Nuts for Natural Weight Loss

Hey, lets crack the code on something pretty awesome: NUTS 🌰🥜

They are seriously your BFF when it comes to shedding those pesky pounds and feeling fab.

We're talking decades of solid research showing that nuts pack a punch of nutrition that can totally level up your health game.

From crunching on almonds to snacking on walnuts, these little guys are full of benefits that'll make you go nuts (in the best way possible)! 🥜✨

And regular nut consumption does not adversely affect weight – and in fact, may help with weight management.

The misconception that nuts are high in fat and therefore “fattening” is just not true!

So why are nuts so amazing and how many nuts a day should we eat to get all the benefits? Let’s take a look.

How do nuts help weight?

✅ Satiety and reduced appetite: The plant-protein and fibre in nuts help satisfy hunger and reduce appetite and the healthy fats help release satiety hormones in the gut, which help to tell you when you’re full.

✅ Increased resting energy rate: The body’s metabolism increases (by up to 10%) immediately after eating nuts, meaning kilojoules are burnt up.

✅ Not all nut kilojoules are absorbed: The fibrous cell walls in nuts stop our bodies absorbing up to 30% of the kilojoules in nuts. This energy is instead excreted.

✅ The findings also showed that energy compensation depends on the form of the nut consumed, with whole nuts exerting a greater compensation effect, compared to their nut butter counterparts.

✅ Spontaneous dietary adjustments: Research suggests that eating nuts can reduce energy intake at later meals.

In fact, studies show that nut consumers eat significantly less kilojoules – by up to as much energy as the nuts provided – at their next meal! This is likely due to the protein, fibre and healthy fats in nuts.

Comfy Chestnuts

Chestnuts are quite different from other nuts, both nutritionally and culinarily.

Nutritionally, they are closer to whole grains.

And taste-wise, chestnuts have a sweet nutty taste, but a texture more like a baked potato.

Chestnuts have a unique nutritional make-up. They are lower in fat and have a higher water content than other nuts.

Chestnuts are the only nuts that contain vitamin C and compared to other nuts, contain more dietary fibre. Like other nuts, they do provide plant protein.

Enjoy them warm and roasted in soups and stuffings.

What do the studies say?

🥜 Evidence from a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of 3 prospective cohort studies and 62 randomised controlled trials shows that nuts are associated with reduced overweight/obesity and that a diet enriched with nuts reduces body weight, body mass index and waist circumference.

🥜A new Australian study has found including nuts in calorie-controlled weight loss diets does not hinder weight loss – and may instead have the opposite effect! This suggests that a greater quantity of nuts in the diet may better boost satiety, contributing to greater weight loss.

🥜 As mentioned above Not all nut kilojoules are absorbed: regular nut consumption does not adversely affect weight.

🥜 In this randomised cross-over trial, 80 healthy young adults either ate 40g of walnuts daily, or had no walnuts, or any other nuts, (control) for 8 weeks, with a washout period of 2 weeks.

It found walnut consumption was significantly associated with improved sleep quality (lower sleep latency, higher sleep efficiency, and less day time sleepiness).

The melatonin metabolite, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, was also significantly higher with walnut consumption.

This suggests that a daily serving of 40g of walnuts increases melatonin, which can improve sleep quality and reduce daytime sleepiness.

🥜 A wealth of evidence has firmly established nuts as potent cardioprotective foods

How Many Nuts a day Should we Eat?

Armed with this new evidence, a daily handful (30g) of nuts, is a simple strategy towards improved health, that does not adversely affect weight.

A 30g serve of nuts is equivalent to around:

Ways to add nuts to my diet.

🌰 Nuts can add the crunch factor to any stir fry, burrito bowl or curry

🌰 Blend nuts into smoothies

🌰 Nuts make tasty toast toppers paired with berries

🌰 Add to home-made granola

🌰 Roast nuts and add to salads

🌰 Use crushed nuts as a nut crumb to baked fish

🌰 Make a nutty pesto or creamy dressing using nuts (eg: cashew cream)

🌰 Nut butters (say no more 😋)

🌰 Grab a small handful of nuts for a snack paired with some fruit

Ready to Change the Things You Can Change?

So, in a nutshell, adding 30g of nuts to your daily diet, however you choose to do that, will help with weight loss or weight maintenance and a healthier you!

You can be confident to add nuts in daily as part of a calorie-controlled diet if weight loss is the plan.

Reflection

I recently bought walnuts and put them in an airtight jar and have 1 handful daily, mainly as a salad topper. How are you going to add some nuts today?

The Snack Bar by Strong Woman Project

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