Health Nuts
It is just possible that many of our weight-loss assumptions are inaccurate. For example, I love nuts. No, I’m not talking about strange people or fitness nuts, although I like them too. I’m talking about cashews, peanuts, almonds, and the like.
Now we all “know” that nuts are high in fat and should, therefore, be avoided by people living healthy life styles or those trying to lose weight. Not so fast, cashew breath.
Here’s a study that warmed my little nut-loving heart:
Researchers from Harvard conducted an eight-year study on 51,188 women ranging in age from 20 to 45. After adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors, the study showed that the women who rarely ate nuts were heavier than those who ate nuts twice per week. The researchers concluded that incorporating nuts into a diet may in some way help with weight control.
I was tempted to go out and buy a big can of cashews and wolf them down, but let’s be sensible. Notice that in the study, the women ate nuts twice per week, and it doesn’t indicate the quantity, but I feel sure it wasn’t measured by the can. Also, let’s not forget that if you buy the salted nuts, you are taking on a lot of extra salt. Personally, I prefer the unsalted variety anyway. Almonds are said to be one of the better choices of nuts, and they are delicious without added salt.
So, the take home point is that you need not deprive yourself of enjoying delicious nuts in moderation. In fact, the Harvard study indicates that doing so may actually help you control your weight. The study doesn’t prove that, but it is suggestive.
[My thanks to Craig Ballantyne for bringing this nutty study to my attention. Craig is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week.]
