Weight Loss and Nutrition Tips: Eat Nuts!

Going Nuts?  Me too.

Going to EAT nuts, that is.  A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who eat nuts twice per week have a reduced chance of becoming overweight or obese compared to women who do not eat nuts.  Watch out, almonds.  Here I come.

Add some nuts to your diet to prevent excess weight gain!

But it’s not just almonds that have healthy lifestyle benefits.  Walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts (filberts), and pistachios come packed with vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, calcium, selenium, copper, and magnesium.  And let’s not forget our faithful peanut.  As my personal favorite legume, peanuts are a good source of B vitamins and help make peanut butter mighty tasty.

So why exactly do nuts help to prevent excess weight gain?  Though some tend to steer away from these crunchy, delicious foods, the unsaturated fat in nuts is actually quite beneficial.  Fat is necessary for the body to absorb certain vitamins and minerals – notably vitamins A, D, E, and K – and these are needed for proper metabolism.   Some scientists also believe that the human body is not necessarily able to process the entire nut (think fiber and indigestible plant material), which results in the absorption of fewer calories.

So add some chopped walnuts to your morning oatmeal.  Grab a handful of almonds for a quick, filling snack.  Or treat yourself to a few apple slices topped with a creamy swirl of peanut butter.  You’ll be getting some great vitamins and minerals as well as enjoying a tasty treat.  Who doesn’t go nuts every now and then?