When most people think of a list of healthy snacks, nuts are usually at the top of the list. There is such a huge variety of nuts that anyone can find some they enjoy. Health magazines have been preaching the health benefits of nuts revolution for some time now, in articles and recipes that help readers add a variety of nuts to their meal plans. Even the oily nuts, like cashews and macadamias, have a good amount of the healthy fats like Omega-3s. The Science Daily now reports that London’s Imperial College proves that research shows that people who eat at least a handful of nuts a day, greatly lower their risk of getting cancer, heart disease, and a wide range of other chronic illnesses.
Talking percentages, just how much is your risk of these often fatal diseases lowered?
A handful or 20 grams of nuts a day, lowers your risk of heart disease by 30% and cancers, by 15%. The study confirms that one’s overall health is increased by a daily consumption of nuts. This small amount of nuts, along with healthy dietary changes, can lower your risk of premature death by 22%. For those who live a relatively healthy lifestyle to begin with, adding a variety of nuts to your diet can only increase your chances of aging, healthily and disease-free. Also, if you are allergic to certain nuts, check with your doctor before turning away from all varieties. There may be some nuts that are not a health risk for you.
The Imperial College London partnered with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology for the study, which has now been published in the BMC Medicine journal. If you are looking for ways to easily add more nuts to your diet, here are a few options that are simple and economical.
Salads
If you get tired of eating just a handful of nuts everyday as a snack, using them as a crunchy salad topping is a fun and delicious way to get in your serving of nuts on some days. Using a low-sodium soy sauce will add some extra flavor if you choose to roast the nuts first.
Creating your own trailmix
You can place a bag of mixed nuts into a plastic container and add some raisins and other dried fruits to create your own trailmix. Since dark chocolate is also a healthy snack choice, you can also add some dark chocolate chips to the mix for variety.
Topping for cereals
Nuts are great as a topping for cold and warm cereals, such as oatmeal or cream of wheat. Drop a handful into your morning oatmeal or mix a handful of nuts with your favorite cold cereal to carry to work or school for a super healthy snack.
There are many ways to incorporate a handful of nuts into your daily diet. Get creative, but remember to be conscious of what foods you are mixing with your nuts. You don’t want to add too many other calories or unhealthy fats, to your otherwise, healthy snack time.