Many people have started suffering from gut issues these days. From Irritable Bowel Syndrome to lactose intolerance and leaky gut syndrome – the list can go on and on. Sensitive gut is a rising health issue these days and needs attention. People have even started switching to different food alternatives that feel healthier for their gut and don’t aggravate existing issues. Having said that, calcium is an important nutrient that can’t be compromised. Milk is an excellent source of calcium and an integral part of our diet, but cow milk may not suit everyone. For people with a sensitive gut, experts often recommend almond milk.
Health Shots got in touch with nutritionist Avni Kaul to understand why almond milk may be better than cow milk for people with a sensitive gut.
Why should people with a sensitive gut switch to almond milk?
First of all, what is almond milk?
Almond milk is manufactured by mixing almonds with water and then the mixture is strained to take the solids out. It can also be made by adding water to almond butter, “tells the expert.
Almond milk can be consumed by people with sensitive gut because of the benefits it boosts! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
It consists of a pleasing, nutty flavour and a creamy texture that feels just like the taste of regular milk. Owing to this, it is a popular alternative for people who are following a vegan diet and even for those who are allergic or intolerant to dairy.
Here are a few reasons why almond milk is a safer option for people with a sensitive gut.
1. Contains no cow or buffalo milk
Almond milk is not an animal product, making it an ideal choice for people who have opted for a vegan diet and those individuals who are lactose intolerant or are allergic to milk. Almond milk is free from dairy and has no lactose at all, making it the perfect swap for regular milk for people suffering from lactose intolerance. Alongside, almond milk has high fibre content which aids in healthy digestion. It can help curb issues like constipation and other intestinal disorders whilst keeping your digestive system healthy.
2. Best option for people who are intolerant to milk sugar
“Many people have a high intolerance to milk sugar (lactose) and face issues digesting it properly. In these categories of people, this undigested lactose passes down to the colon where it is the living bacteria ferments it. That further leads to issues like excessive gas, bloating, diarrhoea, and other associated discomforts, “tells the expert.
Also read: Are alternative milks healthier than cow or buffalo milk? Let’s find out
Try switching to almond milk for a variety of health benefits it boosts. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock
3. Regulates blood sugar levels
If you are a patient with diabetes, drinking milk that is devoid of sugar can be a task. However, almond milk has an ideal amount of carbs which helps the body in converting it to good sugar that is further converted into energy. Opting for almond milk over regular dairy milk can also help in maintaining good heart health.
The bottom line
Almond milk is nutritious and a great option for people who have lactose intolerance. It has low-calorie content and is high in calcium, vitamin D and E, which makes it no less than other drinks.
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I rarely mention sweets in this column because it’s primarily about interesting, adaptable and relatively easy dinner-appropriate recipes. But this week we’ve gone off script in honor of my one true love, pastry. To celebrate eating voraciously and as a special treat, I’m sharing one of my favorite cake recipes ever. It’s a one-bowl almond cake that comes together quickly, requires fewer than 10 ingredients and takes less than an hour to bake.
It’s a recipe I learned when I worked in restaurant kitchens in college, and I have since adapted it to be buttery and nutty but not too sweet. I make it often, for fancy dinner parties or weekend snacking, birthdays or brunches. I was reminded of it earlier this year when I tasted a similar cake at the Duck and the Peach in D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. That night, my friend and I went all in on pastry chef Rochelle Cooper’s desserts.
This is a longtime habit of mine. Whenever I go out to dinner, there’s a good chance I’ll ask my dining companion to linger a little longer at the table with me so I can order the entire dessert menu. Sometimes I’ll do it when I’m dining alone, but it’s more fun to share. I love the drama of it, the glee, the way the server at first thinks I’m joking, the way a procession of plated desserts through a dining room causes other diners to turn their heads, the way the table looks when it’s covered in cakes, tarts, custards and all sorts of sweet pastry.
This habit started in high school, continued through college and then cemented itself in my life when I went to pastry school and began working as a pastry chef in New York. My first pastry assistant job was at a Midtown restaurant that was known for its desserts. The chef and owner paid close attention to the pastry department. He (rightly!) believed that last impressions were important. When a table of his friends or investors or some other Very Important People came in to dine, he’d make sure they finished their meal with what he called a “Dessert Storm” — he would tell the server to order all of the desserts on the menu for that table and then, as the pastry department scrambled to plate everything, he’d flicker the lights in the kitchen on and off, mimicking a thunderstorm’s lightning.
On an adrenaline high, I loved the rush of sending out so much dessert, loved peeking into the dining room to see the diners murmur and gush with delight as the plates landed on the table, loved watching their lips curl into smiles as they took a bite.
At the next restaurant I worked at, the chef didn’t pay as much attention to dessert. He didn’t ask to taste our latest experiments or order rounds of dessert for his favorite tables. The servers preferred to sell cocktails and wine; dessert was an afterthought. What bummed me out the most was when I would be standing in front of my station, ready to plate dessert for the last few tables around midnight or 1 a.m., and a server would come into the kitchen to say the diners were too full for dessert. Crushed, I’d (often) have to toss all of my prep — the unbaked souffles, the freshly made pastry shells, the delicate cakes and cookies, the sauces, the ice cream and sorbet.
