Go Nuts! (Healthy nuts and fats to eat or AVOID)

The Quick Cut: 

• There are many myths and mistakes that surround fats (especially nuts) when including them in your diet. 

• Be aware, don’t over-consume.

• Keep track of your daily fat intake. 

The Long Slice:

My friends, go nuts. 

Why am I asking you to go nuts? Well, nuts are an interesting topic. They can get a bad wrap as many myths and mistakes revolve around them. But, they can also be beneficial to your diet goals. So, let’s debunk these myths and mistakes to learn which nuts and actions we should avoid and which we can actually go nuts about! 

First of all, a nut, in the context of macronutrients, contains primarily fat and most nuts have healthy fats. These healthy fats help us with things like inflammation, digestion, and absorb macronutrients. For example, let's say if you're having some olive oil on your salad, usually the presence of that healthy fat is going to help you by digesting macronutrients better and it may help with absorbing micronutrients as well. So, that olive oil can help you better digest the vitamins that are apart of the salad that you are eating (lettuce, cucumber, etc.). In fact, a lot of micronutrients are called fat-soluble, which means they digest a lot better when they are in the presence of fat. So having this type of fat, like olive oil or nuts, is actually critical to your diet.

MYTHS

Now that we have acknowledged that fats can be helpful for your diet, let's start by addressing the myths and mistakes that surround both fats and nuts. A lot of people think eating fat is going to make you fat. But that's actually our first myth to discuss. Consuming fats are only going to generate real fat if you overdo it. This means, that when you are eating foods that contain fats, such as nuts, you want to consume them in moderation. With that being said, try to stay away from nuts like almonds. Stick with raw nuts like cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, and walnuts. Ultimately, these types of nuts contain more healthy fats and can come with some additional micronutrients that can be helpful for you. Try these types of nuts if you are looking for a healthy fat to add to your diet.

MISTAKES

Let’s also take the time to address the mistakes people make in general when it comes to healthy fats.  When it comes to healthy fats, nuts can be misleading. The biggest pitfall is staying away from unhealthy nuts, like peanuts. For many, hearing that “nut” word can trick them into thinking that meals that involve peanut butter are therefore healthy. Instead, peanuts are generally not the best option for healthy fats. They usually have different kinds of unhealthy chemicals and preservatives. And like I said, the peanuts themselves are not very healthy. So be sure to be careful with the nuts that you are consuming and be aware of what they contain.

So you just found out that peanut butter is not the best choice for fat… now what? Consider exploring alternatives to help you achieve your fat intakes, such as almond butter or cashew butter. These substitutes are much better options. They can be a little bit more expensive, but you're going to receive a lot more nutrition.

OVERCONSUMPTION 

Another key area to highlight is the importance of not overconsuming. As previously mentioned, you want to be careful when it comes to nuts and not eat too many of them. Macronutrient nuts can be very calorie-dense. Therefore, if you're consuming a lot of those fats you’re going to drive your caloric intake up and your body’s response will lead to weight gain. So, don't overdo it. Don’t be fooled by the claims that the nuts contain “healthy fats” or have “omega threes” be aware that at the end of the day, it is a nut and they contain a lot of fat and calories!

KEEP TRACK

When you do find yourself craving a small snack and reach for that bag of nuts, a rule of thumb to follow is to count the number of nuts you’re eating. The amount that you have can vary based on your body and goals, but the process of counting them out can be beneficial for everyone. Be proactive as the freehand method can be problematic. You can either physically count them out on your hand or use a measuring tool to keep track. The goal is to seek 30% of your calories from fat per day on average. If you're having more than that, then the body's going to start looking soft. As we know, many of our goals surround the want to look lean, be muscular, and toned. I always say, if you want to look like a lean piece of meat, then eat a lean piece of meat. Be sure that protein is the biggest percentage of calories in your diet on a daily basis, or at least on average.

As we reach the end, I guess you could officially call me a health-nut… get it? Nevertheless, to tie it all together, remember, you want to go nuts, but not too nuts. Go nuts in terms of having your healthy nuts like walnuts or pecans, but don’t go nuts on the overconsumption.