Diabetics Rejoice!: Make Your Own Low Oxalate, Low Carb Macadamia Nut Flour

Friday, March 5, 2021

Make Your Own Low Oxalate, Low Carb Macadamia Nut Flour

I am a Type 1 diabetic and a kidney stone former. My doctor has recommended a low oxalate diet to prevent (or at least reduce or slow down) the formation of calcium oxalate stones in the future. This new development was a blow to me since I eat a very low carb, ketogenic diet to control my blood glucose, which typically includes a lot of nuts! Almond flour was my go-to alternative to wheat flour and I’ve been living on it for the past 8 years, consuming it almost every day. I was told that all nuts have oxalate, some more than others. I’ve since learned that almonds are the nut that is highest in oxalate content, about 400mg per 1/2 cup of almond flour! (Goodbye almonds.) Macadamia nuts, on the other hand, contain oxalate but at a much lower level, about 32mg per 1/2 cup of raw nuts. I’ve switched from making homemade almond milk to making a macadamia-coconut milk blend and like it even better. The best part is that the leftover solids, after straining the nut milk, give me a beautiful, finely ground macadamia nut flour that can’t be purchased anywhere. One-half cup of my macadamia nut flour weighs 20 grams and only contains 9.5mg of oxalate! Even lower is coconut flour which contains 4.5mg of oxalate per 1/2 cup. By substituting macadamia nut flour for almond flour in recipes really has lightened my oxalate load, while still allowing me to enjoy baking low carb, gluten free treats.

Low Oxalate, Low Carb Macadamia Nut Flour

Makes about 1 cup of flour

1 cup of raw macadamia nuts, soaked overnight

4 cups of water

1. First, make a batch of macadamia nut milk by draining the soaked nuts, then blitzing them with 4 cups of water in a blender on high. This only takes a couple of minutes. Using a nut milk bag or other fine mesh strainer, strain the nut solids from the milk. Add a pinch of salt and a couple of drops of vanilla to your macadamia nut milk and stir. (If desired, add 1-2 drops of monkfruit extract or stevia). Pour the milk into a glass container or quart mason jar and refrigerate. Consume the milk within 5 days.

2. Take the reserved nut solids that have been finely ground and spread them on a cookie sheet in a thin layer. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and then turn it off. Place the cookie sheet into the oven to dry out the nut flour, stirring occasionally and breaking up any clumps. Every once in a while, turn the oven to 200 degrees and let it heat up, but then immediately turn it off, so the oven is warm. You want to dry out the nut flour, not cook it! I usually leave mine in the oven overnight. However long it takes, you want the mixture completely dry.

3. After the nut flour is completely dry, sift it into a fine powder and store in an airtight container or plastic ziplock bag. Store your macadamia nut flour in the refrigerator to assure its freshness. Use within 3 months. You may use this flour in a 1:1 ratio to replace almond flour in any recipe.

The nut flour dried out, but not sifted yet

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup (20 grams): 143.6 calories, 2.8 g carbohydrate (1.7 g dietary fiber, 0.9 g sugars), 15.1 g total fat (2.42 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 17 mg calcium, 73.6 mg potassium, 1.6 g protein. Net carbs per 1/2 cup: 1.1 grams

Total Oxalate per 1/2 cup (20 grams): 9.5 mg; Soluble Oxalate per 1/2 cup: 7.02 mg

No comments:

Post a Comment

More about my experience with Type 2 diabetes:

After experiencing gestational diabetes while pregnant in 1988, it wasn't long before a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was made, and then, much later, I was correctly diagnosed with autoimmune Type 1.5 (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, also known as LADA).

Like many people newly diagnosed, I had to read and learn what diabetes was all about. I did everything my doctor told me to do, took my medication exactly as prescribed, began to exercise more, I consulted with a diabetic nutritionist, I changed my carb-loving lifestyle to within the dietary guideline of my nutritionist and lost some weight. For many years, following the advice of the experts, I managed the disease fairly well. Yet, it concerned me that my need for medication continued to rise steadily, but I was told by my doctor that diabetes is a progressive disease and that what I was experiencing was normal. In a few years of trying diet change, exercise and oral medication alone, I was prescribed insulin to go along with the oral meds. My blood sugars stabilized, but my need for more and more insulin over time to manage good control continued to go slowly and steadily upward, along with my weight. With the larger and larger amounts of insulin (the fat storage hormone), it didn’t take long for me to become obese! I was not pleased because at the rate my need for meds was growing, it appeared that it wouldn't be long before my condition would be too difficult to control.

Finally, I said "enough!" Something had to change! I read The Diet Cure by Julia Ross and began a diet overhaul unlike anything ever suggested by my diabetic team. Two other books I highly recommend are The Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman for a T2 diabetic and Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein for a T1 or any diabetic on insulin. I cut out all white starches and grains from my diet and went 100% sugar free. (No expert had ever suggested I look at the sugar grams in the foods I ate before and I was shocked to discover large amounts hidden in most processed foods, even items not meant to be sweet!) I began to eat mainly fresh vegetables, very small amounts of fruit and only when it's in season (I love summer berries!), plenty of healthy fats and a moderate amount of high-quality protein. I now follow a Ketogenic diet which allows about 20-30 grams of good carbs per day, mainly in the form of non-starchy vegetables. I don't go out often but, when I do, I go to a restaurant where I know I can eat within my diet. By living this lifestyle, I lost over 65 pounds but, more than that, my need for medication grew less and less. I now need only very small amounts of insulin at meals and 4 units of long-acting insulin at bedtime (down from over 25 units when I was eating higher carb). The best part is that I’ve been able to stop all other oral prescription medications, as well! My blood glucose is always steady, in a normal range and hardly ever goes above 100 mg/dl. My A1c is consistently 4.9 or lower. These excellent health outcomes keep me motivated to stick with a keto lifestyle, plus I really enjoy the food!

I am now at my ideal weight and have kept it steady for over six years. My cravings for carbohydrates and my voracious "sweet tooth" are well controlled. I am motivated to cook and have made cooking healthy my #1 hobby. I'm excited about incorporating the alternative flours into my baking so I can occasionally still enjoy a dessert or bread product in my diet. The outlook of managing my diabetes and the future of my health is extremely positive.

If you're reading this and dealing with similar issues, take heart! You can make the necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle to share in this positive outlook, too. Just take it one day at a time, be good to yourself, and do not depend solely on medication. I had to face the fact: There is no "magic pill" out there! Instead, I needed to commit to eating well to heal myself from within. Remember, it's your future and your health; no one can do this for you! You owe it to yourself and your loved ones!

Friday, March 5, 2021

Make Your Own Low Oxalate, Low Carb Macadamia Nut Flour

No comments:

Post a Comment

Diabetics Rejoice!