This nut is for you!

It is no secret that I like to eat! This girl is a foodie. I mean there is no shame in my game. When they say it's time to get in line to get served, you will find me front and center. Now there used to be a time many years ago when I would be bashful about eating. If I was on a date I would order french fries and a coke and nibble on that. Well those days ended and now I don't play with my food. I eat!

It could go back to when I was trying to gain weight back in the day. I would pile my plate high and eat often. It never worked and I never gained a pound back then. My how time changes things. I no longer have that problem. (insert smiley face) Anyway back to now. I was saying I love to eat. I have some friends who love dessert. They will actually eat their dessert first. They say in case they get too full they want to have had their dessert. Not me, I am a food kind of girl. I will eat all of my food, and if I am too full I will skip dessert or just take it home to eat later.

But now that I can no longer eat what I want as often as I want, I am trying to make better food choices. More veggies, more fruit, less french fries. (My fav) I am a potato kind of girl. I can eat french fries, a baked potato and potato salad in one meal. I also love crunchy salty food. Chips are my favorite. I say they are my Kryptonite. They are right when they say nobody can eat just one. So I have been eating nuts to satisfy my crunchy fix. . Which brings me to this weeks topic. Nuts, and how healthy they are for you. I did a little research and this is what I found out about the benefits of eating nuts. They are a good source of fat, fiber and protein, They have a number of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamin E, and most of the fat in nuts is monounsaturated fat as well as omega-6 and omega-3, Now let's talk about some of my favorite nuts in particular and their benefits.

Almonds - are loaded with antioxidants, are high in vitamin E, and can assist with blood sugar control,they can help you lose weight, promote healthy gut bacteria, may lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and may help lower blood sugar.

Walnuts - may decrease inflammation, promotes a healthy gut, may reduce risk of some cancers, supports weight control, may help manage Type 2 Diabetes, and may help lower blood pressure.

Pecans - provide more than 19 vitamins and minerals, promote heart health, pack high antioxidant levels, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, can reduce the symptoms of PMS.

Cashews -promote healthy levels of good cholesterol (HDL) may improve lipid levels and reduce blood pressure,

Brazil Nuts - are most renowned for their high selenium content, and are in fact the richest known food source of this important nutrient. Selenium is an essential mineral and antioxidant that is needed daily for a healthy immune system and it helps to prevent damage to our nerves and cells.

Peanuts - an excellent source of biotin, a good source of monounsaturated fats, may protect against gallstones,

But, the bottom line is just because nuts are quite healthy, and a good choice for a snack, that is when it is in its raw form. Remember that if nuts have been processed and have added ingredients they may lose some of their healthy benefits. . So keep that in mind when you make your nut choices. A nut loses some of its health benefits when it is covered with salt, chocolate, caramel and marshmallow. .