If you are dairy-free (by choice or necessity), making your own almond milk is a great way to save money and avoid additives. Soak almonds for at least 12 hours  (or refrigerate up to to 2 days) in pure water with ½ tsp sea salt. This is an important step as it breaks down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and cultures beneficial enzymes in the almonds. As a bonus, you can use the leftover almond pulp to make cookies, cakes and bread! photos coco zordan

Nuts and seeds can be a terrific nutrient-dense snack or addition to a meal, but like grains and legumes, they can also contain substances that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrient.

In other words, just because nuts and seeds are considered good sources of protein and nutrients, doesn’t mean your body can absorb these nutrients. Seeds and nuts store phosphorus as phytic acid and it becomes a phytate when it binds to a mineral. In the body, this process can stop nutrients from being absorbed in the digestive system and reduce the digestibility of these foods.