Nuts & Seeds

Both types of food help you reach your recommended intake of protein each day, as well as count toward your daily fat allowance. Seeds and nuts benefit your health because they offer key essential nutrients and play a role in disease prevention.

Nuts and seeds are the storehouses of health benefiting antioxidants such as carotenes, resveratrol, lutein, cryptoxanthin, etc. These compounds have been found to offer protection against certain diseases. Along with antioxidants, they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium and other important micronutrients.

You need fat as part of your diet, and eating nuts helps ensure that your fat intake comes from healthy unsaturated fat. They are rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids, that help lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. They are also a rich source of all-important omega-3 essential fatty acids.

In addition to all the benefits mentioned above, nuts and seeds also provide a source of dietary fiber. Fiber helps slow the rate of digestion. This means that sugar from your meal enters your bloodstream slowly, leading to a gradual rise in blood sugar that leaves you feeling energized after you eat. Fiber also promotes regular bowel movements.