including this milk in your daily diet as it not only has a wide range of health benefits but also assists in improving the health of your skin while also enhancing its appearance.

Other benefits –

With a nutty flavour, almond milk delights your taste buds like never before. It is powered with essential nutrients and multivitamins and is better than dairy or soy milk, thanks to its low calorie content. There are different types of almond milks like chocolate almond milk, unsweetened almond milk and more. This milk is excellent for people suffering from lactose intolerance as it is free from all kinds of saturated fats, fiber and cholesterol.

Almond milk is an excellent source of protein and if you consume it on regular basis, you’re sure to get your daily requirement of protein. Plus, it comes with very little sugar, which makes it ideal for regulating the blood sugar level.

Thanks to its sufficient calcium and Vitamin D content, almond milk is a must for maintaining optimum bone health. The Vitamin C content in this milk has a major role to play when it comes to ensuring natural moisture of the skin as well as keeping the skin soft and supple. Adding to the list of benefits, the vitamin A content makes almond milk ideal for better functioning of eyes. Last but not the least, almond milk is very important for people who are looking forward to building up the body muscles.

Why are Smoothies Everyone’s Favorite?

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Are you a smoothie lover? Wondering why you’d be?

Let’s have a look at the 3 major reasons why smoothies are everyone’s all-time favorite drinks –

  • They are EASY TO MAKE – Sure, smoothies and shakes are the easiest meals to throw together. As we all know, stocking up on a few simple food items that only need to be thrown in a blender makes for the most delicious and satisfying meals in absolutely no time. Be it an almond milk smoothie or a chocolate chip smoothie, it adds the right amount of nutrition to your daily diet while ensuring you stay energetic throughout your day without weighing you down. It is absolutely easy to make smoothies for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It makes for a great start to your day and a delicious end to any evening. Smoothies are easy to make at home or in the office or you can grab one while you’re on-the-go. With smoothies, you won’t be able to think of any excuses as nothing will be as faster or easier meal than a smoothie, delicious and healthy, both at the same time.

 

  • They are HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS – Do you know better about the multiple almond milk nutrition? When it comes to breakfast and smoothies, all we’re concerned about is nutrition and we very well know how it is extremely important to intake a amount of nutrition. We all tend to overthink our nutritional needs, which is one of the reasons why sometimes we may tend to overeat, thinking that would add up to our daily nutrition. Well! It’s not the same with smoothies. Blending a meal together only offers to be a great platform for superfoods and supplements. If you switch to a high protein nut milk, fused well with super antioxidant berries, high-mineral superfoods and enzymatic greens, your cup will be loaded with nutrition. Plus, it is always a good idea to experiment and add in new items with each smoothie as there are so many ways that will help you add to the digestible nutrients to your daily diet.

 

  • They are always EXCITING – While nutrition is an important part of your daily intake, it is also important to accept how excitingly delicious these smoothies are. For instance, while the badam milk benefits include weight loss and reduced risk of other health problems, it is also important to focus on it being so excitingly delicious. No matter how healthy your lifestyle is, if you don’t enjoy the food and drinks that you consume, you’re not treating your body any joy. You can always create a smoothie with simple ingredients that you have in your refrigerator while adding a little deliciousness to give your taste buds the right amount of happiness. Remember, to be healthy, it doesn’t have to be green all the time. Health can taste good most of the times. It sure adds an extra boost to your day but make sure it does that in a really promising and appetizing way. Always keep up with the fun that takes over your kitchen.

So, as we claimed before, smoothies ROCK!

Basic Health Benefits of Almond Milk

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Nowadays, it is starting to get more and more difficult for people to pick the right kind of unsweetened almond milk. This is one of the reasons why people tend to miss out on acknowledging themselves about the multiple health benefits of almond milk. As we all know, almond milk comes from almonds. It offers a light and frothy fresh taste, very similar to cow’s milk. Healthy and delicious, almond milk is one of the best alternatives to dairy milk. With time, it has proven itself to be a perfect form of milk even for people who are lactose intolerant. It comes with an extract of protein-rich almonds and more nutrients than any other dairy products. Almond milk India has a number of benefits to offer, one of which is that it comes with many nutrients – vitamins, minerals, and skyrocketed levels of antioxidants. Let’s have a look at the other benefits of almond milk –

  • It will delight your taste buds with a unique taste – very light, crisp and nutty. It is perfect to be added to your coffee or wheat cream for a pleasant morning treat or evening delight.
  • It is rich in vitamin E, which plays a major role in keeping your skin young and beautiful.
  • Almond milk is known to be safe even for people suffering from milk allergies or those who are lactose intolerant.
  • It is rich in magnesium, which makes it essential for your body to convert the energy in food into usable energy.
  • Thanks to its manganese content, almond milk is ideal for activating the enzymes in your body. Plus, phosphorous plays a major role in strengthening your bones and teeth.
  • Potassium in almond milk is ideal for your heart to function better while maintaining a normal blood pressure.
  • Selenium in almonds is ideal to boost your immune system while preventing cell and tissue damage.

Thus, almonds are amazing nuts that come with a number of benefits, some of which you didn’t know of.