Monday, May 01, 2006

Superfoods part 11

Welcome to our health & self help blog.

In it we post health commentary & reviews of books, eBooks, & other things that improve or protect your health or which enable you to live longer, to be more prosperous, & to be more effective.

Today’s post: Monday, 5-1-2006 Superfoods & Honor Roll Foods, part 11

Walnuts.

Walnuts, like flax seeds, are high in a kind of oil, alpha linoleic acid, or ALA, that apparently is a precursor form of Omega 3.

For that reason & the other health benefits of nuts, in a study I saw once, it showed that people who eat walnuts regularly tend to have better heart health than people who don’t.

One source I saw recently even says they contain an ingredient, ellagic acid, a cancer fighting antioxidant.

And, thought they have a bit less than almonds, they are also high in Arginine, with all its benefits to your heart, blood vessels, & blood flow – including to your sexual areas.

To repeat, here are some of the other reasons to include nuts in general.

(Unfortunately, some people are allergic to tree nuts. If you are, they aren’t an OK food for you, let alone a superfood.)

For those who can eat them, nuts in general are superfoods. They are high in magnesium which is vital for your health & which many people get too little of in their food.

They are high in other vitamins & minerals including the several kinds of natural vitamin E.

In addition, nuts are filling because they are high in protein and fiber and fat – so much so that despite their fat content, one study found that people who added 500 calories a day of nuts to their diet, did NOT gain any weight. Apparently they were enough less hungry they ate that many calories elsewhere in their diet. As you might imagine, this can be a huge help if you are trying to lose weight & keep it off or you need to cut out eating fatty treats or fatty meats to protect your heart.

In fact, nuts are high in sterols which lower LDL cholesterol !!

One study even found that people who eat nuts regularly, lived several years longer than people who don’t. This was about seven years as I recall. You can certainly see why with all their health benefits. And, I suspect these people were in better health also.

If you like them, eating walnuts is a great way to enjoy eating nuts & getting their health benefits.

Shelled walnut halves & walnut pieces are readily available. (Whole Foods Markets carries them in bulk, which costs less per pound.)

And, I’ve found they are an excellent way to enhance a dish of cereal or fresh fruit – or a salad -- that tastes great; adds some extra protein & fiber; & has a very low glycemic index.

They also make a great snack food even when eaten by themselves.

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