So small and, yet, so powerful.
Just a handful of nuts as a daily snack can help to maintain a high-quality, nutrient-full and well-balanced diet. The little guys are far more powerful than we think they are…
Try and incorporate more nuts into your diet. Mix it up for your taste-buds and make sure your body is getting the optimum amounts of nutrients on offer. Snack on a variety of nuts and seeds as they all contain different vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.
Try and choose nuts in their most natural state, without added oils or salt.
Nuts are nutritional powerhouses, but some can be quite high in calories. The Harvard Men’s Health Watch magazine advises that if you add nuts to your diet, you may want to cut back on something else. Substitute a packet of crisps or a bar of chocolate with the nutty snack as opposed to adding them to your daily diet.
The healthiest choices include:
Almonds
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Peanuts
Pistachios
Walnuts
And here are some good reasons as to why you should add them to your diet:
Nuts can accelerate weight loss…
The fibre-rich snack can give us the “I’m full” feeling, staving off any cravings we might have to snack more.
Nuts can make us happy…
MindBodyGreen’s Matthew Lovitt says eating nuts can stimulate serotonin production, which provides feelings of wellbeing and happiness. What better reason to snack on some…
Nuts can improve our heart’s health…
Eating nuts has been proven to decrease “bad” cholesterol, which lowers the risk of heart disease. The folks at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health have examined the effect of eating nuts on cardiovascular health. Their study showed that nuts are, in fact, very healthy, especially for men at risk of heart disease.
Nuts can provide us with some essential omega-3s…
Walnuts, pecans and pine nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve memory. Also, these omega-3s are particularly healthy for vegetarians as very few plant sources contain this essential fatty acid.
Nuts can manage insulin and diabetes…
MindBodyGreen’s Matthew Lovitt says that consuming mixed nuts in exchange for carbohydrates has been reported to greatly improve blood glucose levels in individuals with Type II Diabetes.
Nuts are packed full of fibre…
Fibre helps to slow digestion, which helps you feel full longer. This translates into eating less, which over time can lead to weight loss. Fibre can also help decrease cholesterol.
What’s not to like about nuts?!
