Health and Wellness Guide for Women Over 40

The Benefits of Nuts

Women over 40 should be aware of the benefit of nuts and how they play a vital role in a healthy diet. Nuts are an essential source of protein, vitamins and minerals. Nuts come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and can be found in many forms such as cashew, Brazil nut, almond or walnut.

Nuts can be condensed into a paste format (such as peanut butter or almond butter) and can be roasted. Aside from nuts having heart-healthy benefits and beneficial fat content, nuts can also provide a filling and protein-rich snack throughout the day.

Research shows that eating nuts in small increments daily added to meals or as a snack, can help keep hunger in check.  Nuts can also reduce inflammation and provide vitamins and minerals such as Folate, Niacin or Vitamin E.

Nuts are said to contain Omega 3 fatty acids. These are unsaturated fatty acids that may decrease the risk of acquiring coronary heart disease. People who eat five times or more of it every week had roughly a 50 percent decrease in risk of dying from heart disease as compared to those who eat only nuts once a week. Those who eat one to four times in a week reduced their risk of acquiring the heart disease by 25%.

KEEPING YOU AND YOUR BRAIN YOUNG

Usually, what's beneficial to the heart is also favorable to the brain. Nuts are not just a hearty snack but also a brainy food. Nuts help keep your arteries clear so it lessens the risk of clogging arteries which can lead to stroke. Nuts also promote the production of precursors of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which improves the mood, and reduces depression.

One ounce of nuts is the recommended amount to eat. That is equivalent to 24 almonds or 12 walnuts. Nuts is full of calories so be careful in eating too much of eat. Eating more than one ounce is fine unless you replace unhealthy high-caloric foods in exchange of nuts.

Here's the deal: those who eat one ounce of nuts five times a week become 3.3 years younger for the males, and 4.4 years for the females.

In addition, you would also live two to three years longer compared to those who don't.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT?

Well, raw, unroasted, unsalted nuts are best for your body. In that they also provide extra fiber.

Almonds are nut just tasty but are also beneficial because they are alkaline-formers even though they are high in protein. Having alkaline is good for the body because we need to keep up with the high acidic content of the body (which is the result of the oxygenation of all that we eat).

Walnuts are the nuts that have the most abundance of Omega-3 fatty acids. Walnuts are the kind that is beneficial to the diabetics.