Hey there viewers! Do you like eating nuts?
Considered one of the healthiest snacks around, nuts are filled with great nutrients.
Well, some nuts. There are definitely types you should eat less of.
In today’s video, we will be talking about 6 nuts you should be eating and 6 you should not.
Should you eat hazelnuts or dump them? What about almonds, chestnuts, and pecans? Which
side of our list did walnuts make? We’ll be talking about all of this AND more…
Nuts You Should Eat
Hazelnuts
Hazelnut-filled cookies. Butterscotch ice cream with hazelnuts mixed in! Just hearing
the name hazelnuts makes me want to head out to the nearest cafe and order a cappuccino!
Thankfully, this delicious entry made it to the good side on our list.
You can eat hazelnuts because they are both delicious and healthy.
Hazelnuts provide you a good deal of vitamins and dietary fiber. It helps to lower the bad
cholesterol. By eating hazelnuts, you are doing favors for both the environment and your body.
Hazelnuts are drought resistant and require minimal upkeep.
This high-yielding plant can easily survive harsh weather conditions.
It can survive in those harsh soils where other plants don’t.
All in all, support sustainable agriculture. Eat your heart out!
What is your favorite way of eating hazelnuts? Do you eat them on your own? Do you add coffee, ice
cream, cakes and cookies? Share your preferences with the Bestie community in the comments below.
Walnuts
Walnuts are amazing. They give so much vitamin E and omega fatty acids.
Eating walnuts regularly helps your body thrive. It lowers your blood cholesterol level,
boosts heart and brain health, and helps ward off depression.
Pretty amazing, isn’t it? Omega 3 oils in walnuts boost the levels of serotonin in your brain.
This is responsible for keeping you upbeat and happy.
They also offer antioxidants, which help slow down aging by fighting harmful free radicals.
In short, antioxidants will protect your heart, brain and body from premature aging.
Sprinkle walnuts over your salad or bake them into banana bread.
Even oatmeal breakfast topped with walnuts tastes delicious. And is super healthy!
Acorns
Humans have been eating acorns for centuries. This is due to their nutrients and good taste.
The reason why a lot of us skip acorns is because they are a pain to prepare.
I mean there’s just so much to do.
Remove them from their shells and remove the toxic tannins by soaking them...
But acorns are worth taking this much pain. In the end,
your body will be thanking you for making it healthier.
Acorns have healthy fats, protein, phosphorus and vitamin C. This fruit of the Oak tree is ready
to make a re-entry into our daily diets. They have earned their spot rightfully!
Pecans
Pecans usually pop up in pies. But they are the underdogs of the nut world.
Underrated and underutilized!
Pecans offer wonderful health benefits. They are heart healthy as they lower your
cholesterol. They offer more than 19 types of vitamins and minerals.
You can get folic acid, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins A, B, and E from pecans.
Pecans offer vitamin E antioxidants that prevent age-related cell damage. Eating pecans
can protect you from age-related degenerative diseases. They even help you manage your weight.
And the best part? Pecans are sodium free! Anyone who needs
to watch their sodium-intake can snack on pecans without worrying.
Chestnuts
These aren’t just for holidays and Christmas! You
need to sneak this nutritious nut into your daily diet all year round.
Chestnuts are different from other nuts in the sense that they’re not loaded with fats.
This means you should help yourself to a generous amount of chestnuts!
Speaking of nutrition, chestnuts are as good as whole grains. But
they are more delicious thanks to the sweet subtle flavour they have.
Chestnuts offer plenty of protein, vitamin E and dietary fiber.
And these delicious nuts are the only ones that offer a sizable amount of vitamin C.
But since they have vitamin C to offer, you need to be careful about how you store them.
Other types of nuts are pretty sturdy. But chestnuts go bad very easily.
Always store them in the fridge in an airtight container.
Pistachios
These could easily be the king of the nut world. Have you ever tried pistachio saffron milk?
It tastes delicious. Soak a few strands of saffron in a tablespoon of milk and then mash
them. Add them to boiling milk along with sugar or date syrup. Top it with pistachio shavings!
So what makes pistachios popular? Is it just the taste? Nope! Pistachios are also a powerhouse of
nutrition. These delicious nuts offer protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants and potassium.
Pistachios lower your blood sugar levels, blood cholesterol levels,
and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. What’s not to love about pistachios?
Before we move ahead, here is a video you might like. Watch this video to learn more
about 11 foods with the potential to kill you.
Nuts You Should NOT Eat
Almonds
Shocked to see almonds on our “don’t eat” list? Aren’t they nutritious with a good
amount of vitamins and fatty acids? Well, they do offer nutrition. These days almond
milk is one of the top choices for people who don’t drink dairy milk.
Almonds are healthy for your body. But unfortunately, they are enemies
of the environment. Almonds are totally the opposite of sustainable farming,
as they require a huge amount of resources like water to grow them.
A single almond needs over a gallon of water to grow.
80% of the world’s almonds come from California.
And you’ve likely heard about the drought, water shortages, and wildfires plaguing the state.
Now imagine how much water all of these almonds would need! Certainly almonds are something we
need to keep away from due to the environment. As you’ve just heard, there are plenty of delicious
replacements. Cashews
These nuts are delicious and healthy. But sadly
they come at a price that outweighs their benefits.
The heavy price is paid by people who harvest cashews. You see, cashew apples
grow under several thick layers. Workers need to shuck these layers, which releases toxins.
The majority of cashews come from Vietnam and India, where people harvest cashews from these
layers. Those who harvest remain underpaid and underfed. Many workers have suffered permanent
health damage due to the toxic liquid they frequently come in contact with.
An investigation showed how people in are often forced into labor camps,
where they harvest cashews under supervision. Heartbreaking.
Horse Chestnuts
We love chestnuts, right? So what about Horse chestnuts? They look similar don’t they?
Well there’s a difference. Horse chestnuts are bad for your health. They contain a toxin that
makes you vomit. If eaten in a significant quantity, they can even cause paralysis!
Stay miles away from Horse chestnuts!
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia are delicious, but they aren’t that healthy.
The biggest problem is they are super high in calories. You can easily eat
twice the amount of your daily calories just by eating a handful of these nuts.
A cup of Macadamia nuts are almost 1000 calories, 88% of which is fat!If you are watching your
weight, avoid Macadamia nuts like plague! Pine nuts
Several recipes call for pine nuts to provide the finishing
touch. But there is something you need to know. Pine nuts can cause
an unexplained temporary thing called pine nut syndrome, or “pine mouth” for short.
This condition usually happens 12 to 48 hours after you have eaten pine nuts.
It causes a bad taste in your mouth that can sometimes last for months.
Everything will taste like metal. You definitely don’t want that.
Peanuts
Uh-ho! Peanuts made to our list. That’s too bad.
Peanut butter sandwiches taste like heaven. Also, aren’t peanuts healthy?
They offer so many nutrients, as well as protein and fiber. Then what happened?
Peanuts are loaded with calories. If you’re planning to watch your favorite
show the entire evening while sitting on the couch, skip munching on peanuts. Half a cup
of peanuts will give you calories equal to one fifth of your daily calorie intake. Confused?
Consider this.
One ounce of peanuts gives you 160 to 200 calories,
80% of which is from fat! Weight watchers definitely need to stay away from peanuts.
If you do choose them as a snack, watch your portion size at least.
Do you eat a lot of nuts? Are you planning to include the good nuts in your diet? How
about dropping the bad ones? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you!