It's not what you think, so get your mind out of the gutter! Nuts are a great snack if you are trying to lose weight and stay energized. Often times, when we are trying to eat right and stick to a healthy diet regimen, we tend to forget to have our snacks in between meals. Nuts are easy to snack on because they provide different types of proteins and healthy fats. These specific fats help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and not to mention they are just plain yummy! By combining a variety of nuts into your diet you will be adding many different vitamins and minerals as well as protecting cells with their antioxidant power. Nuts are perfect for snacking because they curb your appetite since they have high fiber and protein content. Since nuts have concentrated plant proteins it makes it healthier than eating animal protein and it makes for a great substitute for some meats. Protein requires more energy to burn so by eating nuts you will actually be burning more calories. Nuts also contain important amino acids such as Arginine and Tryptophan. Tryptophan helps stimulate seratonin levels in the brain which helps fight depression and promote a more relaxed mood. Arginine has many benefits such as helping reduce blood pressure levels,releasing more hormones in the pituatary gland and boosting the immune system. My favorite nuts are pistachio nuts and almonds. Both of which are loaded with vitamins and minerals that do my body good. I normally buy snack size packs to carry in my purse for when I'm out and about. I keep them at my desk while I am working at home. They prevent me from getting up and going to the refrigerator looking for snacks that may be loaded in sugars and saturated fats. The reason nuts are my snack of choice is because they curb my appetite and boost my internal energy. They also have a meaty and hardiness about them that make me feel full. So go ahead and put some nuts in your mouth and enjoy total bliss!
By: Cheryl Mullin
Check out this site about the benefits of nuts: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com
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Very good news to me I loved them! However I can eat them all.... so what would be the best size serving while trying to loose weight and attending to your bootcamp classes.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind to always read the label which will tell you the serving size. It may say 15 nuts= 1 serving so count out 15 nuts. The best rule of thumb is not to eat more than a handful. I hope this helps :-)
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