Five Health Benefits of Eating Walnuts

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Due to the abundance of foods that we eat nowadays we can get into bad eating habits sometimes. So as a result we go astray and eat the wrong types of foods, which can be low in nutritional value and high in calories, and the fats we don’t need.

However, I feel it is never too late to change your eating habits. So why not start now, by incorporating nuts into your diet, unless of course, you have an allergic reaction to them.

I can always remember eating walnuts at Christmas, but I never used to eat them at any other time of the year. And as I got older, that was still the case until just recently.

Here are five great reasons to start eating walnuts now.

1.They may be helpful in maintaining cardiovascular health, for the following reasons they will help in maintaining your LDL cholesterol levels of by reducing them, LDL cholesterol is something that you want less of rather than more of. Increased levels of Omega three fatty acids, which you do need.

You will be far less likely to have a blood clot if you consume these, as well as helping to keep internal body inflammation at bay.

2. Prevention of metabolic syndrome, which means diseases such as cardiovascular disease, strokes and related illnesses, one particular study, which revolved around people. Eating walnuts, found if you consume one ounce of walnuts each day for two to three months, then this will help to prevent metabolic syndrome, not only that people who have been eating nuts after a while have lost abdominal fat known as “abdominal adiposity”.

And in the studies conducted even though the people were eating walnuts. They had no gain in weight, they are quite high in calories, but as with everything it’s a case of moderation.

3. If you have diabetes than walnuts may be a good choice for you because they help in maintaining blood fat levels, which will keep your cholesterol levels lower.

4. They may also help keep cancer at bay the reason being is that walnuts have high levels of antioxidants in, which helps to prevent oxidative stress on the body. If you have too much of this, it can lead to inflammation, which will cause all sorts of problems like poor immune system function, etc.

Out of all the studies revolving around walnuts, the ones which showed the best results were around breast cancer. And prostate cancer, in order to have this protection you need to eat three ounces approximately a day.

5. Due to the fact that they contain large amounts of anti-inflammatory ingredients, they can help with other functions within the body such as bone health, as well as helping people with weight loss, which may come as a surprise, because they are so calorie rich, because they contain a lot of protein you don’t need to eat as many in order to feel full. Protein takes a longer time to break down in the body, compared to other foods. Hence making you feel fuller longer.

if you want some ideas how to prepare walnuts, here are a few ideas from WHfoods.org.

• Mix crushed walnuts into plain yogurt and top with maple syrup.

• Add walnuts to salads or healthy sautéed vegetables.

• Purée walnuts, cooked lentils and your favorite herbs and spices in a food processor.

• Add enough olive or flax oil so that it achieves a dip-like consistency.

• Add walnuts to your favorite poultry stuffing recipe.

• To roast walnuts at home, do so gently—in a 160-170°F (about 75°C) oven for 15-20 minutes—to preserve the healthy oils.

• Make homemade walnut granola: Mix together approximately 1/2 cup of honey, 3 to 4 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses, a tablespoon of vanilla, a dash of salt, and a teaspoon each of your favorite spices, such as cinnamon, ginger and/or nutmeg.Place 6-8 cups of rolled oats in a large bowl and toss to coat with the honey-blackstrap mixture. Then spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 275°F    (135°C) for 45 minutes. Cool and mix in 1/2 to 1 cup of walnuts.

I have been eating more diet nuts of recently, including walnuts and almonds and monkey nuts, sometimes it is quite surprising how many health benefits, one particular fruit can have in its natural state. Do you eat nuts, or is it something that you tend to avoid? It would be interesting to get some feedback from people so please leave your opinion in the relevant comments section below.

Sources and recipe references: http://whfoods.org

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