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Nuts & Seeds as Part of Your Nutrient-Dense Diet
Nuts are good for you. Nuts are bad for you. Nuts have too many calories. Some nuts have saturated fat. Current health and diet information is so contradictory and confusing that it is easy to be misled. Nuts are a great example of this information. Some experts recommend nuts as a healthy addition to our diet but only in small quantities. Other experts caution that some nuts are more nutritious than others because they contain less saturated fat.
David Getoff, CCN, CTN, FAAIM, says, “Nuts to all the contradictory information!” David states “Unless you are allergic, raw, organic nuts are one of the best snack foods on our planet!” As long as you are still here on planet earth, we at Price-Pottenger and David Getoff recommend eating raw, organic nuts and seeds because they are a nutrient dense food that satiates.
Different varieties of nuts have different levels of various nutrients (almonds are high in Vitamin E and Brazil nuts are one of the best dietary sources of selenium, for example). So, how to decide what nuts to eat? There are so many different varieties- Brazil nuts, pignoli nuts, pine nuts, cashews, macadamias, almonds-it can be difficult to decide. The best route is to choose via your taste buds’ preference. Regardless of the type, it is best that you choose raw, organic nuts and seeds.
Nuts are high in good fats, which is why they are such a healthy addition to your diet. The fat in nuts actually makes you full, does not negatively affect your glycemic index and contains valuable health-promoting nutrients. However, fat tends to bind onto chemicals easily, so it is best to consume this high-fat food in its natural, pesticide-free form.
Numerous studies have also found that organic food contains more nutrients than its pesticide-laden counterparts. Yes, organic nuts may be more expensive, but you get more nutrient bang for your buck. If you look at the long-term investment into your health, you may end up saving money with organic foods by avoiding expensive health conditions later in life.
David specifies that truly raw (never heated above 109° F) nuts are the most nutritious because they contain enzymes and other nutrients which are depleted during modern processing. Modern processing can include roasting, shelling and salting with nutrient-deficient sodium. Both cashews and macadamia nuts can be very difficult to find in their truly raw form. The shells of these nuts are very difficult to open, so most producers will steam the shell in order to make this process easier. This causes the nut to be exposed to temperatures upwards of 150° F. While this may not mean all of the living, beneficial enzymes are destroyed, certainly some of them are, making these nuts no longer truly raw nuts. Current regulations state that a nut exposed to heat up to 160°F can be labeled as raw, but many of the beneficial enzymes found in raw nuts will be destroyed well before that temperature is reached. David believes for a food to be truly raw it must still contain all of its health-promoting enzymes.
It is best to do your research than when purchasing nuts. Call your producer and find out how they shell their macadamias and cashews. One of David’s favorite producers is Jaffe Brothers. Currently, California almonds are another nut that is not going to be raw when you find it in the grocery store. Ironically, a European almond grower can actually sell their “truly” raw almonds in California grocery stores, but California almond growers cannot. They may ship their raw, organic, unpasteurized product to other nations but they cannot sell it in the U.S. Unfortunately, FDA labeling requirements allow almonds which have been heated over 150°F and often gassed with propylene oxide to be labeled “raw.” Obviously this is neither raw nor organic! Similar to how one must research how cashews are harvested, it is best to research how the almonds you consume are grown and processed.
Peanuts, which are not actually a true nut, but are legumes, are also a healthy option. Nuts typically grow on trees (hence the term tree nuts). Peanuts grow on a low plant. Like tree nuts, peanuts are high in the fats your body needs, and unless one has an allergy to them, they are another health-promoting food.
Nut butters are also a great way to snack on nuts. Again, make sure they are truly raw, organic nut butters. Peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter are all great options. Some type of nut butter on a piece of fruit can make a healthy and filling snack and can slow down the absorption of sugar from the fruit in the body as well.
Roasted nuts can actually be harmful, not just because the high temperature they are roasted at destroys beneficial enzymes found in truly raw nuts, but because good fats can be harmed when exposed to high temperatures. Furthermore, nuts are often roasted in harmful substances such as vegetable oils and canola oils. Consuming genetically modified vegetable oils and canola oil can easily negate the health benefits of eating nuts.
That was a lot of information about nuts! Don’t worry-we’ll give you the following check list to make your nut-and-seed-purchasing easier.
- Be sure your nuts are truly organic.
- Be sure your nuts are truly raw. Call the producer and/or grower to confirm how cashews and macadamias are shelled. Ask if the nuts have been exposed to any heat at all. For all types of nuts, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the entire harvesting, shelling, packaging, etc. processes.
- Don’t purchase California-grown almonds.
- Source places to purchase truly raw nuts, and be sure to tell others about your findings.
- Prepare your nuts for optimal digestion and nourishment. Soak them for 24 hours to release the phytates and than dehydrate them at a low temperature (90°F is optimal) for as long as you like, depending on how crispy you like your nuts.
- Enjoy nuts whenever you like as part of your optimal-health diet!
– LINDSAY WIKHOLM