OH Nuts!

Nuts we all love them but these tasty little gems need a little light shed on them so let me flick the switch for all of you.

Nutritionally speaking we get many great qualities from nuts.  They are rich in monounsaturated fat and have a pretty neutral effect on health.  They don't really hurt us nor have they been proven to drastically improve our health.  They don't increase our blood cholesterol levels but nor do they really decrease them (this excludes walnuts which are actually a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids which have been proven to decrease these cholesterol levels).  Nuts fall into the category of Omega 6 fatty acids and our diets tend to be quite prevalent in this type of Omega's.  Please note I am generalizing here and each nut has a very unique nutritional make up but this is just to give you some basic understanding.
60% or more of the calories in nuts come from fats so WHY do we continue to look at them as being predominately a protein?  Yes, there is protein in nuts and significant amounts in some, however, if your goal is weight loss, looking great and feeling great then its time to take a hard look at these high calorie delights.

Would you consider oatmeal a protein?  Most of us understand that this is a carbohydrate and are completely unaware of the protein content.  Did you know that spinach also contains protein?  Partial proteins are residual in MOST foods we eat, but when I look at foods I categorize a macro nutrient based on the question "what (protein, carbs or fat) is providing the greatest % of calories".  This is how I enable clients to place boundaries on foods while still being able to choose and enjoy them at their discretion without fear of weight gain or overeating.

Nuts are good for us... great, we all know and understand this, but if you are turning to these to fuel your protein needs and you are not a vegetarian put down the bag of almonds and step away.  There is a time and a place to utilize this compact caloric source but when weight loss is the goal you MUST be mindful of them and ALL your fats, good, bad and ugly.

Treat them as a fat, all be it a good fat,  but give them the respect they deserve.  Eat them and enjoy but moderation here is key.  They must be consumed in their raw unprocessed state (sorry roasted and salted isn't going to cut it). 

8 almonds will give you 5 grams of fat (or 45 calories from fat) BUT only 2 grams of protein (or 8 calories).
In the battle of you VS a bathing suit ready bottom you can see how from a calorie stand point these really add up quickly.

Remember calories from fat are 9 per gram and calories from protein are only 4.  Again, unless you are vegetarian, stick to getting your protein from true sources (animal or soy based) and keep your fats present in your meal plan but strictly measured and under control. 

Over the next few weeks I will be talking more about fats and making sure you understand the power they have to help you achieve great results or how quickly they can unravel all your hard work.

-L