Think I'm Going Nuts

[easysurfer]

No, not that kind of nuts .

Recently, I been reading about eating healthier. One way is adding nuts to the diet. I read that almonds (about an ounce a day) is healthy. One of the benefits is almonds help in fighting bad LDL cholesterol and with prediabetes. What? Sounds almost too good to be true.

Went ahead a bought a bag from the grocery store yesterday.

Though I like some nuts, I'm not a regular nut eater. But now I'm thinking, may be worth a try. I really do like the taste of raw almonds.

 

[braumeister]

Nuts are a good healthy food, but it's easy to underestimate their calorie count. Unfortunately, I love to snack on mixed nuts and often overdo it.

 

[pacergal]

I love Almonds! I always buy the big bag from Costco. Keep some in a container in the car (keeps us from running into the minute mart for food if we are traveling and get hungry between meals). I also used to keep a bag at my desk at work for the late afternoon munchies during my last hour from 5-6pm!
About 7-10 almonds fills my "hunger pains", works as a great daily snack.

 

[street]

Nuts are a good healthy food, but it's easy to underestimate their calorie count. Unfortunately, I love to snack on mixed nuts and often overdo it.

Yep! I start them and hard to stop.

 

[mountainsoft]

We have been eating a lot of nuts lately too. My wife has been eating raw almonds for a few years, but they were so hard to chew that I was afraid I would break a tooth. Then my daughter bought a bag of roasted almonds for my wife and they were much easier to eat so we have been getting those instead.

My favorite nuts are pecans. I enjoy eating them raw, roasted, or in just about anything (brownies, cookies, pecan pie, salads, etc.). Milk chocolate covered pecans are truly addicting (often found in the bulk foods section of grocery stores).

Second choice would probably be cashews, though I can only eat a few at a time.

Walnuts are great in all kinds of baked goods.

I also eat a lot of peanuts, both roasted from a jar and in meals like Kung Pao Chicken (my lunch this week).

Hazel nuts are probably my least favorite, but I'll still eat them. Lately we've been getting the nut mixes so there's a little bit of everything (though they do tend to have more peanuts than anything).

Macadamias, Brazil Nuts, Pistachios... Yum.

 

[easysurfer]

Aside from taste, has others noticed health improvements like LDL levels. Was reading where a study said something like an ounce (about 20) of almonds a day improved levels in only about 12 weeks.

I had about 10 almonds yesterday, was hard not over do it and eat too much. Had to remind myself that moderation is the key ,

 

[sengsational]

Given most people eating SAD don't get nearly enough fiber, adding nuts is probably a pretty good idea. Improved gut microbiome too. I like the nut isle at Trader Joe's, but one must keep an eye out for salt if there's any BP issues. And the mixes that contain dried fruit can spike the glucose (bad). Pistachios are good, and I like the roasted pecans (in the BTD category). The sunflower seeds are cheap, good, and make me feel good.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

I buy almonds in individual serving size packs. That way I don’t eat too many.

 

[MRG]

I started eating walnuts with my breakfast when we changed our diet. I can't say it lowered my LDL but my bloodwork was fantastic. Did nuts make the difference or the massive changes we made? Dunno. That's what makes identifying what made the difference, difficult IMHO.

 

[Amethyst]

I eat walnuts every day with my oatmeal, and use toasted walnuts in baking. An eye doctor told us, some years back, that walnuts are good for eye health.

My favorite is filberts (hazelnuts). So far, I have only found these as part of mixed-nuts collections.

Am somewhat less fond of pecans and cashews (pecans seem to go stale really fast).

 

[sengsational]

Am somewhat less fond of pecans and cashews (pecans seem to go stale really fast).

We keep opened nuts in the fridge, and yes, nuts can oxydize and not only do they taste bad, they're less healthy.

 

[razztazz]

Don't overdo the almonds. They are high in Oxalates which cause kidney stones. I used to eat them but after that kidney stone surgery they are off the menu. And I am not "prone" to kidney stones. I had never had one until I was 62 years old.

 

[Car-Guy]

The DW and I both eat a lot of the Planters brand mixed nuts. There's always a couple of open cans around the kitchen... No problem with them going stale around our house.

 

[Major Tom]

Given most people eating SAD don't get nearly enough fiber, adding nuts is probably a pretty good idea. Improved gut microbiome too. I like the nut isle at Trader Joe's, but one must keep an eye out for salt if there's any BP issues. And the mixes that contain dried fruit can spike the glucose (bad). Pistachios are good, and I like the roasted pecans (in the BTD category). The sunflower seeds are cheap, good, and make me feel good.

