Fruits and Nuts

[The Gardener]

I've read that eating nuts is very beneficial for health. My question is, which nuts are best to eat? One article I read said that peanuts should be avoided. Are there good nuts and bad nuts, diet-wise?

Same question with fruit. I've read from one source that apples, although nutritious, is actually the worst kind of fruit to eat in terms of insulin reaction. What kind of fruits are good to eat, from the perspective of not only vitamin content, anti-oxidant content, but also from a fiber and insulin perspective?

CCS, you're usually up on this stuff. Any thoughts?

 

[retropunk]

A peanut is not a nut. It's a bean, but I digress.

If you want a good nut, you should try brazil, hazel or pistachios. Peanuts are a good 'nut' for protein. I'm partial to pistachios.

Pecans are the nuts you don't want to eat because of their fat content and little else, but pecan pie is so good.

 

[The Gardener]

Thanks... Exactly the kind of information I am looking for!...

Good thing that pistachios are true "nuts", because I love them!

 

[Bald Dave]

Guys, I am a big fan of pistacios as well and if they are good for you then that is great news!

 

[retropunk]

I should have posted this, too. I guess I trashed the pecan too early as the macedamia is indeed a more 'unhealthy' nut.

 

[The Gardener]

Thanks for that link, retropunk!

 

[hair_tomorrow]

I recall hearing like 100 years ago or so that almonds can help reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancers.

Whatever nuts I get though - I try to get unsalted.

 

[StoptheMadness]

Californians?

 

[CCS]

Thanks... Exactly the kind of information I am looking for!...

Good thing that pistachios are true "nuts", because I love them!

Just because it is the kind of info you want does not mean any of it is correct.

Nuts are a source of fat, not protein. Yeah, they have protein, but not enough to contribute to your daily needs without getting more fat than you need.

Anyway, peanuts have half the methionine per gram of protein as sun flower seeds do. Since methionine is by far the limiting amino acid in vegetarian diets, I'd eat sunflowerseeds instead of peanuts. If you eat flax seeds too, you get a mix of mono and poly unsaturated fats

As for fruits, bananas and oranges are best. Apples are NOT nutritious.

There are other exotic foods that are nutritious too, but expensive. I just listed the common ones that are reasonably priced.

Sip orange juice (pulp free) during and after long, intense exercise, then eat whole oranges later after your digestive system has started working again. Sugar does not spike blood sugar if you sip small amounts every 10 minutes and wash it down with water. This is good because you can feed yourself during workouts when your digestive system is not working.

 

[CCS]

I recall hearing like 100 years ago or so that almonds can help reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancers.

Whatever nuts I get though - I try to get unsalted.

you have to look at the study to see what part of the diet they replaced with almonds. If they replaced french fries with almonds, then of course anything would have the same effect. Also look to see if they just used natural vitamin E in any of the controls. I'm sure almonds are good, but I'd not go out and replace the calories of an orange with almonds just because of the studies that the almond industry probably paid for. They can afford to pay for these studies since they sell almonds for $9 per pound!

 

[hairwegoagain]

Pecans are so tasty that I eat them without hesitation. As someone commented above, there's nothing better than a slice of homemade pecan pie. DELICIOUS.

 

[The Gardener]

Thanks CCS! Your information is insightful, but I do disagree with your almonds/french fries comparison, however. Almonds, and nuts in general, do have fat content but it is overwhelmingly unsaturated fat, i.e. "good" fat, and are low in saturated fat.

The exact opposite is true for fries. Nuts also pack a small punch of protein, and they are high in fiber. They're the perfect snack food.

 

[powersam]

you gotta grind flax seeds though, otherwise they'll just slip right through you.

 

[retropunk]

Thanks... Exactly the kind of information I am looking for!...

Good thing that pistachios are true "nuts", because I love them!

Just because it is the kind of info you want does not mean any of it is correct.

Nuts are a source of fat, not protein. Yeah, they have protein, but not enough to contribute to your daily needs without getting more fat than you need.

I didn't mean to insinuate that peanuts were a good source for protein, but peanuts have some of the most protein from the "nuts" group.

I would have to echo the sentiment about seeds. Flaxseeds, seasame, sunflower and pumpkin are all good.

 

[retropunk]

you gotta grind flax seeds though, otherwise they'll just slip right through you.

You can generally get this from flax seed muffins. Many grocery stores sell milled flaxseed and flaxseed muffins. Good stuff.

 

[powersam]

you gotta grind flax seeds though, otherwise they'll just slip right through you.

You can generally get this from flax seed muffins. Many grocery stores sell milled flaxseed and flaxseed muffins. Good stuff.

yeah im a bit of a fan of those muffins. but if you want it fresh, best to get a cheap coffee bean grinder and grind them up just before you eat them. good on cereal or porridge.

 

[joseph49853]

Heathiest nuts, imo, raw walnuts, almonds.... not roasted, as it greatly increases the amount of AGEs.

For fruit: probably avocado, tomato, cantaloupe, and apricot

For beans: peanuts, lentils, pinto beans.

 

[hair_tomorrow]

Heathiest nuts, imo, raw walnuts, almonds.... not roasted, as it greatly increases the amount of AGEs.

For fruit: probably avocado, tomato, cantaloupe, and apricot

For beans: peanuts, lentils, pinto beans.

and I've heard a lot of positive comments about blueberries and strawberries lately - can't recall why they're so special though - antioxidants maybe?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Heathiest nuts, imo, raw walnuts, almonds.... not roasted, as it greatly increases the amount of AGEs.

For fruit: probably avocado, tomato, cantaloupe, and apricot

For beans: peanuts, lentils, pinto beans.

and I've heard a lot of positive comments about blueberries and strawberries lately - can't recall why they're so special though - antioxidants maybe?

I buy raw walnuts and raw almonds from Trader Joe's, and mix them together in tupperware bowl and keep in fridge.
I grab a few of these nuts, several times during the day.

What I also do is grind 2 tablespoons of flax seeds in a coffee grinder and add to a glass of water and drink immediately upon rising.

After breakfast I mix a tablespoon of organic apple-cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of pomegranite concentrate, then add water. I drink this concoction with my vitamins..

For desert I add blueberries, red raspberries, and marion berries, ( I like to get all the colors) into a bowl, add the juice of one lemon, sweetened with a bit of stevia, and add a generous amount of cinnemon.
It's a great desert, high in fiber and anti-oxidents...

 

[The Gardener]

Heathiest nuts, imo, raw walnuts, almonds.... not roasted, as it greatly increases the amount of AGEs.

For fruit: probably avocado, tomato, cantaloupe, and apricot

For beans: peanuts, lentils, pinto beans.

I LOVE lentils. I eat lentils at least twice a week as a side dish alongside my main protein source for dinner, in lieu of white rice or pasta. Lentils are SO good... they cook quickly, and are great tossed with some chicken stock base for flavor, olive oil, cumin, onion, and a dash of garlic powder.

I've been really getting into legumes and whole grains. Lentils, quinoa, brown rice, spelt... there are so many very tasty alternatives to the standard starch side dish that are SO much better for you.