A Banana Plant

My mother recently called, excited to share a new discovery: banana peels as skin care.

She’s had patches of itchy, rough patches of skin on her face for years. Her doctors had prescribed a cortisone-based cream that worked but that became harsh for her skin. She recently tried applying a banana peel on the patches, and she has been surprisingly relieved by its soothing effects! She’s only applied the banana peel on these patches twice a day for the past week, but the itchiness is much improved!

So I went online to explore further. Banana peels contains lutein, an antioxidant, and lots of potassium. This may explain why rubbing the inside of a banana peel is so healing. While there seems to be little scientific evidence, the use of bananas as skin care has been around for centuries. Reportedly, banana peels may help psoriasis, bug bites, poison ivy, acne, warts and hemorrhoids. Some doctors attribute the success of the banana skin peel to the sugar in the fruit (doctors know that adding sugar or salt on hemorrhoids can help shrink them due to osmosis). Next time I get a bug bite (mosquitoes love me!), I’m smearing a banana peel on it!

Read more: How to Use Banana Peel For Skin Care | eHow.com

Homemade Nut Milks: Easy and delicious!

After really enjoying nut milks made by some local restaurants, I finally bought a nut milk bag and started making my own at home. I was surprised by how easy it is and by how delicious they are even when I make them!

Both my three-year-old and one-year-old also really enjoy drinking (and making!) the nut milks. So I love that they are an easy way to get my daughters to consume the healthy nutrients of nuts.

The photos below lay out a recent evening during which my oldest daughter and I made cashew milk. Please keep in mind though that the recipe is relevant to a wide variety of nuts, including walnuts, almonds, and more! Soaking times would be the key variation and you can look that up online.

Start with the most natural (unsalted or raw) nuts that you can find. I used one 12oz bag of organic, unsalted cashews.

Soak the nuts for 2-6 hours, before blending for milk

I blended the cashews with some filtered water for about 60-90 seconds

After a few hours of soaking, I pour the nuts (and water in which they’ve been soaking) into a blender, and add enough water so that the mixture reaches the 32 oz. line. If there are more nuts than usual (because I may have some extra nuts (beyond those in the 12oz bag) laying around), then I add a little more water (above the 32 oz line). Don’t fill it to the top though, the blender needs space to do its thing!

Strain the blended nuts through a nut milk bag

I got my nut milk bag from OneLuckyDuck!

To make the nut milk extra yummy, add approximately 1/4 cup agave syrup, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

You’re done! If you’re going to drink some right away, then you may enjoy blending in some ice cubes. If not, then refrigerate in a glass jar! I try to drink ours within three days.

Homemade nut milks made from cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. are much easier and more delicious than you may think!

Nutritional Value of Nuts

Below is some basic nutritional information on the most common varieties of nuts. To learn more, we encourage you to check out LiveStrong.

Cashews

Cashew nuts grow in tropical and subtropical regions (think Brazil, India, Vietnam), inside a small, pumpkin-shaped fruit called cashew apples. A 1 oz serving of raw cashews (about one handful) contains 157 calories, 12.4 g of fat (only 2.2 saturated), 5.2 g of protein and 1g of dietary fiber.

Cashews also offer vitamin K (required for blood clotting), vitamin B-1 (converts blood sugar to energy) calcium and iron. Studies have shown that cashews positively impact cholesterol levels, may help individuals lose weight, and can women decrease the chances of developing diabetes.

Walnuts

Walnuts are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and are packed with a plethora of vitamins making them a true superfood. 1 oz of walnuts, or about 14 walnut halves, contain both omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids to boost heart health and help prevent cardiovascular disease. Walnuts also contain measurable amounts of the following nutrients; vitamins C, E, B6 and K, folate, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, choline, betaine, niacin, calcium, iron, potassium, thiamin, zinc and selenium. For all these amazing nutrients you get 185 calories and 18.5 g of fat (but only 1.7g is saturated ), 3.9 g of carbohydrates, 1.9 g of fiber and are 4.3 g of protein. To top it all off, walnuts have phytosterols that boost the immune system, reduce blood cholesterol and a lower the risk of some forms of cancer.

Almonds

Almonds are a great source of protein and vitamin B2. This tree nut offers 7.62 g of protein for only 1 oz ( about 23 whole pieces) of raw almonds. (As a comparison, one egg contains only about 5g of protein.) A 1 oz serving of raw almond also offers 3.3 g of fiber as well as measurable amounts of copper, manganese and potassium.

Pecans

Pecan trees thrive in warm climates which is why they are native to the southern United States and Mexico. Pecans are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and a serving of pecans also contains potassium, copper, thiamin, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus. A 1 oz serving of raw pecans has 196 calories, 20.4 g of fat, (only 1.8 g saturated fat), 3.9 g of carbohydrates, 2.7 g of dietary fiber and 2.6 g of protein.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are large, nutrient-dense nuts that grow on trees in the rain forests of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. A 1 oz serving of Brazil nuts offers 4 g of protein, 2 g of fiber, 187 mg of potassium and zero cholesterol. Brazil nuts also contain magnesium, phosphorus, copper and thiamin and have been known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Do you have any experience making homemade nut milks? Or have you ever tried making nut butters? If so, share your experience below!

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I found the book, by Christopher Gavigan, approximately 6-7 months after my first child was born. As I read it, I became increasingly upset that I hadn’t known about the book and its contents sooner. I would recommend this book to everyone but especially to parents.

“Tens of millions of American children now face chronic diseases and illnesses including cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD / ADHD, allergies, learning and developmental disabilities, as well as a host of lesser but disruptive ailments. The number gets higher each year and more parents ask why. A growing body of research points to unseen threats wrought by exposure to chemicals in everyday products like cleaning supplies, beauty care and cosmetics, home furnishings, plastics, and some foods and toys as contributing to these ailments.”

– (2008) by Christopher Gavigan