Going Nutty: 5 nuts you should eat on a regular basis

Protein, calcium, vitamins, minerals. Nuts are packed full of them. With many different types of nuts available it’s worth noting that not all nuts are the same and they all have different properties. Despite being high in fat nuts have under gone a rehabilitation over the last few years as people realise that in moderation nuts can be good for you and have many benefits to your daily diet. Of course when I talk about nuts I do not mean those that are ready salted, honey roasted and so on – I’m talking about the unsalted raw variety. All are readily available from your local supermarket.

1. Almonds

These are being widely being credited as the “new” super food. Almonds can protect against cancer, keep your heart healthy, lower your cholesterol and promote blood sugar balance. They are also low in saturated fat, and very high in calcium which is brilliant if you aren’t having a lot of dairy in your diet. To get the most benefit from your almonds by the whole variety with the skin on because of the additional benefits the skin has. As with all varieties of nuts you only need a small handful of these a day to get the benefit.

2. Brazil Nuts

These contain selenium which is vital to having a active thyroid, so if you suffer with low thyroid function these could be the nut for you. Selenium is also vital to boosting your immune system, protecting against heart disease, breast and prostate cancer. More importantly you only need 3 or 4 of these to get the amount of selenium you need. They also contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc – all essential minerals, and are a complete protein which means they’ll help repair your muscle tissue  as well.

3. Cashew Nuts

These are my favourite nut – and they always seem to disappear very quickly around here. Another great source of magnesium they are great for maintaining healthy bones, and some evidence suggests they might help prevent gallstones. Magnesium also helps improve recall and delay long term memory loss. In addition to this they are supposed to be good for helping to maintain weight and preventing colon cancer again due to the high amount of minerals, notably magnesium and copper within them.

4. Walnuts

According to Jonny Bowden these are fantastic at protecting against cancer, keeping your heart healthy, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, promoting blood sugar balance and supporting healthy digestion! It’s a true super food! They also contain melatonin which helps promote sleep, this makes them a good evening snack. On top of this they help fight stress, have been proven to help keep diabetes at bay and due to the fact they contain high amounts of B vitamins they are good for healthy skin (read helping to prevent wrinkles and signs of aging) and hair.

5. Macadamia nuts

Another favourite nut of mine. These are high in Vitamin A, protein and iron. This means they help to promote healthy hair and skin, prevent cancer and help boost the immune system. In addition these nuts are high in palmitoleic acid  and omega 7 fatty acid. This helps curb appetite, increase fat metabolism and reduce fat storage therefore they are a great nut to use if you’re losing weight. Again, remember everything in moderation – you don’t need to eat a lot of these nuts to get the full benefit.

The information in this article was gathered from various sources and is in no way definitive; the view expressed is my own based on reading information from the following sources: The Healthiest Meals on Earth (Jonny Bowden); Go Walnuts; Health benefits of nuts; Amazing health benefits of macadamia nuts; 7 health benefits of cashews; 5 brazil nut benefits; Almonds for health and nutrition

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