Nuts - Are They Beneficial For Your Health?

For too long, nuts have been shunned from diets because they contain fat. On the contrary, nuts are actually good for you! Nuts contain many, many nutrients that are must for achieving optimum health. So, before you think that skipping out on nuts is okay, read on to know more:

Nuts and your health:

Nuts contain fibre, protein, copper, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats. They are also packed with antioxidant phytochemicals. Thus, nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients that can greatly lower the danger of heart diseases. They also have been found to reduce bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Also, nuts can prevent your arteries from hardening.

Nuts and your diet:

Nuts are filling, nutritious and delicious, which is what every dieter wants them in their diet. In fact, if you want to stay loyal to your diet, nuts could prove to be very helpful. The fibre and fat content in nuts is filling, curbing your hunger and making you eat less. Studies have found out that because of this quality of nuts, people did lose weight when they incorporated nuts in their diet. It also helped them stick to their diets for a long time.

Portion control:

Nothing is good in excess, and sometimes too much of a good thing can end up harming you. Just because nuts are healthy, it doesn’t mean one should overindulge. Like every food, nuts too contain calories. The math is simple - too much nuts equals extra calories. It is always better to control portion. While nuts are rich in dietary fibre and monounsaturated fats, you need to make sure you don’t eat them blindly.

Eating amnesia, where you don’t pay attention to what you’re eating, is common when it comes to nuts. When you eat nuts by a handful, chances are you don’t pay attention as you reach for that third or fourth serving. This adds to your calorie count. The best way to avoid eating amnesia is to control your portion. Pre-portion your nuts in bags, or grab a handful and stow away the rest.

Tips:

Here are a few tips on how you can include nuts in your diet, and control their portions:

1. Add nuts to your cold or hot cereal for a wholesome breakfast
2. Scatter some almonds over yoghurt for a quick snack
3. Add some peanuts to level up your frozen yoghurt
4. Add nuts to muffins, waffles, pancakes or bread
5. Flavour your steamed vegetables with some nuts