The Incredible, Edible…Nut? Part 1

Just a handful of nuts a day can go a long way these days. Challenge yourself this year and trade away those unhealthy snacks for nuts, or if you happen to be allergic to nuts then choose a healthier route such as fruits or yogurt. In previous blogs I have boasted about the straight healthiness of nuts but a recent article published on MSNBC set the record straight. As long as you follow the Mediterranean diet guidelines which are “rich in fruit, vegetables and fish” and eat a handful of nuts for an entire year, there is proof that you may be able to “help undo a collection of risk factors for heart disease.” Interestingly enough, researchers discovered through their studies that an addition of nuts into an individual’s diet worked better than “boosting the olive oil in a typical Mediterranean diet.”

I’m a huge fan of olive oil; when I’m cooking eggs, sautéing vegetables on the saucepan, or replacing butter or margarine, and then I’m using olive oil. I pretty much use olive oil on a regular basis. Regardless of nuts being proved to be more beneficial in this situation, both “regimens cut the heart risks knows as metabolic syndrome” in the majority of people than a “low-fat” diet would. My Aunt, located in the UK, always encouraged me to munch on nuts and since 2004 when I last saw her, I began to eat a variety of nuts on a more consistent basis and I did notice the benefits; I didn’t realize how beneficial they were until I started to do more research on them and after I started feeling more energetic and healthier.


The most surprising finding that these researchers discovered was that fact that there appeared to be “substantial metabolic benefits” with weight loss and calorie reduction. Results and Improvements that showed in individuals were told to eat about “three whole walnuts, seven or eight whole hazelnuts and seven or eight whole almonds” and these individuals noticed an improvement in their cholesterol, blood pressure and their appearance. These individuals did not particularly lose weight but they did find that there was a reduction in their belly fat. This is a pretty sweet deal, and this study does not even include any factor of exercising, just the finding of eating healthier. If you can commit to changing just minor eating habits you too can see these types of results, why not give yourself a challenge and try this today. Look out for our week long blogs about the benefits and continuing research on the healthiness of the incredible, edible ‘nut.’





Reference: [1] The Associated Press. “A nutty diet may cut heart disease risk.” Msnbc, 8 Dec. 2008. .