How To Eat Them Healthfully
Mix them into meals. Peanuts and peanut butter can punch up the flavor and texture of a variety of dishes. You can chop and sprinkle them into salads, stir-fries, sandwiches, and grain bowls or whisk peanut butter into a sauce, smoothie, soup, or dip.
Make smart swaps. Malik and her colleagues from Harvard have found that replacing a daily serving of red meat with nuts can lead to big benefits. We saw a huge benefit for risk of diabetes and of cardiovascular disease, Malik says. Instead of eating a sandwich with processed meat, she says, try spreading peanut butter onto whole-wheat bread.
Do the same with snacks. Theyre crunchy and salty, giving you a satisfaction similar to what youd get from an unhealthier snack without the nutritional pitfalls. Weve seen that if you replace potato chips with nuts, Malik says, theres a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Roast them yourself. When looking for some sweetness without the extra sugar, Harvard Medical School recommends sprinkling peanuts with a little turmeric, cinnamon, or cocoa powder, then roasting them in your oven at 350° F for 15 to 20 minutes.
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Nuts Can Trigger Allergic Reactions
All tree nuts, peanuts and seeds may trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in those with nut allergies.
Unlike many other allergies where children seem to grow out of it, peanut allergies tend to persist into adulthood.
There is no cure for allergies, so if you or your child have a nut or seed allergy, avoid nuts, seeds and foods containing them until you have seen a doctor who specialises in food allergies . They will conduct medically supervised food tests to find out which nuts or seeds you may be allergic to.
Nuts and seeds should be introduced to infants in the form of butters or pastes, to prevent choking. Do not give whole nuts to your child until they are 3 years.
Alternatives To Breakfast Cereals
I tend to alternate between different breakfasts, rather than eating the same thing every day, as it stops me getting bored and also gives me a wider range of nutrients. Although breakfast cereals are really convenient, there are plenty of cholesterol-friendly alternatives that dont take too long to prepare. Here are my favourites:-
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Varieties Of Nuts You Should Be Eating For Your Health
By Eliza
The varieties of nuts you can find at most supermarkets are quite large, which means there is sure to be one or two youâll love. Eating nuts is great for you because they contain lots of nutrients that benefit your health in many ways. Look for them in bulk so you can buy just how much you need or keep a canister in your pantry for a quick snack or cooking ingredient anytime the mood strikes. Check out these varieties of nuts to get yourself started.
What Nuts Contain Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a vitamin that has been discovered as recently as 1926.
However, since then, it has been connected to various health conditions and health levels.
The primary responsibilities of vitamin B12 are to protect the nervous system, keep the blood cells healthy, and create DNA.
When adequately consumed, Vitamin B12 can prevent anemia and combat fatigue.
Vitamin B12 is primarily produced by animals thanks to interactions with certain bacteria.
Since the human body lacks this important bacteria, we cannot produce vitamin B12, and we have to take it from food.
You can find out more about vitamin B12 in the video below:
Animals produce the best B12 quality and quantity, and the best sources of B12 are considered to be fish, eggs, poultry, meat, and dairy.
While some studies look for the presence of B12 in plant-based foods, more research is needed to understand what foods might provide this critical compound.
Nuts, being a minimally-processed, plant-based food, dont contain B12.
However, you might be able to find breakfast foods such as granola and cereals that have been fortified with B12 and include nuts.
Vegans might not like this next point, but the bioavailability of B12 from plant foods and fortified foods is minimal and does not provide the same quality of B12 that animal foods do.
However, some seaweed like chlorella and spirulina can provide a similar quality of B12 that animals do.
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Foods That Fight High Cholesterol
It’s easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. And the reverse is true too changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the composition of the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and “good fats” are all part of a heart-healthy diet. But some foods are particularly good at helping bring down cholesterol.
How? Some cholesterol-lowering foods deliver a good dose of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Others provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. And those with plant sterols and stanols keep the body from absorbing cholesterol. Here are 5 of those foods:
What Foods Are Low In Cholesterol Diet Chart
Freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, and some shellfish are often great options. According to the American Heart Association, eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week is recommended. Good choices include herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna. Others are also good options for lowering cholesterol.
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Reasons To Eat Nuts + Energy Snack Mix
A simple recipe for an Energy Snack Mix to take on-the-go, plus 5 reasons you should enjoy nuts as a snack!
