So what's wrong with nuts

amirm

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Apr 2, 2010
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OK, this one is driving me crazy. I love nuts and eat a lot of it. I had always thought it was good for you until I read the posts from you Myles and I think some others here saying it is not. In layman explanation, exactly what is wrong with them? If I take a few before a meal, I eat less fat for example. Is that not good? I thought having more fiber and the oils in the nuts was good for you. Please say that I can keep eating them and feel good about them. :)
 

Andre Marc

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I think nuts are certainly healthy in moderation but have you ever checked the fat content in nuts such as pecans or pistachios

The fat in nuts is not unhealthy. It is easily turned into fuel. If you are sedentary...well, that is a different story.

Early man were voracious consumers of nuts, seeds, and roots.

This thread is interesting to me because I eat a small bowl of unsalted pistachios, cashews, maccadamia, and hazelnuts nightly.

I'm five foot 10, 165 lbs, just turned 45.
 

Andre Marc

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OK, this one is driving me crazy. I love nuts and eat a lot of it. I had always thought it was good for you until I read the posts from you Myles and I think some others here saying it is not. In layman explanation, exactly what is wrong with them? If I take a few before a meal, I eat less fat for example. Is that not good? I thought having more fiber and the oils in the nuts was good for you. Please say that I can keep eating them and feel good about them. :)

Hey Amir:

Unfortunately, knowing what to eat and how to excercise can be maddening with the barrage of media reports, so called "studies" (many funded by
food conglomerates), and so many experts weighing in.

The bottom line is you cannot change human biochemistry. We were never programmed to eat refined carbs, the biggest reason for being overweight.

After searching for decades, my plan is to eat as many whole foods as possible..whole foods being the way the food appears in nature..vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc,
with as little processed foods as humanly possible!

I also work out comprehensively 6 days a week.

Interestingly, after this weekend, I am going to go on a vegetarian food plan for a few months, avoiding essentially all animal product
to see how it changes my body, mood, and overall energy level.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
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Seattle, WA
I think nuts are certainly healthy in moderation but have you ever checked the fat content in nuts such as pecans or pistachios
I meant to exclude risks it may cause by increasing one's weight.

Comments like this are everywhere: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/walnuts.html

"Health benefits of Walnuts

The nuts are rich source of energy and contain health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

They are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (about 72%) like oleic acid and an excellent source of all important omega-3 essential fatty acids like linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acids. Regular intake of walnuts in the diet helps to lower total as well as LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet that is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.

Eating just as much as 25 g each day provides about 90% of RDI (recommended daily intake) of omega-3 fatty acids. Research studies have suggested that n-3 fatty acids by their virtue of anti-inflammatory action help to lower the risk of blood pressure, coronary artery disease, strokes and breast, colon and prostate cancers.

They are rich source of many phyto-chemical substances that may contribute to their overall anti-oxidant activity, including melatonin, ellagic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, and poly-phenolic compounds. These compounds have potential health effects against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases.

Scientists at University of Scranton, Pennsylvania had recently discovered that walnuts have highest levels of popyphenolic antioxidants than any other common edible nuts. 100 g of walnuts contain 13541 µmol TE (Trolex equivalents) of oxidant radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Eating as few as six to seven average size nuts a day could help scavenge disease causing free radicals from the body.

In addition, they are an excellent source of vitamin E, especially rich in gamma-tocopherol; contain about 21 g per 100 g (about 140% of daily-required levels). Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

These nuts are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates.

They also very are rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Copper is a cofactor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as co-factors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. Selenium is an important micronutrient, which functions as a co-factor for anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases.

Walnut's oil has flavorful nutty aroma and has excellent astringent properties. Applied locally, it helps to keep skin well protected from dryness. It has also been used in cooking, and as “carrier or base oil” in traditional medicines in massage therapy, aromatherapy, in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.

Munch a handful of walnuts a day and you will have enough recommended levels of minerals, vitamins, and protein."


I mean this doesn't remotely read like something that is not good for you!
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Everything in moderation Amir

After searching for decades, my plan is to eat as many whole foods as possible..whole foods being the way the food appears in nature..vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc,
with as little processed foods as humanly possible!

Four years ago I signed up for 6 months with a local nutritionist and that was her mantra for a healthy, long life. She put is a different way...."we need to get back and eat what our ancestors ate when they came to this country, to wit whole foods and that which grows in the ground
 

Andre Marc

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Everything in moderation Amir



Four years ago I signed up for 6 months with a local nutritionist and that was her mantra for a healthy, long life. She put is a different way...."we need to get back and eat what our ancestors ate when they came to this country, to wit whole foods and that which grows in the ground

Yep, also known as paleo diet, etc. I do think eating meat is ok, and a natural part of our evolution. Early man were essentially omnivores.

