Nutty Nuts
Nuts have other goodness in them that are worth a mention. They contain proteins and dietary fiber and essential minerals such as potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. They also contain the much needed vitamins for our body such as Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), folate and vitamin B6.
Apart from all these benefits to support the intake of nuts their taste is another big appealing factor. Nuts are indeed a very delicious snack to have raw as well as salted and roasted. Some of the enticing varieties of nuts available in the supermarkets are almonds, cashews, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecan nuts, pistachios and many more. Nuts are also very filling and thus great to have in between meals. If you are working for instance, it is always a great idea to have a handful of nuts with you on your desk at work. Always choose nuts over other junk food. They are not only filling and low in saturated fats, but are also energy packed to give you the energy that you require to carry out your daily tasks.
However, it is essential to make sure that you do not have any allergy to nuts. Some people, in particular, have allergy to peanuts. Be careful to avoid those nuts that you are allergic to, and you can still enjoy the benefits of the other nutty varieties!
Article written by Mona Saikumar
Dated: 05 March 2012.
Many recent studies have proved that consuming nuts on a regular basis can bring bountiful benefits to your health and well-being. Yet many avoid consuming this, especially the highly weight conscious, not because of its taste or affordability, but due to the false belief that nuts are fattening and consuming them would lead to significant weight gain.
Though it is true that nuts contain a lot of fat, many miss the actual point that nuts in general contain more unsaturated than saturated fats. For all weight watchers, it is very essential to be aware of the distinction between saturated and unsaturated fats. Succinctly, without getting into a long science lecture, fats in general contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The difference between saturated and unsaturated fats comes in the manner in which these atoms are arranged within the molecule. A single bond of carbon with as many hydrogen atoms as possible is the makeup saturated fat molecule and this chemical makeup is not exactly health friendly. Saturated fats are known to increase cholesterol levels in the blood and are known to be detrimental for heart. It is also the consumption of these saturated fats that leads to an increase in weight.
Unsaturated fats molecules, on the other hand, have double bond between the carbon atoms and have the capacity to absorb more hydrogen atoms. These fats are also known as “good” fats and come in the form of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Many studies have proven that nuts contain a rich source of these two types of unsaturated fatty acids and thus their regular consumption helps in the prevention of coronary heart disease and diabetes. As well, intake of nuts in fact helps in controlling weight gain due to the fact that they contain a high level of unsaturated fats.
