Our bodies are an interesting machine, since the days of being young and wild I have gone through different phases of craving very different food. Before I hit 20 I was a mass consumer of Coke, not diet or light, but the original Coke with filthy amount of sugar – it is still my fav drink these days. I played a lot of basketball in high school and my Coke addition lasted for more than 3 years with at least one or two cans down my throat per day. What did it do to my body? You’ve guessed it, nothing. I was super dooper fit and active so tons of trashy food did not make a dent to my young body back then.
In my 20’s coke and chips are two staple items on my coffee table when binge watching TV series. I know it was ridiculous, but again, I was proved to be one of those annoying women that “never puts on weight no matter what”. Now that I am in my 30’s, knowing no food can make me gain weight I still opt to kiss chips good bye. Don’t get me wrong when I go to a house party it still excites me to see yummy dips and fries lying around and I always make sure some of those go into my mouth at some point, but, they are not as enticing as before, due to inexplicable reasons. They say you crave for things that your body actually needs – I guess that explains it! I still snack and have little control over my insatiable appetite for tasty food (meaning not looking at their calories), and thank the almighty lord I found nuts. Nuts are probably the best healthy snack this world has to offer:
“Like other plant foods, nuts provide a range of nutrients, including large quantities of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (49–74% total fat), and moderate amounts of protein (9–20%) (except chestnuts which are low fat).
Nuts are also a good source of dietary fibre and provide a wide range of essential nutrients, including several B group vitamins (including folate), vitamin E, minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, antioxidant minerals (selenium, manganese and copper), plus other phytochemicals such as antioxidant compounds (flavonoids and resveratrol) and plant sterols.”
--- from The Australian Dietary Guidelines
And, they are delicious, easy to carry when you go for a work out session in gym or even driving long hours to commute. Below is a list of my fav nuts that tastes like heaven:
- Pine nuts - Suppress Your Appetite, Boost Energy, Reduce Heart Disease Risk, Anti-Aging Antioxidants, Vision Health.
- Almonds - contain lots of healthyfats, fibre, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They can also reduce hunger and promote weight loss.
- Pistachio - High in Antioxidants, Low in Calories Yet High in Protein, May Help You Lose Weight, Promote Healthy Gut Bacteria, May Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure, May Benefit Your Blood Vessels.
- Peanuts – If you are lucky enough not having allergy to peanuts, they are rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Studies of diets with a special emphasis on peanuts have shown that this little legume is a big ally for a healthy heart. In one such randomized, double-blind, cross-over study involving 22 subjects, a high monounsaturated diet that emphasized peanuts and peanut butter decreased cardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21% compared to the average American diet.
Happy Easter!
Cath