Go Nuts for Nuts!
by Fiona Kirk | 1st September 2014
Many people avoid or limit their consumption of nuts because they believe them to be ‘fattening’ and/or ‘unhealthy’ because they are rich in saturated fats and these fats have merited more than a little bad publicity over the past 20 years or so. But hallelujah, the ‘experts‘ are backing down and at last, admitting that a little saturated fat in our diet is not only good for us but essential for a long and healthy life. And in a nutshell (forgive the pun), where better to get a small but fabulous source of health-enhancing fats, a wealth of vitamins, minerals and protective plant chemicals and an easy and portable snack to keep energy levels optimum than in a nut?
DID YOU KNOW?
Almonds are super-rich in both monounsaturated fats and potassium which both help to regulate blood pressure and keep the heart healthy - have a handful with a piece of fruit as a snack or toast them and sling then into salads for a deliciously-crunchy added extra.
Pistachios are a great source of lutein, a plant chemical which helps to keep our skin healthy and wrinkle-free and our eyes sharp as a hawk - snack on them, bash them up a bit and add them to curries or make pistachio ice cream (addictive!)
Peanuts are not actually nuts, they are part of the pea family but let’s not get too pedantic here. When combined with almonds or brown rice they provide what is known as a ‘complete protein’ and protein is essential for building and repairing the body on a daily basis - fresh is best on the peanut front and to avoid the often-invasive desire to overindulge on the oh-so-morish peanut, go for packs of mixed, fresh nuts where they don’t play a major role.
Walnuts are THE nuts for heart, bone and brain health, principally because they are the only nuts in the nut kingdom that provide Omega 3 fatty acids. Many of us are deficient in Omega 3 fats and as we can’t make them within the body we have to get them from our diet. Just a handful of fresh walnuts per day has been linked with improved health in many studies - add them to your morning cereal mix or for a treat, coat them in a little salt and honey and roast until the smell alone makes you unable to resist eating them straight from the oven!
Pecans are believed to have the greatest antioxidant capacity of all nuts. They contain more than 20 vitamins and minerals and there are few foods that can claim this title. Plants have chemicals that protect themselves from disease and when we consume these antioxidant chemicals we are similarly protected - it’s hard to beat the deliciousness of a pecan tart but if you are watching your waistline, simply snack on them or crush them up and scatter them on all sorts of savoury dishes.
Hazelnuts are rich in folic acid. The body needs folic acid to produce red blood cells and insufficient production of red blood cells results in anaemia. Alongside pine nuts and almonds, they also contain the least amount of saturated fats and whilst saturated fats are essential to hormone health, we only need small daily doses. Snack on them or slather hazelnut butter on a couple of oatcakes when the hunger monster beckons.
Cashews are stress busters. They are packed with magnesium, the smooth operator which, when rich in the diet lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, reduces asthma attacks, counteracts constipation and prevents muscle injury - like peanuts, they are not actually nuts (in this case they are seeds) but call them what you will, their health benefits are hard to argue with so get them into your life!
Brazil Nuts are super-rich in selenium, a mineral that plays an essential role in our defence against disease and which our ancestors didn’t have to think about. However, modern farming methods have seen a depletion of selenium in the soil used to grow crops and deficiency is now common. Selenium is a mineral that we only require in small daily doses and just a handful of brazil nuts per day can up your defences - to get the max from them, make sure your Brazils are fresh, creamy and crunchy rather than tired, brittle and close to their ‘sell by date’.
Fiona Kirk is a nutritionist, a regular contributor to weight-related articles in magazines, newspapers and websites and author of several fat loss books including the recently-published 2 Weeks in the Super Fast Lane - Super Fast Fat Loss for Super Busy People. www.fatbustforever.com
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