That’s when I realized that ordering the whole dessert menu wasn’t just fun for me and my friends. It was also a way to support pastry chefs, their creativity and their labor. So, when you’re out to dinner, especially if it’s a special occasion, if you’re physically and financially able, don’t skip dessert. There’s probably a pastry cook in the back of the kitchen hoping against hope that you’ve saved some room.
And the next time you’re in the mood for cake at home, give this almond cake recipe a try. Everyone I’ve ever made it for has loved it. Unlike a lot of almond cakes, it doesn’t sink in the center but stays evenly aloft after it cools. It needs no frosting, though you could turn it into a layer cake with vanilla buttercream and strawberry or peach jam filling. Its adaptability and plush density make it easy to love — and ensure it keeps well on your counter for a few days. A dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream is nice on the side, though it’s not necessary. I love serving it simply with fresh, roasted, macerated or sauteed seasonal fruit.
This recipe will work with vegan butter, but I have not tested it with a vegan egg substitute.
I love this cake with fruit in every season: fresh citrus in the winter, lightly sugared berries in the spring, fresh or roasted stone fruit in the summer, and sauteed apples or pears in the fall.
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16 tablespoons (2 sticks/226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
7 ounces (198 grams) almond paste, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (175 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Fresh or cooked fruit, for serving (optional)
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment and lightly grease the parchment.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a large bowl and a handheld mixer, beat the butter, almond paste, sugar, baking powder, almond extract and salt on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure the batter is well combined. After you’ve added the last egg, scrape down the bowl again and beat the batter on medium speed for about 30 seconds. It will look slightly separated at this point, and that’s normal.
If using a stand mixer, unlock the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, partially fold in the flour. Relock the bowl and mix on low speed just until the batter looks smooth, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and, using a small offset spatula or butter knife, smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center and the top is deep golden brown. (It will take longer to bake if you use a 9-inch pan and less time in a 10-inch pan.)
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper and turn right side up. Allow to cool about 20 more minutes, or until slightly warm. Serve immediately or at room temperature with powdered sugar and fresh or cooked fruit on top or on the side, if desired.
There is no denying America’s adore of baked products. Eighty p.c of folks said they think about baked things to be an critical aspect of exclusive celebrations, and agreed with the statement, “It is correctly good to sometimes take care of your self with some baked treats these kinds of as cookies, cupcakes, donuts or pie,” in a study of 1,500 Us citizens executed by the American Bakers Affiliation in 2022.
Nevertheless these are the exact merchandise that are usually recognized as problematic by overall health officials due to the fact of their significant saturated fat, sugar, and carbohydrates. It doesn’t help that quite a few bakery merchandise built and offered on-web page are exempt from labeling legal guidelines, according to the U.S. Foods and Drug Adminstration (Food and drug administration).
One alternative is to make your own baked products at residence, so you can command the sugar and other ingredients. You can even increase items like heart-balanced fats, dietary fiber, and protein to make desserts and treats that are basically benefiting you in some way.
This can be notably valuable if you’re pursuing a minimal-carb prepare like the popular ketogenic diet, which seriously restricts carbs. Changing all-reason flour manufactured from wheat with almond flour, which is created by finely grinding blanched almonds, is a single excellent way to lower carbs and incorporate protein to baked merchandise with no sacrificing texture or taste. Almond flour includes just 6 grams (g) of carbs for each quarter cup, when compared with all-reason flour’s 22 g, in accordance to data from the United States Section of Agriculture (USDA), and also has 6 g of protein and 3 g of nutritional fiber, both equally of which boost satiety. Almond flour is also by natural means gluten-cost-free.
One more tricky section of small-carb baking is how to slash down on added sugars. Frequently, this signifies turning to synthetic sweeteners. Sugar substitutes are not without difficulties, however. Typical intake of artificial sweeteners was connected to an greater chance of cardiovascular ailment, in accordance to a prospective cohort review revealed September 2022 in the BMJ. Study published in CMAJ in July 2017 has linked large intake of synthetic sweeteners to higher incidences of weight problems, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetic issues. And many commercially organized baked merchandise rely on sugar alcohols, which have been claimed to trigger bloating, fuel, and diarrhea as widespread side consequences, according to Yale New Haven Medical center.
So if you use synthetic sweeteners in these recipes, make positive it’s an occasional treat (as dessert must be) and not a normal factor. You can also make sweet-tasting, very low-carb desserts with out sugar substitutes by relying the purely natural sweetness of fruits or cinnamon. Start off by experimenting with these 5 minimal-carb almond-flour baked very good recipes, which are not only healthful but delicious. Sure, you can have your (small-carb) cake and consume it, much too!