I didn't know what a SAD diet is. I looked it up and, well, that is pretty sad!

+1 about the sunflower seeds from TJ's. I get the roasted unsalted ones. My neighbor bought me some raw pumpkin seeds (also from TJ's) when she heard that I'd had some prostate issues. Apparently pumpkin seeds are good for that. They're a good deal pricier than the sunflower seeds though, so I consume accordingly.

Nuts are a good snack between meals, but they are surprisingly filling. It's easy to ruin your appetite if you're not careful, so you do have to exercise some restraint.

 

[Marita40]

I love nuts but can easily overdo. I find it is the salt I crave. So I buy unsalted almonds and can ration those effectively without cravings.

 

[Amethyst]

When we cut back on salt due to rising blood pressure, I started buying unsalted mixed nuts. We could add a little kosher salt to a handful of nuts when we felt we needed it (much as we did with all our food).

May have been coincidence, but our BPs did go down after cutting (not eliminating) added salt. Inherently salty snacks (e.g. chips, pretzels) were banned.

I love nuts but can easily overdo. I find it is the salt I crave. So I buy unsalted almonds and can ration those effectively without cravings.

 

[John Galt III]

I can attest to oatmeal getting my bad cholesterol down significantly, but I had to eat a half cup per day, for a month, which is a lot for the intestines, lol. . What about good old fashioned peanuts? I eat a lot of those, with sea salt. Supposed to be good for you, but I don't know why. Don't think they lower bad chol.

 

[aja8888]

I buy the Costco Fancy Mixed Nuts in the big container for $14.99 and hit those for a handful every once in a while.

 

[omni550]

My favorite is filberts (hazelnuts). So far, I have only found these as part of mixed-nuts collections.

Amethyst,

FWIW, hazelnuts seem to be more popular in Europe than in the US.

I have found bags of raw hazelnuts at Trader Joe's.

omni

 

[Major Tom]

Supposed to be good for you, but I don't know why. Don't think they lower bad chol.

Haha, my diet is full of things that I have heard are good for me, though I'm not always exactly sure why Some folk are really into various diets and foodstuffs, and have all the data on hand to back up their preferences. I prefer to go with the more easily remembered piece of advice to have a bit of everything, to watch portion sizes, and not to go overboard on anything.

Oh - exercise and a good sense of humor seem to help too.

I have a friend who has been following a keto diet for a long time. He is convinced that it is the holy grail of eating, and can back up all his claims with data. He also likes to make fun of vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who eats carbs. I'm not down with that sort of approach to eating. A bit too fanatical for me. However, if he lives to be 110, and I bite the dust at 85, maybe he'll be proven right.

 

[Helen]

Brazil nuts are nutritional powerhouses, providing healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. They're particularly high in selenium, a mineral with potent antioxidant properties. Eating Brazil nuts may reduce inflammation, support brain function, and improve your thyroid function and heart health"
...
"Selenium toxicity is a rare but dangerous, potentially life-threatening condition. The safe upper intake level for selenium is 400 mcg. It’s important to limit your intake to 1–3 Brazil nuts per day or check how much selenium is in the nuts you buy."

https://www.healthline.com/nutritio...powerhouses,thyroid function and heart health.

 

[Chuckanut]

The fats in nuts are healthy fats. Nuts contain a host of nutrients. I think the calorie scare around nuts has been debunked. I remember being told to eat pretzels instead of nuts because they had less calories. What nonsense. Besides about 20% of the calories never get digested, instead they pass through the stomach, feed the gut biome, and then leave. Pretzels, OTOH, just trigger an insulin spike. Not so good. So enjoy the nuts in place of things like pretzels and other highly processed factory foods.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-eat-nuts-the-healthy-way

That means limiting portions and eating nuts instead of, not in addition to, certain other foods. "Nuts are a great source of good fats and protein," says Dr. Helen Delichatsios, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "But they should not be added onto everything else that you eat."

 

[11522914]

Unfortunately, I love to snack on mixed nuts and often overdo it.

I always overdo it. Always.

And I love me some pistachios.

 

[W2R]

We ate lunch out today. I chose a sandwich that comes with a lot of walnuts on it. Mmmmm .

 

[Dtail]

I eat peanuts just about every day.
Not as healthy as almonds, but still good for you.