Well hi!
So, you’re a farmer in ancient China.
(Hey I know you’re not, but play along with me, huh? -- and you’ve finally finished
up for the day.
You grab a handful of walnuts before you sit down for some much-needed relaxation.
What do you do?
A: Crack them open, and eat ‘em, of course!
B: Roll them in your hands for a few minutes.
C: Practice your juggling skills?
We’ll save C for the circus-act hopefuls.
B would’ve been a popular choice back then, but I’ll get into that a bit later.
So let’s pick the most obvious option: A. If you eat just a handful of walnuts a day,
you’ll see all kinds of positive changes in your health and wellness!
Hey, you’ll like what you see in the mirror too!
Let’s do a rundown all the benefits.
1.
Less hair fall A healthy head of hair can make or break a
person’s appearance and confidence.
And when you notice all that shedding in the shower, you feel like the world is coming
to an end.
(You also feel like you have a new little pet each time you clear the drain.
“I’ll call this one Walter…”)
The good news is, eating your daily dose of walnuts will help prevent hair loss.
These brainy-looking nuts contain selenium, an essential mineral for our bodies to carry
out some basic functions.
Experts say that people who don’t get enough selenium tend to struggle with balding and
hair fall.
2.
Faster stronger hair growth Walnuts have another fancy element called
biotin, which not only helps with hair fall, but also makes your hair grow faster!
Biotin does this by pumping up the production of keratin in your body.
Keratin acts as a protective moisturizing layer on your strands.
That’s why you’ll also see less breakage and splitting, since your hair will be stronger!
3.
Stronger nails Any time you’re dealing with stuff that’s
good for your hair, you can pretty much guarantee it’ll help your nails out too.
So, I’ll keep it short: if your nails are thin and constantly splitting and breaking,
better snack on some walnuts each day.
Any guesses what could be next?
We’re talking about keratin here – the protein that makes up your hair, nails, and…
4.
Youthful radiant skin Walnuts help your body fight free radical
damage.
Free-radicals are molecules from your environment and the foods you eat that cling onto the
collagen your body produces.
Imagine your skin is like a bed sheet.
When it’s clean and ironed, it feels and looks perfectly smooth.
But when it’s dirty and wrinkled, yuck, nobody wants to lie on that!
That’s what happens to your skin when free radicals tamper with your collagen.
Then you get breakouts, your skin looks tired, dehydrated, and fine lines and wrinkles show
up.
The boatload of antioxidants found in walnuts neutralize those free radicals.
Once your skin regains its elasticity, (dohingggg!) then fine lines and tiredness clear out and
make way for a clear, plump, and glowing complexion!
5.
Cold and flu who?
That same selenium stuff that makes your hair thick and strong is also vital for your immune
health.
You see, you need your body’s defense system to be strong so that all that nasty stuff
out there in the world doesn’t make you sick.
And there’s plenty of dirty hazards all around you: door handles, light switches,
even your own phone is covered in germs!
(“Traitor!
I thought I could trust you!”)
Protect yourself and strengthen your immune system with the help of all that selenium
in walnuts!
6.
Better concentration (Um, huh?)
According to one Harvard study, eating walnuts every day improves cognitive performance.
In other words: it makes it easier for your brain to take in and process information.
But the most important perk is that they help you concentrate on one task at a time and
stay focused for longer, which is a lifesaver when you’re in school or at some boring
meeting at work.
Getting a daily dose of walnuts has also been found to protect brain cells from deteriorating
with age.
7.
A good mood Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
According to the National Institute of Health, people who don’t get enough omega 3s in
their diet are more likely to feel sad and maybe even depressed.
The thing is, our brains produce a hormone called serotonin, which is responsible for
controlling anxiety, boosting happiness, and improving our mood.
When your brain doesn’t produce enough serotonin, you get the opposite: negative feelings and
mood swings.
Omega-3s help your body produce more of that hormone to keep all that negativity away!
8.
Weight loss If you grab a handful of walnuts, (about 5
– 8), you might be a little hesitant to find out that you’re about to take in 185
calories.
But no worries!
Studies have shown that your body absorbs only 21% of those calories.
What’s even better is that you feel fuller for longer, so they lower your appetite.
Another study showed that people who consumed smoothies containing walnuts had a notable
decrease in cravings for junk food.
Case in point: if you’re looking to lose a little extra weight, exchange the greasy
chips for walnuts when it comes to snack time!
9.
Easier workouts Gym goers will love this one.
Walnuts contain a ton of magnesium, which plays a huge role in exercise performance.
When you work out, you need more magnesium than when you’re just sitting around watching
re-runs of your favorite sitcom.
Magnesium does its duty by transferring blood sugar into your muscles and getting rid of
lactate.
When you’re working out, lactate builds up and causes muscle soreness.
So, if you eat your healthy snack right before the gym, you won’t have that painful nuisance.
A handful of walnuts also contains more than 4 grams of protein, which is a must for people
who work out regularly.
10.
A big helping of essential vitamins and nutrients Overall, walnuts are just a great source of
all the good stuff your body needs that you might not be getting enough of in your regular
diet.
They contain 65% healthy fats and 15% protein.
They’re low in carbs, and most of those carbs consist of fiber.
That last one is really good for digestive health and can take care of problems like
bloating!
Walnuts might do your body a whole lot of good, but there are a few things you should
be aware of before you go out and stock up on this health-boosting little nut.
- People who are prone to eczema breakouts or ulcers should consume walnuts carefully
to prevent them from triggering any skin conditions.
- Just 5 – 8 walnuts are more than enough.
Otherwise, they might cause bloating and even headaches.
Remember: everything in moderation.
Alright, now let’s go back to the farm.
Remember about that other possible option I mentioned?
Yeah Juggling.
Watch this .. ooh, ah, Ta-DAH!
Hey sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.
Anyway, let’s talk about the other option: rolling the walnuts around in your hands.
Well, back in the day, this practice was known as “walnut therapy” because of all the
health benefits it supposedly had.
Listening to the sound of walnuts rubbing together was believed to cleanse the mind
and help calm you down after a stressful day.
Also, just rolling them around in your hands was thought to help with joint pain and slowing
down the aging of the bones.
Sounds a bit odd, but it gets even more… interesting!
According to some traditions, exceptionally beautiful walnuts are passed down through
families like jewels.
And since they have a sedimentary value, oops, a sentimental value, they’re kept forever…
probably until someone gets hungry…
In the last few years, walnuts have even become a sort of collector’s item.
Yeah, people are looking for ancient nuts that have been passed through families for
generations.
I’ve got plenty of nuts in my family tree!
They’re even willing to pay a hefty price for them!
This could explain why in some flea markets in China, people are sold counterfeit walnuts
filled with rocks!
Oh, that’s nuts…
Hey, do you have a favorite kind of nut?
No, I didn’t mean me, but thanks!
Feel free to share down in the comments!
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