Benefits of Nuts in your Diet
Nuts are a great addition to your diet as part of any weight loss plan. These nutritional powerhouse foods are sadly overlooked. This is a shame, since nuts provide antioxidants, fiber, protein and unsaturated fats. You can find a variety of nuts in any Maple Grove grocery or health food store. Read more about the benefits of nuts below:
- Almonds are filled with fiber. When you are wondering how to lose weight, extra fiber intake is one of the answers. High fiber foods keep you feeling full longer, so, you eat less throughout the day.
- Pecans are rich in antioxidants. These antioxidants protect against cancer, and also help your heart health. Eighteen pecan halves have about 200 calories, so they make a great mid-afternoon snack.
- Macadamia nuts should be eaten in moderation since they pack more calories than any other nut. However, they are also the highest in heart-protecting monounsaturated fats. Try a handful of chopped macadamias sprinkled over your salad at lunch.
- Hazelnuts’ high levels of monounsaturated fats can help manage diabetes. They are also high in vitamin E, which protects against dementia, makes your skin healthy and prevents cataracts.
- Want to eat a lot of nuts at once? Pistachios are your pick. Each nut has just four calories. Plus, the shell slows your pace, which helps in making sure you don’t overeat. These nuts are packed with potassium, which helps you build muscle. Lean muscle mass is important because it helps increase your metabolism and help you burn fat to take off extra weight.