People often ask me if nuts are a good snack option because of the calorie and fat content. The answer is YES! Nuts can be a great healthy snack option and we should enjoy a variety of nuts on a regular basis. With February being Heart Month, theres no better time to talk about the ways nuts can have a positive impact on your heart health!
The Top 9 Nuts To Eat For Better Health
Nuts are healthy snack options.
Though theyre usually high in fat, the fat they contain is a healthy type. Theyre also good sources of fiber and protein.
Many studies have shown that nuts provide various health benefits especially in regards to reducing heart disease risk factors.
Here are 9 impressive nuts and their health benefits.
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Pistachios Help Patients With Metabolic Syndrome
A high triglyceride level and a low HDL cholesterol level are two out of three metabolic risk factors required for your healthcare practitioner to give you a metabolic syndrome diagnosis. The more risk factors you have, the higher your risk for stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Other risk factors include:
- A large “apple-shaped” waistline indicating excess fat in your abdominal area
- High blood pressure, or if you’re taking medication to treat this condition
- High fasting blood sugar, or if you’re taking medication to treat this condition
In a 24-week study of 60 people with metabolic syndrome published in the journal Nutrition, researchers prescribed a standard diet and exercise protocol to all participants and added unsalted pistachios as 20 percent of caloric intake for half of them.
The pistachio-eating group showed a statistically significant improvement in comparison to the control in several parameters, including:
- Total cholesterol
- Fasting blood glucose
Does Peanut Butter Have Cholesterol
Dr. Bruemmer says theres no real cholesterol content in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich so, again, peanut butter in moderation is okay. A little bit of peanut butter isnt the worst thing, he adds.
But while that may bring you a sigh of relief, it doesnt mean that there arent other aspects of the snack spread that make it unhealthy, especially in larger amounts.
Most people dont consume just a little bit, though, he continues. For many people, theyll take a spoon and suddenly half the jar is gone. A two-tablespoon serving of peanut butter has a couple of grams of saturated fats but when you eat half the jar, that becomes an issue.
Peanut butter does typically have a good amount of both saturated and unsaturated fats. Its highly dense with salt and its high in calories, he adds, and I think the calories and sugar would be more of what I would be concerned about. Major store-bought brands can also contain hydrogenated oil or palm oil, molasses and high fructose corn syrup.
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Nuts And Cholesterol Lowering Studies
Before committingto 4 Brazil nuts every month, a different studyshowedthat Brazil nuts dont do much to improvecholesterol numbers. In a situation like this, which study do you believe?
As these were the only two studies I could find on Brazil nuts and cholesterol, we need to expand the search. Fortunately, whenyou pool the results of 61 different cholesterol nut studies, all nuts have been shown to improve cholesterol numbers. Thus, Brazil nuts are probably helpful for people struggling with cholesterol challenges.
Foods Rich In Unsaturated Fats
Cutting down on saturated fat and replace some of it with unsaturated fats is great way to lower your cholesterol. Foods which contain unsaturated fats include:
- vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, corn, rapeseed, nut and seed oils
- avocado, nuts and seeds
- a medium sized vegetable such as a turnip, parsnip, sweet potato, leek, tomato or carrot
- a medium sized fruit for example, an apple, orange or banana
- 2 small fruits such as plums or satsumas
- a handful of berries or grapes and other small fruits like strawberries and prunes
- a good-sized slice of a larger fruit such as a melon, mango or pineapple
- a tablespoon of dried fruit
- a 150ml glass of fruit juice
- a bowl of salad
Fruits and vegetables can be fresh, tinned, frozen or dried. They all count. If you choose tinned, choose options in juice or water, without added sugar or salt.
Potatoes, yams, cassava and plantains are exceptions. They dont count because they count as a starchy food, like rice or pasta.
Unsweetened fruit juice and smoothies count too, but only one portion. More than one doesnt count because the loose sugar and acid in them can damage your teeth.
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How High Cholesterol Can Damage Your Health
Cholesterol is a waxy substance, and the body needs small amounts of it to function properly. This problem occurs when the level of bad cholesterol in the blood rises and remains high for a long time. This waxy substance can clog and harden arteries, leading to heart attacks and strokes. That is why it is recommended that you keep your total cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter.
