Raw Nutrition #2 - Nuts & Seeds

Great news!  ....some fats are good...as long as we don't eat too much of it. Nut oils are a great source of fat. If you are trying to lose weight, use them very sparingly. If you are trying to gain weight, they will make you feel better.

Nuts and seeds are not cleansing. They should be eaten after cleansing. Cleansing is good, but you can't cleanse all the time. That is when you eat nuts and seeds, just not too much.

If you are eating a nice, healthy, raw diet, you don't want your calorie count to get too low. Nuts and seeds can add calories when you need them.

There are all different kinds of nuts to choose from. Some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamia, every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a teeny little shell. 

If you have heart disease, eating nuts can be heart healthy. Eating nuts can lower the LDL, low-density lipoprotein or "bad," cholesterol level in their blood. 

"Many nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a healthy form of fatty acids that seem to help your heart by, among other things, preventing dangerous heart rhythms that can lead to heart attacks. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in many kinds of fish, but nuts are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids."

Nuts also have fiber, vitamin E, plant sterols and L-arginine.

Here's some nutrition information on common types of nuts. All calorie and fat content measurements are for 1 ounce, or 28.4 grams (g), of unsalted nuts.

Type of nut	Calories	Total fat (saturated/unsaturated fat)*
Almonds, raw	163	14 g (1.1 g/12.2 g)
Almonds, dry roasted	169	15 g (1.1 g/12.9 g)
Brazil nuts, raw	186	19 g (4.3 g/12.8 g)
Cashews, dry roasted	163	13.1 g (2.6 g/10 g)
Chestnuts, roasted	69	0.6 g (0.1 g/0.5 g)
Hazelnuts (filberts), raw	178	17 g (1.3 g/15.2 g)
Hazelnuts (filberts), dry roasted	183	17.7 g (1.3 g/15.6 g)
Macadamia nuts, raw	204	21.5 g (3.4 g/17.1 g)
Macadamia nuts, dry roasted	204	21.6 g (3.4 g/17.2 g)
Peanuts, dry roasted	166	14 g (2g/11.4 g)
Pecans, dry roasted	201	21 g (1.8 g/18.3 g)
Pistachios, dry roasted	161	12.7 g (1.6 g/10.5 g)
Walnuts, halved	185	18.5 g (1.7 g/15.9 g)

*The saturated and unsaturated fat contents in each nut may not add up to the total fat content because the fat value may also include some non-fatty acid material, such as sugars or phosphates.

Enjoy your nuts knowing that they are healthy and good for you as well as tasty!

~Cathy

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085