Going "Nuts"

Selected Nuts

I love eating nuts: flavoured, salted and raw as I know they are quite healthy. I decided to research a bit on them to know if I am having a lot and what they actually do for the body and if they play any role in weight loss.

Here are a few benefits:

• nuts are great for weight loss as they help maintain satiety due to their high fibre content
• contain good fats which are essential for heart health
• high in vitamins and minerals
• high in protein
• high in anti oxidants: which help protect against cancer
• energy dense, hence high in calories

Owing to their high calorie nature (100g can of peanuts for example can contain up to 500 calories), it is advisable to eat a small handful or serving a day especially if you are on a weight loss programme.

It is advisable to avoid salted or highly flavoured nuts as they contain much calories and sodium. If you feel a small serving is too little for you to eat in a day, why not try out these great options with your nuts, this way you’ll not feel you have missed out on much:

• sprinkle them on your salads
• Add them to your cornflakes, oats, yogurts and any other cereal of your choice.

Some of the healthiest nuts include: cashews, peanuts, almonds, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed, walnuts and sun flower seed.