ALMOND BUTTER

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.

Toasted or roasted almond butter is a special food for development. For adults, please have two tablespoons of it daily. It is quite tasty. This article answers some questions about almond butter.

Why almond butter? Almond butter contains a compound of selenium that is difficult to obtain from any other food. It also contains certain gold compounds that assist development.

Almond butter is also a good source of protein, and contains a very healthful oil. It is also a source of a number of minerals and vitamins.

Why eat the butter, and not just almonds. The reason is that nuts are difficult to chew thoroughly. If they are not chewed very well, they are difficult to digest and hard on the intestinal tract.

When made into nut butter, almonds are easier to digest and require less chewing.

How much to eat. Adult need to eat 2 tablespoons every day. Please do not skip it.

Children also need some almond butter. Children age 5 to 10 need about ½ tablespoon daily. Children age 10-13 need about 1 tablespoon daily. Teens need about 1.5 tablespoons daily.

Why roast it? Toasting or roasting the almonds makes almond butter ‘warmer’ or more yang in macrobiotic terminology. This is very important for healing and especially for development. We do not recommend eating raw almonds or raw almond butter.

How to eat almond butter. The simplest way is to put some on a spoon and eat it plain. However, if you prefer, spread it over your cooked vegetables and use it as a topping. Ideally, do not dilute it with water or anything else.

Also, ideally, eat it before eating your cooked vegetables. It is best to eat protein before you eat other foods.

Must the almond butter be organically grown? Organic almond butter is better. However, it is more costly and not available everywhere.

Freshness. Fresh ground almond butter is the best. Some health food stores or supermarkets have a machine so that you can grind it there.

A coffee grinder can be used to make an almond paste. However, it is not as good as store-bought almond butter.

A Champion juicer will make almond butter at home, but it is not as finely ground as the store-bought product. Other machines may do this, as well.

Expiration date. If you buy almond butter, check the expiration date on the jar. Fresher is best, if you have a choice. You cannot judge just by whether there is some oil floating on top of the almond butter. This is normal if the jar is over one month old or older.

Handling almond butter. Always store almond butter in the refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.

What to do about the oil on the top? If you buy a jar of almond butter and the oil has settled on top, use a clean knife to mix the oil back into the almond butter. Don’t pour off the oil.

Once you have mixed the oil back into the almond butter, put the jar in the refrigerator and the oil will stay mixed into the butter.

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