Go Nuts!

At times when my travel schedule is hectic that I don’t have time to eat a healthy meal, I go to the nearest health food store and buy some nuts.

But the decision to buy nuts is not only inspired by expediency—it is also influenced by research I’d read about the Seventh Day Adventists.

As a specific segment of the population, Seventh Day Adventists have significantly fewer cardiovascular problems. They have fewer heart attacks and strokes, fewer problems with poor blood circulation, and are more apt to have healthy blood pressure levels. Their ability to stay so healthy and dodge so many heart risk factors is because a good deal of their protein and caloric intake comes from nuts.

What kind of nuts should you eat?

My top three choices are almonds, walnuts, and macadamias. Almonds are a good source of gamma tocopherol, a form of vitamin E that neutralizes artery-damaging peroxynitrite (a free radical). Walnuts and macadamias are high in healthy unsaturated fats.

There are many ways to include nuts in your diet. Eat them as snacks or combine them with cereals or dried fruits for a nutritious meal. Add them to salads for more protein and a feeling of fullness.

My favorite way of eating nuts is to include them in a blended morning power drink with fruits, protein powder, and other energy-boosting ingredients. You should eat nuts raw, or roast them to bring out the full flavor. Be sure to stay away from processed nuts, which are fried in oil or showered with salt.