Go Nuts Over Health Almonds

If you love nuts but avoid them because you’ve heard they are high in fat, you will be happy hear the good news about almonds. The fat in almonds is monounsaturated, which means that, like olive oil, they can reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, studies show that when you substitute nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet, you get a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Even better, you can get a 45% risk reduction if you substitute nuts for saturated fats such as are found in meat and dairy products.

In addition, almonds are rich in vitamin E and therefore act as antioxidants in the body. And when you combine the twenty powerful flavonoids found in the skin of the almond with the nut, you get double the antioxidant power than if you ate nut and skin separately. Plus almonds are also a good source of manganese, riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, copper and phosphorous.

But that is not all! Almonds are also a good source of fibre and protein. In fact, a ¼ cup contains 7.62 grams of protein, more protein than is provided by one average-size egg (5.54 grams of protein).

Worried about weight gain? Put your mind at ease. A recent study showed that people who consumed an almond-enriched low calorie diet with 39% of their calories in the form of fat (25% from monounsaturated fat) lost more weight and body fat than those who ate a low caloric, high carbohydrate diet. In addition, almonds may actually improve the effects that weight loss has on blood pressure and blood lipids.

So go ahead! Eat some almonds and enjoy better health.

Ways to Use Almonds:
· Add some chopped almonds and dried fruit to plain yogurt.
· Enhance a healthy sauté of curried vegetables with sliced almonds.
· Add some almond butter to a breakfast shake to boost its taste and protein content.
· Almonds and apple slices make a wonderfully simple, on-the-go power snack.
· Make a delightful cold rice salad with almonds, fresh garden peas and currants.
· Add sliced almonds to Oriental Chicken Salad.
whfoods.org

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