All about Eating Nuts – The Do’s and the Don’ts

Nuts and their abundant variety make up just the perfect snack for mid-afternoons or winter evenings. They are the perfect things to munch on, to keep in our pockets for later snacking and one of the best items to go with our favourite soap, serial or game on TV.

People have mixed opinions about eating nuts; where some say that they are good for your health and have abundance of nutrition in them, you also hear people say that eating nuts might actually be bad. So how to lay this confusion to rest? Here are some of the do’s and don’ts of eating nuts.

Some Do’s

• All kinds of nuts are loaded with proteins and therefore people who are vegetarian or are on a strict protein diet should take advantage of the amount of protein present in them.

• Nuts also contain an abundance of vitamins and minerals, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and even iron. Children whose bodies are lacking in these important minerals and vitamins should include nuts in their diet to counter the deficiency.

• Nuts are also a good source of unsaturated fatty acids, fibre and some are a healthy source of Omega-3. Therefore nutritionists suggest that a moderate and continuous habit of eating nuts considerably reduces the bad cholesterol in the body instead of increasing it. So now you know that when you are eating nuts, you are actually doing your body a favour.

• Eating nuts on a regular basis slows down the degenerative process in the body which is related to age; for instance it can have a positive effect on the eyesight. This habit also renders strength to the heart and reduces the risk of developing heart diseases. Therefore if you are worried about your weakening eyesight, do include the habit of munching on nuts in your daily routine.

• One of the main benefits that should be included in the do’s and don’ts of eating nuts is that since nuts have a neutral effect on the levels of glucose and insulin, even though they are rich in fibre, nutrients and fats, these healthy diet supplements can be included in the diet of diabetic patients to keep their bodies healthy and full of strength.

• Do include walnuts in your diet to get ample amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. By eating nuts like almonds, you ensure that your body receives high amounts of potassium, calcium, antioxidants, proteins and unsaturated fats. Peanuts are good for people who want to build up muscle mass since peanuts are power houses of protein. Similarly do include cashew nuts and pistachios too in your diet as you get selenium and phytosterols from them respectively. The former neutralizes the free radicals and the latter reduces heart ailments.

Some Don’ts

Now let’s get to the second part of do’s and don’ts of eating nuts…

• So now you know that the fats you get from eating nuts are actually good fats and a regular habit of munching on a few of those every day would do you no harm. That being said, it is important to mention that too much of anything is bad and same goes for nuts. Don’t eat nuts excessively; as even though they do have low levels of saturated fats, they are still present.

• Don’t eat only one kind of nuts everyday as there is a chance that you might develop an allergy against it. Always mix a few of each when snacking on them.

• Don’t eat the salted nuts on a regular basis, even though they are quite tasty and tempting. The excess of sodium that your body intakes might actually be harmful.

• Don’t buy candy for Halloween or for gifting purposes without reading their wrappers first; as many of the candies include nuts and you never know who might be suffering from an allergy.

• Don’t avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy as the popular myth suggests. Scientists have proven that it is actually the reverse. The more peanuts you eat during the pregnancy the lesser chance remains with the foetus of developing allergies later on.

• Studies have also shown that the high amount of oxalates present in nuts can crystallize and form kidney stones.

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