Recipe #1: Almond milk

I'm sure many of you know that cow's milk is an excellent source for calcium and can prevent osteoporosis. Well, in theory: yes. In practice: not so much.

Studies suggest, that the lactose in milk may contribute to ovarian cancer [1]. Even though more research is needed, given that RA patients are immunodeficient and therefore their immune systems are less able to kill cancerous cells, I prefer to err on the side of caution. Also, and more importantly for people on corticosteriods, which reduce bone mass, milk may actually be the cause of osteoporosis [2, 3].

Moreover, a Swedish study suggest a vegan and gluten-free diet can help improve symptoms of RA [4]. That's why instead of cow's milk I usually drink almond milk. In the study they provided the participants with sesame milk because of its high calcium content and I might give that a try in the near future. Almond milk is fairly expensive if you buy it in the supermarket (~3,49 € here in Germany, if I'm not mistaken), so I prefer to make it myself.

What you need:

• 100 g almonds 
• 3 dried dates (more or fewer, depending on your sweet tooth :))
• 1 teaspoon of lineseed oil
• 800 ml of warm water

What to do with it:

1. Weigh-in 100 g of almonds and add boiling water (kills off bacteria and funghi, so it will take longer for the milk to spoil) and let them soak over night (be sure to remove the staining on the container where the almonds soaked by hand - dishwashers may not be up to the job (mine isn't))
2. Remove the water and rinse with clear water
3. Add almonds, dates, lineseed oil and salt to the mixer and add enough water to cover the almonds (see picture)
4. Mix for 90 seconds on high. If your mixer isn't as powerful it might take longer.
5. Add the rest of the water. Mix another 90 s (or longer) 
6. You can filter the milk through a cloth (and I recommend it, if you want to use it for coffee or something, because the shredded almonds are still noticable). I'm a) too lazy to do it and b) I only use the milk for dishes where I don't mind the almond "dust"
7.  Bottle the milk and put it in the fridge (I use old milk bottles)

You should shake it before use because the contents sepperate.

If it tastes to watery for you, try adding less water next time.

How do I know when it's not safe to drink anymore? 

Believe me, you will know. As always: If there's a gas build-up, it smells and/or tastes sour, it's spoiled (even though I created yogurt by accident once, so "spoiled" is not necessarily "unsafe").

You can use another oil than lineseed oil, however, I recommend it. Lineseed oil is rich in omega-3-fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and the effects of omega-6-fatty acids (which almonds have a lot of). If your RA does not like linoleic acid, this is not for you.

I'm not sure, dates will work for everyone. My RA doesn't seem to have a problem with them, even though I can't use refined sucrose.