Dubai: They are not the first choice of food for many people but they need to be. It’s good to go a bit nutty every day.
Eating a handful of nuts on a daily basis is good for your health because they are packed with nutrients, a variety of vitamins, protein and fibre.
“Many nuts are rich in good fats which helps reduce risk of heart disease, controls bad cholesterol and helps manage diabetes,” says Yasmine Haddad, senior dietician at Live’ly.
Apart from nuts, seeds, like pumpkin, watermelon and sunflower, are rich in skin-friendly Vitamin E. They also have good fats such as Omega-3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help fight heart disease.
Walnuts, for example, are good for the development of the brain cells, says Haddad.
Nuts are also free from sugar and help control hypertension.
“The protein and fibres in nuts helps digestion and growth of body muscle.”
Though nuts and seeds possess many good qualities, most people still tend to shy away from them, says Haddad because they fear the calorie count. But the calories come from a healthy source of fat as compared to other fatty foods that are rich in bad fats.
In almonds, for example, even the skin is highly beneficial.
“It is good for relieving constipation and for easing gastro-intestinal problems,” says Haddad. Many people prefer to eat almonds skinned, or soaked in water for a few hours. Both are all right as they help soften the protein but it’s best to eat almonds with skin on.
How many nuts should you eat on a daily basis?
About 5 to 10, says Haddad, and preferably unsalted so you can cut down on your salt intake.
Salted foods carry the risk of water retention which in turn leads to hypertension.
It’s best to avoid fried nuts as it doubles the fat content, especially the added oil which is not good fat.
Also, it’s not a good idea to put nuts in snack bowls while watching TV, says Haddad as it leads to indiscriminate consumption. “You lose track of how much you are eating.”
Another good way to consume nuts is to add them to salads and baked foods.
