Fitness Guid: Consuming Nuts for Weight Loss

Almonds come from a tree that is native to the Middle East and South Asia. These nuts are available in stores in different forms: whole almonds, flaked almonds, almond flour, almond oil, almond milk and almond butter. Almonds are your body's source of carbohydrates, Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, calcium, Protein, Amino acids, dietary fiber, Omega 6 & 9 and monounsaturated fat.

They may look like a humble nut but is has tremendous health benefits

Reduce the risk of heart disease- because these nuts are high in monounsaturated fat which is a health promoting fat and the antioxidant Vitamin E, can help lower your cholesterol. The potassium found in Almonds is an important electrolyte that is essential in maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.
Helps build strong bones and teeth- the nut contains phosphorous and calcium which help to strengthen bones and teeth.
Excellent for skin care- due to the rich Vitamin E content, they can be used for skin treatment. Almond oil contains a mixture of tocopherols and tocotrienols which is the true form of Vitamin E and is much more powerful than any other skin care supplement. Consuming almonds daily can help your skin look and feel younger for longer.
Reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease-the Vitamin E found in almonds help protect against Alzheimer's disease.
Aids in weight loss - the nut contains monounsaturated fatty acids, the same found in avocado and olive oil. The minerals and vitamins found in almonds activate energy production within your body and because it helps you feel more energetic, you will at the same time be more active and that can only be helpful in losing weight. Snacking on almonds throughout your day can help you feel fuller for longer thereby preventing you from over eating during meal time. Because of the high levels of protein content found in almonds it makes it good for reducing body fat. By increasing the levels of protein and healthy fats in your diet it will help diminish processed carbohydrates and therefore aid in the process of weight loss.

How much almonds should you consume daily:

Well you can eat as much as you want you can never have enough. But there is a minimum recommendation of at least 70 nuts per day or 1 cup per day. You don't have to chew all your almonds though; you could make almond milk and flavor it with vanilla essence. You could make almond butter and use it as a spread on your health bread.

Lets take a look at some ways to help you consume Almonds.

Almond milk: Home made

Take 1 cup of almonds and soak in a dish of filtered water for 12 hours. Make sure the almonds are fully submerged into the water.
Drain the all the water out of the dish. Your almonds should look blown up as it soaked in some water.
Put the 1 cup of almonds into a blender with 2 cups of filtered water.
Blend until smooth consistency, normally takes 3 minutes on high power.
Pour the blended almonds and water into a rice cloth or strainer over another dish to collect the almond milk. Squeeze the cloth to ensure all the almond milk is drained into the dish. If you using a strainer use a table spoon to press out the blended mixture. Your almonds should be dried out almost like a powder.
There you have Almond milk. You can flavor the milk by adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon fructose if you want it sweet.
The dried pulp can be used for baking or you can use it for organic compost.

Almond butter: Home made