Nuts Galore - Why Nuts Could Help Boost Health and Help Weight Loss
A few years ago, nuts were maligned as being too high in fat.
If you eat too much fat in it, the logic went, you had a higher risk of diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
But the thinking failed to take into account the type of fat that is found in nuts.
Rather than containing the so-called 'bad' fats, the saturated fats that are indeed such a health risk, nuts have high amounts of mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats - and those are the better ones.
As well as containing mostly good fats, nuts also provide a vital healthy source of protein, which is extremely useful especially for vegetarians.
They also contain many essential vitamins, such as A and E, along with essential minerals.
There's no getting away from the fact that nuts do indeed contain a lot of calories.
A 100g of almonds, for example, contains 612 calories, and 100g of cashews is 585 calories.
Surprisingly, though, recent studies have shown that eating nuts can actually help you lose weight.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007 found that people who ate 1440 calories from almonds didn't put any significant extra weight on.
The reason is unclear, but it may be something to do with how sated they felt after eating almonds - that is, they may have consumed fewer calories later.
In other words, they felt fuller.
And another 2003 study, from the International Journal of Obesity, found that people who ate almonds as part of a weight-reduction programme actually lost more weight.
Again, though, the reasons and mechanisms are unclear.
It may be that eating nuts helps you feel 'full'.
Another theory is that the crunchiness somehow also has an effect, and makes the body feel sated or reduces hunger.
So snacking on nuts may kill the hunger pains, helping you resist the chocolates and the biscuits, cutting down on the calories you may otherwise have taken on.
What is clear, however, is that nuts deserve to be included (in moderation, of course) in any healthy diet.
They are high in fat and calories, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad for either your health or your weight.
So next time you feel peckish, reach for a handful of nuts.
Nut butter Ready for a change from peanut butter? Try making your own nut butter from almonds or cashews.
It's so easy! Grind up some nuts into a fine powder.
Pour the powder into a bowl, then drizzle in a few drops of olive oil, mixing as you go.
Stop when the mixture reaches the 'spreading' consistency that you like.
If you want to sweeten it, you can add a little honey.
Nut milk If you want to use dairy-free milk, and you're bored of soya milk, why not try using nuts to make your own 'milk'.
Grind up about two-thirds of a cup of almonds, pine nuts or cashews.
Add the nut powder to six cups of just-boiling water.
Put into an electric blender, and then flavour with syrup, honey or a few drops of vanilla extract, to taste.
When it's well blended, sieve the liquid through a muslin, a cheesecloth or some other fine cloth, to remove the bits.
You can keep this in your fridge for several days.
If you eat too much fat in it, the logic went, you had a higher risk of diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
But the thinking failed to take into account the type of fat that is found in nuts.
Rather than containing the so-called 'bad' fats, the saturated fats that are indeed such a health risk, nuts have high amounts of mono-unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats - and those are the better ones.
As well as containing mostly good fats, nuts also provide a vital healthy source of protein, which is extremely useful especially for vegetarians.
They also contain many essential vitamins, such as A and E, along with essential minerals.
There's no getting away from the fact that nuts do indeed contain a lot of calories.
A 100g of almonds, for example, contains 612 calories, and 100g of cashews is 585 calories.
Surprisingly, though, recent studies have shown that eating nuts can actually help you lose weight.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2007 found that people who ate 1440 calories from almonds didn't put any significant extra weight on.
The reason is unclear, but it may be something to do with how sated they felt after eating almonds - that is, they may have consumed fewer calories later.
In other words, they felt fuller.
And another 2003 study, from the International Journal of Obesity, found that people who ate almonds as part of a weight-reduction programme actually lost more weight.
Again, though, the reasons and mechanisms are unclear.
It may be that eating nuts helps you feel 'full'.
Another theory is that the crunchiness somehow also has an effect, and makes the body feel sated or reduces hunger.
So snacking on nuts may kill the hunger pains, helping you resist the chocolates and the biscuits, cutting down on the calories you may otherwise have taken on.
What is clear, however, is that nuts deserve to be included (in moderation, of course) in any healthy diet.
They are high in fat and calories, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad for either your health or your weight.
So next time you feel peckish, reach for a handful of nuts.
Nut butter Ready for a change from peanut butter? Try making your own nut butter from almonds or cashews.
It's so easy! Grind up some nuts into a fine powder.
Pour the powder into a bowl, then drizzle in a few drops of olive oil, mixing as you go.
Stop when the mixture reaches the 'spreading' consistency that you like.
If you want to sweeten it, you can add a little honey.
Nut milk If you want to use dairy-free milk, and you're bored of soya milk, why not try using nuts to make your own 'milk'.
Grind up about two-thirds of a cup of almonds, pine nuts or cashews.
Add the nut powder to six cups of just-boiling water.
Put into an electric blender, and then flavour with syrup, honey or a few drops of vanilla extract, to taste.
When it's well blended, sieve the liquid through a muslin, a cheesecloth or some other fine cloth, to remove the bits.
You can keep this in your fridge for several days.
