The Truth on Nuts!

Do you enjoy nuts? I do! They have a great crunch and they are healthy! Do you avoid nuts because you have been told that they are high in fat and you need to watch your figure? I have been learning much about nuts that I was unaware of.  One of the things that I have is learned is that Nuts are a very important part of a healthy diet! Nuts actually help you to lose weight not gain it! The fats in nuts also help with brain health, normal hormone production and more! So eat your nuts!! Here are more benefits that nut have besides the healthy fat content…

• Almonds: riboflavin, vitamin E, magnesium

• Brazil nuts: magnesium, selenium, copper

• Cashews: magnesium, copper, plant sterols

• Hazelnuts: vitamin E, copper, manganese

• Macadamia nuts: manganese, plant sterols

• Peanuts: niacin, manganese

• Pecans: copper, manganese

• Pine nuts: magnesium, copper, manganese, plant sterols

• Pistachios: vitamin B6, copper, manganese

• Walnuts: copper, manganese, ALA (an omega-3 fat)

So now that I have shared how great nuts are, now I am going to share with you how to choose nuts that lead to health because NOT all nuts on the market are equal. SO Buyer Beware! The best nuts to buy are raw and organic and sold from a store that stores their nuts in a refrigerated area. Nuts have oils in them that are sensitive to light and heat and can go rancid. If nuts do go rancid then the oils become bad for your health and eaten regularly can lead to inflammation and chronic inflammation leads to other diseases.  The best way to eat nuts to gain all the benefits is to eat raw and organic nut that have been soaked for 6-12 hours. Soaking nuts removes the phytic acids and removes the enzyme inhibitors. This allows you to properly absorb the nuts and to gain all the health benefits nuts hold. So now my goal is to find new ways to enjoy nuts in my food without cooking them like when I add them to breads, muffins, etc.  If you have any suggestions I’d enjoy hearing them. I have found some good ones! like my new favorite chocolate brownie recipe, no cooking required! Choose Life!