Nuts: The Super Snack

You’ve probably heard that snacking is a great way to lose weight, 5-6 meals a day has proven to keep the metabolism active, versus just eating breakfast lunch and dinner. However, it is important to remember that you still should pay attention to what you are eating those 5-6 times a day.

For years, the high content of fat in nuts was seen as something to be avoided, but today that message has been flipped. Dietitians are now insisting that we need more of the unsaturated fats that nuts contain. Contrary to popular belief, there are some good fats, one of which is unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats can help prevent blood clotting and maintain a regular heart rhythm.

While nuts are as high in calories as other snacks, a small handful can prove to keep you as satisfied as 3 candy bars would. Nuts are high in protein which has a positive effect on appetite, they make you feel fuller longer and curb hunger. Carbohydrates in many other snack food can cause a rise in blood sugar that can lead to more hunger when it drops, but, nuts cause no such rise. Additionally, nuts are very high and fiber which can also assist in weight loss.

A new trend is to soak your nuts in water overnight before drying them out to eat them. The theory is that because nuts are a seed, soaking them triggers the germination process allowing them to release more of their nutrients. Soaking nuts also washes away the molecules that can make them hard to digest, which makes it easier for people who suffer from problems, such as IBS, to consume.