The inspiration for this recipe came from a random discovery that walnuts have quite a lot of omega 3. I always knew walnuts contained omega 3 but I didn’t know that only a small quarter cup of walnuts can give you all the omega 3 you need in a day.It really makes me wonder why so many women do not get adequate omega 3 intakes when walnuts are so easy to eat, but unfortunately i think the answer lies more in the fact that we have too much processed inflammatory oils in our diet which means its quite difficult to compensate with enough omega 3. The answer comes from reducing the consumption of inflammatory fats whilst also increasing anti0inflammatoy fats like walnuts and many others. Omega 3’s are crucial for women. Walnuts are definitely not appreciated for the powerhouse of nutrition that they are!
Omega 3 in walnuts is a plant ALA omega 3 which needs to be converted into EPA and then DHA. Conversion rates amongst plant-based individuals are usually higher than conversion rates from omnivores however conversion rates can still be quite low, especially in pregnant women. The more ALA omega 3 you give your body, the more it will have at its disposal to convert but for many women, especially pregnant women it may be necessary to consume an algae-based omega 3 ( like spirulina) or take an algae-based omega 3 supplements.
There is actually quite ALOT of research on omega 3 for women. Omega 3 has been shown to lower period pain, it can assist fertility by increasing blood flow to the uterus, it lowers the risk of premature birth and promotes healthy birth weight. It is also thought to be helpful in preventing preeclampsia and postpartum depression. Research also shows that it is very beneficial for menopausal women and helps to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis and breast cancer.
Plant ALA Omega 3 has been shown most effective in regulating and balancing estrogen in the body because they contain lignans which are a phytoestrogen, they can also help lower testosterone levels in women with PCOS. Omega 3 is also so important for brain health. It helps improve the effectiveness of the neurotransmitter serotonin which supports happy mood and less PMS.
Most importantly, omega 3 has been shown to lower triglyceride levels in the body. high triglycerides have been directly associated with heart disease (the biggest killer of women) and other chronic diseases. This is especially important for women on hormonal birth control and hormonal birth control raises triglyceride levels in the body.
I’m thankful that I utilize walnuts quite regularly in many of my recipes but instead of hiding the walnuts in the base of my desserts, I wanted to make them the star of the show for this recipe. The biggest step for this recipe is to make your own walnut butter. Of all the nut butters you could make, walnut is probably the easiest. Walnuts have a very high-fat content so they turn into butter quite quickly. I’ve personally overheated my blender trying to make hazelnut butter, but walnut butter was done in 5 minutes. If you can find store-bought walnut butter you are welcome to use that but I have never seen any in the stores before. The rest of the recipe comes together relatively quickly. I have probably overdone the ingredients in the base but I love sneaking in as many little bits of nutrition in my desserts as possible, including hemp seeds for even more omega 3. You can definitely simplify the ingredients and make it work if you can’t find some of the ones I have used. It has the most amazing texture and almost tastes like it has a hint of coffee in there? which it doesn’t. It’s a very creamy and indulgent treat and I loved every moment of eating it because I knew I was getting loads of omega 3.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15385858/
Get this recipe in my new book “Eating for Hormone Balance: a Plant-based Guide”
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