End Fatigue

Quick and Easy Hemp Seed or Chia Seed Milk

By Health Coach Zita Annen of "Eat Healthy Stay Healthy Coaching"
Website: www.EatHealthyStayHealthy.com | Email: Zita@ ZitaAnnen.com

[Download a print-friendly pdf version of this recipe.]

Because so many people have milk allergies, and so many store-bought milk substitutes are loaded with sugar, let's start with a healthy, easy-to-make and delicious hemp and chia seed milk recipe. This is a great one to kick this column off with because so many people buy high-sugar soy, rice or almond milks without knowing just how simple it is to make a milk substitute. This recipe is very quick to make and costs only a fraction of what store-bought milks and milk alternatives sell for — it's also an excellent base for healthy smoothies.

On Nutrition: Chia and hemp seeds are rich in EFA's and antioxidants, and an excellent sources of protein. The milk is also particularly rich in enzymes because of the soaking. On top of that you have a milk that has no additives or preservatives.

Ingredients

• 
  For Chia Milk: 2.5 tbsp chia seeds
• For Hemp Milk: 5 tbsp hemp seeds
• 3 cups of water
• 1.5 tbsp walnuts
• 1 tbsp Artisana, organic raw sesame tahini
• 1/4 tsp vanilla powder or liquid vanilla
• 2 to 4 drops of liquid Stevia, or another sweetener mentioned in the delicious tips.

Directions

1. Soak all ingredients in a glass container for about 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Shake the glass container a few times, as chia seeds like to clump together.
2. Poor the soaked chia or hemp seeds mixture into a blender and blend at high speed for approx. 1 to 2 minutes. The blending time varies with the type of blender you are using. I have a Vitamix and it takes about 1 minute.

The milk will keep for about 4 days in the fridge.

Zita's Delicious Tips

• You can rotate the types of nuts used each time you make the recipe to get a variety of nutrients. I use a variety of nuts like mac nuts, cashews, brazil nuts, and pecans. At times I substitute the nuts with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
• Instead of Stevia you could add 1 to 2 dates or 2 dried apricots. Some people prefer to sweeten with dried fruits to get extra fiber. One of my favorite sweetners is coconut sugar (also called palm sugar). I add a 1 tbsp.
• Please do not use white sugar or artificial sweetener. Make the milk with as little sweetener as possible. Your body will thank you for it!