Nuts Can be Good for You
copyright 2002 by Michelle Jones, editor of CookingLow-Fat.com

My goodness, I wrote this article over a year ago and somehow lost track of it.  I'm sitting here eating a (natural - unhydrogenated) peanut butter sandwich for lunch and wondering how much lower my next cholesterol test will be since I've made the switch from using the regular (bad) hydrogenated kind to the good kind, once again.  

Keep in mind, I eat peanut butter almost daily, even more than my kids. And the last time I made the switch to natural peanut butter it lowered my cholesterol by 30 points, so I'm hoping for a repeat performance.  Now - I just have to commit to never, never, go back!

Anyhow, that's what reminded me about this article and then I went looking for it so I could share it with all of you.  I hope it will shed some light on the nut mysteries, especially for those of you who think nuts are just all bad for us!

Nuts Can be Good for You

Nuts are not only an inexpensive source of protein, but they are also high in fiber and micronutrients (Vitamin E and trace minerals). 

Many of them contain the healthy kind of oils (monounsaturated) that we should include in our daily diet. Monounsaturated fats and oils lower the LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff); yet do not lower the HDL (the good stuff). 

Nuts are considered a vegetable protein, not an animal protein that contains the bad kind of fat (saturated). Choose natural, unsalted varieties and keep them fresh in the refrigerator; not the honey roasted or highly salted kinds we all love.

Although nuts are indeed a healthy snack, a small amount goes a long way. A small handful of nuts can pack more calories than one might realize, and no matter how healthy you are eating, too many calories still add up to extra pounds on the hips.

Just exactly how many nuts are in a 1-ounce serving? Here's a quick list...

And a word of caution about nut butters, especially peanut butter. The solid form of peanut butter that most of us purchase at the store, contain partially hydrogenated oils; bad, bad stuff. 

New research suggests it's not even the saturated animal fat that is so bad for us, but in fact it's the hydrogenated oils that are the worst culprits to our good health.

These partially hydrogenated oils are not only found in peanut butter, but any kind of liquid fat that has been solidified; such as margarine, vegetable shortening, cookies, crackers, and other snack foods. Read the labels and try to avoid these unhealthy foods.

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copyright © 2002 by Michelle Jones