Healthy Eating World

About 15 years ago scientists were critical of nuts and their place in nutrition. All that was known about them was that they were high in fats and high in calories, so they were written off as a fast way to gain weight and probably were bad for your arteries. Since then, however, we have learned much more about nuts, and better understand how they interact with the body, and the conclusions we have drawn about them are completely different from our previous thoughts.

Yes – nuts contain a lot of fat, and they are relatively loaded with calories considering that they are a plant food. Our understanding of fat has changed, however, and we now know that most of the fat in nuts is polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. These fats aren’t nearly as bad for you as others, aren’t as prone to causing weight gain, and most important of all, actually have the ability to lower your LDL cholesterol levels. In fact, nuts have actually been shown to be extremely good for your heart – modern studies have concluded that a proper daily amount of nuts can lower your chance for developing heart disease by as much as 35%. - Astounding news for a food that was once feared for it’s possible weight gain and destructive cardiovascular effects.

Nuts are plentiful sources of protein. Proteins are necessary for the body’s day-to-day function, and are also difficult to obtain in a vegetarian diet, because most plants only contain pieces of proteins. Nuts, however, are sources of complete proteins, making them a wonderful addition to vegetarian diet, but also ideal for a cardiovascular-minded diet. Unlike meats and other conventional producers of protein, nuts are actually beneficial for the heart instead of being damaging.

Nuts are terrific sources of energy. Protein is an important ingredient for energy, and when combined with the other minerals in nuts make them perfect for providing longer, more constant energy levels. In addition to proteins, nuts also happen to rich in the powerful antioxidants selenium and vitamin E. Anti-oxidants have recently been identified as having powerful anti-aging effects on the body due to their ability to block the damage caused by free-radicals, substances that contribute to early aging.

Which nuts are best? This question still remains unanswered, although it is generally recognized that almonds, cashews and peanuts may be the most beneficial. All nuts, however, have very similar effects on the body. It is recommended that person get 1 – 2 ounces of nuts a day to see the greatest benefit. Any more and the calories simply begin to add up too quickly. The biggest problem with nuts lies within the fact that they can be difficult to put down, but if you can restrain yourself with them just slightly, they are extremely beneficial.

Our understanding of nuts has evolved with our comprehension of food and the body, and where they were once disregarded as a high-fat snack, they are now hailed for their powerful contributions to health. Adding these snacks to your diet in the appropriate amounts can help you achieve higher energy levels, and may greatly reduce your risk for heart disease. Simply understand that they are loaded with calories, and shouldn’t be consumed in large amounts. Also, when adding nuts to your diet, try to use them as a replacement for other foods instead of a simple addition, such as replacing chocolate chips in cookies for nuts.

If you’d like to learn more about health and nutrition, take a look at gochi juice. People everywhere are falling in love with the GoChi goji health juice! Take a look here at Goji GoChi health juice and learn for yourself about it today!

Share This