FOOD FOR THOUGHT: WONDERFUL WALNUTS

Now that turkey-day tantrums and stuffing fiascos have passed, the start of the December holiday season seems to release the baking bug in many of us. From Holiday cookies to cakes and confections, WALNUTS are a nutty staple in many pantries. While available all year long in the baking aisle or bulk bins of your favorite grocery store, walnuts inherent appeal during the cold-weather months makes them the topic of this weeks’ Food for Thought. Read on for some history and lore, nutritional benefits, and a seasonal (and delicious) recipe.

BRAIN GAMES:

With the first documentations dating back to 7000 BC, the Roman’s called walnuts Juglans Regia, or Jupiter’s Royal Crown. Fittingly so, the brain-like appearance of walnuts has long been revered for both its positive and “negative” effects on our crowns (brains.) The medieval Doctrine of Signatures assumed that the similar brain-like crinkles and crevices made the nuts beneficial brain food, often being prescribed to those suffering from mental illnesses, headaches, and head wounds. On the opposite side, a 12^th century Parisian home journal quoted an elderly fathers advice to his young daughter, deeming walnuts a “headache promoter,” and Pliny the Elder believed that sitting under walnut trees emitted a “heaviness of the head.”

While the "yay" or "nay" verdict was still out, walnuts were welcomed in many other nations throughout history. In 8^th century France, trees were planted in Charlemagne’s personal gardens, churches used the nuts as payments, and towns appointed “walnut measurers” to ensure walnut theft was not occurring. The Crusaders took some influence from the Arabs, grinding the nuts into pastes and powders and using them in sauces, and upon landing in China, the nuts were eaten to stimulate blood flow. Eventually exported into Europe and the Americas, Franciscan Monks cultivated the first American walnuts in California, where they were deemed “Mission” walnuts in the 1700’s. While today most of the world’s supply of walnuts hails from China, California is responsible for ¾ of the world’s exports!

NUTS OVER YOU:

While once feared for their "head-demoting properties," the uncanny physical similarities that walnuts hold to the human brain are not only a sign as to the brainy benefits they hold, but they are also rich in a plethora of healthy fats, proteins, and fibers. So crack some open and read on to learn why walnuts truly are all they are cracked up to be!

ALPHA & OMEGA: Walnuts are one of the most concentrated plant

sources of the Omega 3 essential fatty acids ( 1 ounce= 2.6mg or

113% of your Recommended Daily Allowance.)

◼ALA, EPA, DHA? Walnuts contain a plant-form of Omega 3's 
known as ALPHA LINOLENIC ACID, which is converted in the body
into the readily utilized EPA & DHA.

EPA: An inhibitor of a pro-inflammatory molecule known as Arachidonic Acid (AA,) AA promotes the production/secretion of inflammatory compounds such as COX 1 & 2 (hello headaches,) and eicosanoids/prostaglandins, responsible for allergies and topical allergies.

DHA: Due to its larger size, DHA cannot attach to the same

cellular components like EPA in order to prevent cytokine

production. That being said, its large size allows it to

maintain structure inside the brain, offering brain and retinal

cell-membrane support, enhancing communication and

vision.

HEART-Y CHOICE: Walnuts contain a large variety of compounds that

offer full-spectrum support of the cardiovascular system.

◼GIVE ME AN E: While many nuts contain the Alpha-Tocopherol form of Vitamin E, walnuts pack a potent punch of the GAMMA form which inhibits the effects of environmental pollutants like car exhaust and cigarette smoke.   

◼ARGININE AFFICIONADO: L-Arginine is an amino-acid (building block of protein) that is the precursor to NITRIC OXIDE, a compound that helps blood vessels dilate and enhances blood flow throughout the body.

◼FRIENDLY FATS: Walnut oil is a poly-unsaturated fat, that while rich in OMEGA 3’s, also helps support cholesterol health by enhancing the “healthy” form (HDL,) whilst decreasing the lethal (LDL) form.

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SELECTING & STORING:

If purchasing shell-on walnuts, select those with hard, non-rubbery shells that are free of open cracks or crevices. For shelled pieces, opt for organic varieties in sealed bags, as many commercial walnuts are treated with ethylene gas or fumigated with methyl bromide. Purchase loose varieties from a reputable bulk retailer that has a high rate of turnover, and for ground powders, make sure to check the expiration date. Due to their high oil content, walnuts can go rancid fairly quickly, so always store in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, or frozen for up to one year.

Want to learn more about the benefits of basil? The powers of cauliflower? The astounding impact of avocado’s? Join me in one of my culinary nutrition workshops, select Wednesdays from 6-7:30PM! See December’s line-up below, and be sure to snag your spot, as space is limited!

DECEMBER TRUE KITCHEN COOKING CLASS

EATING FOR IMMUNITY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13TH

6:00-7:30PM

$35.00 (pre-paid) OR $40 (at door)*

With the holiday season in full-swing, chronic to-do lists, gift shopping, and entertaining take hold. On top of that, the cold & flu season is revving up and many of us find ourselves bed-ridden with a box of tissues! A combination of high stress, confined spaces, and increased illness, the season of giving can also equate to the season of getting sick! In this class, Genevieve will cover how our immune and adrenal systems work in tandem, ingredients, herbs, and spices that naturally combat illness, and show you how to cook up some delicious recipes so you can strengthen your resilience this Holiday season!

* Cost of class includes colorful informative handout, all of the recipes prepared in the class, and of course tasty plates of the food she whips up!

EMAIL: info@biologicalhealth.com

PHONE: 267-308-0777

Genevieve – “G”

Certified Plant Based Nutritionist | CHHC| Culinary Nutritionist

True Wellness Biological Health

Genevieve@biologicalhealth.com

  

Cinnamon Kissed Walnut Butter Cookies

Growing up, my grandmother (Baba) made a simple but addictive cookie she deemed “butter cookies.” Literally melt-in-your mouth and bathed in a shower of powdered sugar, a few simple ingredients (and lots of butter and sugar) equated to a cookie that was one of my favorites. As I came to discover, her cookies were quite similar to Russian tea cookies, snowballs, or Mexican Wedding cookies, but now that I have the know-how, I have developed a recipe just as addictive, but just a tad bit healthier for you!

Makes about 18 cookies

1 cup grain free flour mix OR organic gluten free flour

8 tbsp. grass fed organic butter, room temperature

¾ cup finely chopped/pulsed walnuts

3 tbsp. local honey

2 tbsp. grassfed collagen powder (optional, but a good way to boost nutrition)

1 tbsp. finely ground flax meal

1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. finely ground sea salt

COATING: Mix ¾ cup finely pulverized coconut palm sugar with 1 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Mix butter, vanilla, and honey in a bowl. Slowly add dry mixture and mix until incorporated. Refrigerate dough for at least 20-30 minutes. Roll into 1-2 tsp. sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 325F oven for 12-15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool, and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.