The Wonderful World of Walnuts
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Quick Facts: Walnuts
Quick Facts: Walnuts
- Walnuts may date as far back as the Neolithic period—more than 8,000 years ago.4
- The Romans called walnuts “Jupiter’s royal acorn” or Juglans regia.4
- Remains of well-preserved walnuts were unearthed in the ruins of Pompeii.4
- In the 16th and 17th centuries, the medical profession adopted the Doctrine of Signatures that assigned remedies to natural sources based on their resemblance to different body parts. Because of the walnut’s resemblance to the brain and heart, it was thought to help those parts of the body, and today’s research proves this to be true.4
- It would take more than one billion in-shell walnuts laid end-to-end to go around the Equator one time.5
- Recipe: Vineyard Waldorf Salad
Recipe: Vineyard Waldorf Salad
From Chef Mike Terry at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula, California
Makes 2 servings, 210 calories, 20 grams of fat
Salad ingredients:
1 Gala apple, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1⁄2 cup toasted walnuts, crushed
1⁄2 cup dates, diced
3 Butter lettuce leaves
3 Red Belgium endive leaves
Waldorf dressing ingredients:
1⁄2 cup crème fraiche
1⁄2 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup dates
1⁄2 cup salad oil
1⁄3 cup sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, blending well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine apples, celery, grapes, walnuts and dates.
3. Pour dressing over ingredients, and mix until everything is combined.
4. Serve in lettuce leaves, garnish with endive and enjoy.
- Treatment How-to: Honeysuckle Ginger Dew Treatment
Treatment How-to: Honeysuckle Ginger Dew Treatment
From Springs Eternal Spa at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa in Bedford Falls, Pennsylvania
The Springs Eternal Spa is a full-service, 30,000-square-foot destination spa centered on the healing waters of the Eternal Spring, one of eight natural springs surrounding the property. The spring was discovered during the resort’s renovation, and its waters are used throughout the spa and resort. The Springs Eternal Spa offers luxurious accommodations for treatments, therapies, fitness and relaxation-oriented pursuits.
Treatment duration: 50 minutes
Treatment cost: $105
Supplies needed:
Black walnut scrub
Honeysuckle and cucumber root lotion
Cucumber root hydrating mist
Equipment needed:
Sheets
Towels
Warm aquatic pillows
Wet table
Shower (stand-in or Vichy)
Step 1: Make sure the treatment room is very warm. Place heated aquatic pillow on top of the wet table, as well sheets and towels. The room setup should mirror your spa’s normal wet treatment table setup.
Step 2: Greet the client, explain the service and ask whether they have any health concerns. Women who are pregnant should not have this treatment, and contraindications for traditional massage apply.
Step 3: Lead the client to the wet room and explain that, during the time you are out of the room, she should remove her clothing and get under the bath sheet on the wet table lying face up.
Step 4: After re-entering the room, the service should start with a quick check of the water temperature across the feet using a handheld shower.
Step 5: Wet the front of the body and, using your hands, lather black walnut scrub on the client with light, massaging strokes. This exfoliates the skin, leaving it re-energized and silky smooth once rinsed.
Step 6: Help the client turn over by lifting the sheet for privacy, and then continue the scrub on the back of the body. The total application time of the scrub is 20 minutes.
Step 7: Exchange the wet drape for a new warm, dry bath sheet, and dry off the client.
Step 8: Next, apply honeysuckle and cucumber root lotion from limb to limb using long, relaxing strokes.
Step 9: Finally, spritz the body with cucumber root hydrating mist for an energizing finish to the service.
By: Cathy Christensen
Posted: August 26, 2009, from the September 2009 issue of Skin Inc. magazine.
At the edge of the fence in the far back corner of my parents’ yard—a yard mainly consumed by a big white garage and a vegetable garden, and adorned with colorful flowers in the summer—sits a majestic black walnut tree.
My brother and I spent many summer evenings leaning against its scratchy bark, sweaty hands covering our eyes, counting to 20 for raucous games of hide-and-seek with the neighborhood kids. And the squirrels that inhabited the sprawling monstrosity loved to play the same game with our miniature dachshund Daisy. To this day, the tree drops green-husked walnuts every other spring, to the irritation of my father, who stoops to pick up each one, dropping them in a plastic bucket making a hollow thump with each. Having never worked to remove the nuts from their green coating, we never took advantage of the incredible super food growing in our own backyard.
Walnuts have earned this prestigious honor because they are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a special type of protective fat that the body doesn’t manufacture naturally, and the potential health benefits include cardiovascular protection, better cognitive function and anti-inflammatory results.1 There are three main types of commonly consumed walnuts: English, White and Black. The English walnut is the most popular type in the United States due to its thinner shell and pleasant flavor.1 Brimming with richness, walnuts can be used in a variety of dishes, including in breads, desserts, salads, paninis, and with various meats, in stuffings and with multiple types of cheeses.
In the kitchen
This healthy nut is also a tasty treat, with its mellow, earthy flavor complementing many dishes and becoming a favorite of many palettes. Spa chefs use this crunchy delight in many different ways.
At Portland, Oregon’s The Dragontree Holistic Day Spa, the Lincoln Panini combines walnuts with pear, spinach, chevre and olive oil, while the Desiree Panini includes turkey, brie and walnuts. At New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York, the Lentil Walnut Loaf with Leek-Pear Puree is served as an entree; and Spicy Chicken and Walnut Lettuce Wraps can be enjoyed at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas. Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in San Diego offers a Tarragon Walnut Wild Rice Salad with Chicken; and Orange Walnut Bread is a delicious breakfast treat at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Also, check out the tempting recipe for Vineyard Waldorf Salad from Chef Mike Terry of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula, California.
In the spa