Nutty Nutrition

"Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food"

-Hippocrates

WEBSITE: Check out some nutrition mistakes and some healthier food fix options http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-foods-that-can-wreck-your-diet

Reading the nutritional information can be misleading. While on the surface nuts are high in fat, it is heart-healthy saturated fat (the "good" fat) that may lower LDL levels ("bad" cholesterol). So what can these tiny little superfoods do for you?

HEART HEALTHY:

-According to the FDA, eating nuts as part of a low-fat diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease

-The DASH diet, recommended to lower blood pressure, has suggested eating 4-5 servings of nuts a week

WEIGHT CONTROL:

-Including nuts in your diet can actually help to lose and maintain weight more than a low-fat diet

-While portion control is important with nuts, the satiety felt from nuts can help you to eat less throughout the day

-The fat, protein and fiber in nuts can help you feel fuller and satisfied more so than dieting

-Although including nuts may seem to raise calorie intake, Body Mass Index is shown to be lower in those that include nuts in their diets

DIABETES:

-Eating 5 or more servings of nuts a week has been linked to reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes

-Eating at least 5 tablespoons of peanut butter a week has also shown a reduction in this risk

The FDA suggests "one handful" of nuts. What in the world does this mean? Does having small hands mean I should be eating less than someone with big hands?

-ONE HANDFUL = 1 OUNCE SERVING

The DASH Diet suggests 1.5 ounces...so what is this?

-1.5 OUNCES = 1/3 CUP OF NUTS (or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter)

There are SO many options for great nuts to include in your diet!

-ALMONDS-one ounce (20-24 nuts) provides 35% of your daily need of Vitamin E, which can promote healthy aging. Almonds also contain a great 6 grams of protein.

-WALNUTS-one ounce (14 nuts) is your daily source of Omega-3 fatty acids

-PEANUTS-one ounce (28 nuts) provide 10% of your daily value of folate and 20% of your daily value of niacin. These nuts have 7 grams of protein

If I were stranded on a deserted island, there is no doubt peanut butter would be the one food I would want the most! I absolutely am beyond obsessed with this food! Does the caloric, high fat food kill a diet?

-Peanut butter is loaded with Vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, protein, Vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber

-Yes, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter may be high in fat but it is monounsaturated fats, which are linked to a reduction in cholesterol

How to include nuts in a healthy diet

-Plain

-Over salads

-Mixed in with yogurt

-Put a handful in pancake/muffin batter

-Toasted in the oven

-Add to pastas