Remember visiting family and friend’s homes during the holiday season, and seeing those daunting bowlsof “mixed” nuts with the nut cracker not far away? I know I was never really sure exactly what they were, orif they were simply a decoration. .It didn’t seem that people actually ate them. As it turns out one of the mostunexpected nutritional discoveries of the 1990s was that the frequent eating of nuts appeared to dramaticallyimprove health. In particular, nut eating greatly lowers the risk of heart disease. Researchers reported that thosepeople eating nuts daily had up to 60% fewer heart attacks than those who ate nuts less than once per month.Prior to the publication of these results, nutritional advice had usually been to minimize nut consumption on thegrounds that they were a “fatty” food. So what are the healthiest nuts to consume, and why?
Incorporating a variety of nuts into your diet provides a great source of protein as well yields numerousnutritional and health benefits. Nuts are excellent sources of protein, fiber, minerals, healthy mono-unsaturatedfats, vitamin E and omega-3 essential fatty acids..Consuming nuts has shown to lower the risk of heart disease, lower “LDL” (bad) cholesterol, and aids inreducing body fat and managing body composition. Consuming a small quantity of nuts between or prior tomeals helps reduce hunger and increases the feeling of satiety, thus reducing the incidence of over eating.
What are Our Top 4 Healthiest Nuts to Consume?
Almonds
Almonds are a rich source of magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, calcium, vitamin E (an anti-oxidant)and selenium. Containing high levels of healthy monounsaturated fats, almonds help in reducing cholesterollevels and improving cardiovascular health.
Walnuts
Walnuts are highly revered for being a great source of omega-3 essential fatty aids. These fatty acids have beenshown to yield numerous health benefits: protecting the heart, improving cognitive function, and reducinginflammatory effects of asthma, eczema, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Walnuts contain ellagic acid, anantioxidant compound that provides cancer-fighting and immune system boosting properties.
Pecans
Pecans contain an abundance of nutrients (over 19 minerals and vitamins) including folic acid, vitamin A,calcium, magnesium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, vitamin B and zinc. Like almonds and walnuts,pecans provide heart-healthy properties by reducing total blood cholesterol, reduce LDL cholesterol, and createclearer arterial flow
Cashews
Cashews are rich in magnesium, copper, iron, zinc and biotin. Cashews contain the lowest percentage of fatscompared to most nuts and provide high levels of oleic acid (about 50% of the total fat in cashews), the same fatfound in olive oil.
Other notable nuts that provide nutritional benefits and healthy sources of fats: Brazil nuts, (also loaded withselenium), Filberts (hazelnuts), Peanuts, Chestnuts, Pistachios and Macadamias.
Let’s not forget Peanut Butter, with enviable amounts of protein, fat, and fiber to help fill you up, and keep youfull longer. All this adds up to an almost perfect snack for dieters to fight cravings and stay on track.
Introducing nuts into your diet can be effortless and bring a new dimension of favor and texture to your recipesand meals. Nuts can be added to cereals, baked items like muffins and breads, dairy items like yogurt and cottagecheese, chopped an added to salads, pastas, or just as in-between meal snacks. In the majority of dietary studies,approximately one ounce, (about a small palm full), per day is the minimal amount needed to provide statisticallysignificant benefits
Sadly, there are some unfortunates who are allergic to nuts. For the rest of us, it’s time to go nuts, and startcracking!
~ Eat well ~ Be well ~
by Kristine Ladau
Teaching Hatha Yoga at the Golf/Country Club
9:00am Monday’s and Wednesday’s.