But here are two interesting facts: The animals that share the closest match to our DNA, chimps, and gorillas, have different diets. Chimps, we have something like a 95% genetic match with chimps and they eat meat and forage. Gorillas only forage, and have very large stomach chambers to break down plant product.
 

Johnny Vinyl

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May 16, 2010
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Everything in moderation Amir



Four years ago I signed up for 6 months with a local nutritionist and that was her mantra for a healthy, long life. She put is a different way...."we need to get back and eat what our ancestors ate when they came to this country, to wit whole foods and that which grows in the ground


Absolutely agree with that, however, with all of the intervention from the big conglomerates it's not always easy find truly natural products (meaning free of pesticides/growth hormones) at an affordable price for most consumers. I still do my bit though and cook fresh most nights of the week.

Growing up, we had dinner at the table as a family every night of the week. My Mom cooked with fresh ingredients from scratch.....The beauty about that was that we also had variety. We also didn't have meat every night.
 

mep

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BTW, the human body does require a certain amount of saturated fat every day equivalent to one tablespoonful of butter

I don't think most people have a problem obtaining that much (or little depending on your perspective) fat in their daily diet. My sister was a strict vegan for many years until her diet almost killed her. She was super-skinny, but very unhealthy. Her doctor told her she had to give up the vegan diet in order to regain her health. She's not super skinny any more though. She's blown up like a tick on a fat dog. Humans weren't designed to only eat tree bark and berries. There is a reason all of the tasty animals roam our planet.
 

JackD201

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Psssst. Your sister just joined the forum today.
 

treitz3

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:D
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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OK, this one is driving me crazy. I love nuts and eat a lot of it. I had always thought it was good for you until I read the posts from you Myles and I think some others here saying it is not. In layman explanation, exactly what is wrong with them? If I take a few before a meal, I eat less fat for example. Is that not good? I thought having more fiber and the oils in the nuts was good for you. Please say that I can keep eating them and feel good about them. :)

Amir, I don't think I ever said nuts per se were bad. What I was saying is that there are some people, those Paleo adherents being one, that think that using seed oils (peanut, canola, sesame, etc) are bad for you as they are pro-oxidants (in part as to how they are processed and rancify even though antioxidants are fruitlessly added to fight that chemical process). Is there any evidence? Not a whole lot but none of these diets have a lot of hard evidence.

Nuts are good but remember they are energy dense! Nuts make for a good snack during the day. But the problem is that people don't have much self control when it comes to eating nuts. That's why some companies now sell them in individual portion sizes.
 

MarinJim

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Feb 2, 2011
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Blog - The Eating Academy | Peter Attia, M.D

I follow his advice and for weight lifting also: Dr. Jeff Volek's "TNT Diet"

I eat a small hand full of almonds, walnuts and cashews each morning. And I eat as much fat as I can (4 bacon w/ eggs every morning). I cut out sugar and refined carbs. The only fruit I eat are dark berries.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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0
Seattle, WA
Blog - The Eating Academy | Peter Attia, M.D

I follow his advice and for weight lifting also: Dr. Jeff Volek's "TNT Diet"

I eat a small hand full of almonds, walnuts and cashews each morning. And I eat as much fat as I can (4 bacon w/ eggs every morning). I cut out sugar and refined carbs. The only fruit I eat are dark berries.
So the big question :): what is your cholesterol levels?
 

MarinJim

New Member
Feb 2, 2011
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So the big question :): what is your cholesterol levels?

I had them checked 5 months ago at Kaiser, and they are very good and my blood pressure has dropped since I started to lift again and dropped 30lbs. Try reading Gary Taube's "Why We Get Fat" and some of his other books. Also which is rarely mentioned is genetics. I don't smoke but my Austrian grandfather smoked for 65 years and died at age 96.
 

dallasjustice

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I had them checked 5 months ago at Kaiser, and they are very good and my blood pressure has dropped since I started to lift again and dropped 30lbs. Try reading Gary Taube's "Why We Get Fat" and some of his other books. Also which is rarely mentioned is genetics. I don't smoke but my Austrian grandfather smoked for 65 years and died at age 96.
I lost 80 pounds after I heard a Gary Taubes interview almost 4 years ago. I read "why we get fat." It took me more than a year to lose it all. I recommend his books. I call it a diet book for smart people. Total cholesterol is overrated. He explains the different types of cholesterol and how certain foods oxidize cholesterol. He totally destroys the calories-in, calories-out garbage. The only issue I have discovered eating the so called Paleo diet is getting enough fiber. I eat a lot of green leafy stuff but I found that seeds like flax and sesame can be awesome foods.
 

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