What Nuts Are High In Fiber
Aside from being a source of unsaturated fats, nuts are packed with other nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that make them a vital ingredient for your diet.
In particular, nuts are exceptionally high in fiber.
Fiber is carbohydrates that the body cannot break down into sugar molecules and pass through the stomach undigested.
Thanks to this property, fiber helps the body regulate and use sugars.
Fiber is essential for your digestive systems health, so you need to eat enough fiber-rich foods for a healthy lifestyle, which include fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and cereals.
All nuts are high in fiber compared to other foods.
Check out the fiber content of a handful of nuts :
- Hazelnuts 2.9g
- Almonds 3.5g
- Pistachios 2.9g
Of course, since you should only include about a handful of nuts a day, you should also eat other low-calorie foods such as vegetables.
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Can Cashews Make You Have High Cholesterol
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Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death among Americans, and high levels of certain blood fats is a major contributor. So, it’s smart to limit your intake of foods that raise levels of bad cholesterol in your blood. You’ve no doubt heard that saturated fat raises bad cholesterol, and, with cashews containing saturated fat, you may find yourself wondering what effect they have on your cholesterol levels. The good news? There’s less reason to worry than you might think.
How To Include Nuts And Seeds In Your Diet
Different types of nuts have slight differences in their vitamin and mineral content, so eating a variety of nuts will increase your levels of various nutrients. Tips on how to make nuts and seeds a part of your diet include:
- Instead of snacking on biscuit or piece of cake as a snack, have a handful of raw or dry roasted nuts.
- Combine nuts and seeds with low-energy dense foods . This is a good way to enhance vegetable-based meals such as in Asian-style dishes or added to a salad.
- If you are vegan or vegetarian, nuts and seeds are a good protein substitute for meats, fish and eggs. They also contain fat, iron, zinc and niacin. You may need more than 30 grams of nuts and seeds a day to ensure adequate protein.
- Eat them with vitamin C rich foods and add them to drinks to boost your iron absorption.
- There is no need to soak or remove the skin of nuts unless you prefer the flavour and texture of soaked nuts. In fact, the skin of nuts is high in phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Roasting nuts enhances their flavour but has little impact on their fat content. This is because nuts are physically dense and cannot absorb much oil, even if they are submerged in it. Most nuts only absorb 2% of extra fats.
- Salted nuts are not recommended due to their higher sodium content especially if you have high blood pressure. Save salted nuts for parties and make raw and unsalted roasted nuts your everyday choice.
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What Nuts Are Highest In Protein
Proteins are the essential building blocks of our body and are crucial for the bodys proper development and functions.
However, there has been confusion regarding how much protein to consume for a healthy lifestyle as an increasing number of people resort to protein shakes and high-protein foods to ensure they consume the proper intake.
Nonetheless, studies have found that the right amount of protein is around 0.7 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.
In particular, nuts are foods that are high in protein and essential minerals, and vitamins.
They are easy to add to your diet, versatile, and extremely healthy.
In the list below, you can find the nuts with the most significant amount of protein for one serving :
- Almonds: 7g
Healthy Eating Tips To Lower Cholesterol
As well as sticking to a varied and healthy diet, try these tips to help you manage your cholesterol:
- Limit takeaway foods to once a week .
- Limit salty, fatty and sugary snack foods to once a week .
- Eat plenty of vegetables aim for 5 serves of vegetables every day. .
- Choose wholegrain breads, cereal, pasta, rice and noodles.
- Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit .
- Include legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, split peas), beans into at least two meals a week. Check food labels and choose the lowest sodium products.
- Use spreads and margarines made from healthy unsaturated fats instead of those made with saturated fat .
- Use healthy oils for cooking some include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive , sesame and peanut oils.
- Use salad dressings and mayonnaise made from oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean, olive , sesame and peanut oils.
- Include 2 or 3 serves of plant-sterol-enriched foods every day .
- Have 2 to 3 portions of oily fish every week. Fish may be fresh, frozen or canned.
- Include up to 7 eggs every week.
- Select lean meat and limit unprocessed red meat to less than 350g per week.
- Choose reduced fat, no added sugar milk, yoghurt, or calcium-added non-dairy food and drinks.
- Limit or avoid processed meats including sausages and deli meats .
If you are having trouble with your cholesterol levels, a dietitian can help you to eat healthily for your specific needs.
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