For vital health and a lean body, nuts pack a huge nutritional punch. Here’s the which, when and how to get them into your diet to reap not just some but all of the benefits.
Why are nuts essential for a healthy, working body?
- Nuts are a rich source of protein which provides the framework for every cell in the body and are essential for their daily repair and regeneration.
- Nuts are rich in fibre which keeps our intestines working comfortably and helps prevent disease.
- Nuts are rich in phytonutrients, plant chemicals that protect us from attack by environmental toxins and threatening viruses.
- Nuts are rich in antioxidants which prevent damage to body cells and boost our defences.
- Nuts are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which raise levels of good cholesterol (HDLs) and lower levels of bad cholesterol (LDLs), helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Nuts are high in plant sterols, substances that prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream, increasing the above risks.
Which nuts are best?
The fresher the nut, the greater the benefits. If you have ever had the good fortune to pick a nut straight from a tree, cracked it open and hoovered it down you will know that they smell fresh and nutty and have a lovely creamy taste. For speed and convenience we tend to buy ready-packaged, shelled nuts which have often been harvested some months before and sit on the shelf overly-long so you have to be a bit of a nut detective to get the best out of them.
Price is always a good indicator. The freshest and most nutritious nuts have had limited processing and have a shorter shelf life which makes them more expensive so good health shops and the speciality section of supermarkets are your best bet. But here’s a good tip. Head straight to the bargain shelves where you will often find top-notch nuts at knock-down prices because their sell-by date is perilously close.
Don’t get hung up on the health benefits of specific nuts. Little, often and varied works. Yes, walnuts are richest in Omega 3 fats, Brazil nuts offer the highest levels of selenium, almonds are the richest source of vitamin E and pecans are known to contain the highest levels of saturated fat so consumption should be monitored but focussing on just one or two types gets boring and repetitive and getting your nut fix becomes a chore rather than a pleasurable, energising and health-enhancing experience.
How many, how often and how to fit them into your day
If you train/exercise daily (or at least 4-5 times a week) include fresh nuts, nut butters and nut oils in your daily diet but stick with the small and often mantra and where possible marry them with other nutritious foods to ensure you feed body, brain, bones, muscles and the nervous system with the full package of essential nutrients to keep you strong, avoid injury and beat off bugs and viruses. Here are a few suggestions for a nut-friendly day:-
Breakfast
- Bowl of porridge topped with sliced apple or pear, a small handful of shelled pistachios, a pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.
- A quick fruit smoothie: blend some frozen mixed berries with nut milk and sip alongside a couple of slices of rye toast with ham/cheese.
- If you are in a rush or breakfasting on the way to work go for a soya latte, a couple of pieces of fresh fruit and a small bag of mixed nuts and seeds.
Mid morning and Mid afternoon
- A couple of oatcakes spread with nut butter and topped with sliced cucumber or tomato.
- A bean, carrot or lentil salad with a small handful of pine nuts thrown on top.
- A small bowl of almond-stuffed olives
Lunch
- It’s hard to beat soup and salad if you are at the desk or in a rush. Just make sure you have some nut oil to hand and either drizzle it on the soup or the salad or both (walnut oil is particularly delicious and you don’t need much to turn an ok lunch into a delicious feast!)
- If you are lunching-out, have a handful of fresh nuts on the way to the restaurant to control hunger and ensure you don’t overdose on the bread basket.
Dinner
- A good portion of protein (lean meat, fish, shellfish, tofu) with a colourful mix of vegetables, cooked or raw either drizzled with nut oil or topped with toasted nuts and if you have been training before you eat add a portion of brown rice, couscous, quinoa or a baked sweet potato to replenish your carbohydrate-hungry muscles.
Fiona Kirk, qualified nutritionist and author.
Fiona’s goal is to cut through the confusion that is being hurled at us from all sides and give us both the knowledge and the tools to make a few changes.
By writing articles for the press, writing books (2 to date) and giving talks, Fiona has discovered that her somewhat cynical take on some of the nonsense being touted around has struck a chord with her audiences.
Fiona is the author of ‘So What The F*** Should I Eat?’ and ‘2 Weeks in the Fast Lane’.
To purchase her books at the special reader offer price visit www.fionakirkbooks.com and quote the following at checkout:
Ref: SS212 for ‘So What The F*** Should I Eat? (£12 plus p+p)
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Offer ends 30 April 2012
