Find me on Facebook:
If you want to fast-track your personal power, take care of your body first. Use Erleen’s insights, experience, and advice to enjoy great health – the REAL foundation for success!
NUTS – Fat and High-Calorie or Nutritious?
For many years we have been told to avoid fat, and because nuts are high in fat, many often avoid eating them. However, recent research and a decision made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tell us that eating nuts such as walnuts and almonds on a regular basis may be a way to reduce cardiovascular disease as well as promote weight loss.
Also, a study recently compared a diet of two different groups. One ate a low-fat diet with diet shakes and bars, plus fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The second group ate raw nuts, plus fruits, vegetables and whole grains – having a much higher fat calorie intake. Interestingly enough, the second group lost more weight.
Studies also show that raw walnuts and almonds eaten daily can:
* lower high cholesterol levels
* improve cardiac function
* reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
* improve nutrition in the diet so consumers eat less
* provide the body with essential omega-3 oils
However, it’s important to remember two things though:
1) Eat raw nuts in moderation. Bowlfuls daily will not service you – but a handful or so twice daily is very beneficial.
2) Nuts should be eaten raw. When raw they are full of nutrition and fiber, while roasted nuts have a toxic effect. When roasted, the structure of the nut changes in the heat process which actually causes a separation of oil and makes it into a form unusable to the body.
To see this with your own eyes, take a handful of raw almonds and place them in a kitchen blender with a cup of water; blend on high for 1 minute. What you will get is great tasting, nourishing white nut milk. On the other hand, take a handful of roasted almonds and again place them in the blender with a cup of water; blend on high for 1 minute. What you will get now is muddy-looking, nasty-tasting water, and if allowed to set for a while, oil will separate and rise to the top. This is the way the body recognizes the raw and roasted nuts too – the raw are nourishing, the roasted are toxic fat!
So enjoy eating raw nuts all year long. Include them in your daily diet, and remember that the fat in nuts is the good kind that you need.