10 Healthy Nuts And Seeds You Should Eat Every Day
You vow to pay more attention to your health as you get older, but it's hard to maintain a healthy diet. Everyone slips up, but it doesn't have to be difficult to get nutrients, minerals and antioxidants into your diet.
All you need as a handful of nuts to boost your heart health, energy levels and more. Here are ten healthy nuts and seeds you should eat every day.
1. Almonds
Almonds are thought of as nuts, but they're technically seeds from the almond tree. You only need a handful to get your fiber, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, protein, iron, copper and a few B vitamins in. Dry roasted almonds are delicious by themselves or with dark chocolate.
2. Chia Seeds
Regularly consume chia seeds to soothe joint pain and arthritis, maintain a healthy digestive system, regulate weight loss, improve energy, boost brain health, decrease depression and help protect against heart and liver disease, along with diabetes.
3. Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds naturally combat bad breath but do so much more. For example, they contain potassium which is important for your body fluids and cells and helps balance your blood pressure and heart rate. Fennel seeds also contain vitamin C, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese and selenium.
4. Walnuts
Walnuts are "drupes," a kind of fruit surrounded by a fleshy exterior layer with a seed on the inside. Many notice that walnuts look like tiny brains, and they boost brain health due to a high level of DHA, an omega-three fatty acid, which improves mental performance in adults and protects newborn brain development.
Walnuts also contain calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper, potassium, selenium, protein, B-complex vitamins and a large amount of vitamin E. They're a good source of polyunsaturated fats and boost cholesterol, manage diabetes and reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as prostate and breast cancers. They're great for your skin health, too.
5. Cashews
Cashews aren't nuts either. They're seeds that eerily resemble your kidneys, attached to the bottom of the fruit of the cashew tree — the cashew apple. Cashews contain various vital nutrients which manage anxiety and stress, boost energy, lower cholesterol, regulate Type 2 diabetes, improve heart health, calm PMS symptoms and maintain hair, skin and eyes.
6. Sesame Seeds
Sesame oil is highly valued in the culinary world due to its resistance to rancidity, but sesame seeds pack power for your health when you eat them daily, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and building bone strength. They also protect against risks for asthma, arthritis, migraines and certain cancers.
Ironically, if you eat too many, you may get a migraine and experience symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) — that's mainly a concern for those sensitive to seeds and nuts.
7. Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds have been a culinary and medicinal staple for thousands of years dating back to the Middle East for a good reason — you can get 14 percent of your daily fiber in two teaspoons. You also get a high level of minerals with copper, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and manganese to help build bones and muscle strength, among others.
Poppy seeds also contain antioxidants which are known to fight aging and protect against certain cancers while soothing your immune system.
8. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds come as a tasty treat courtesy of the lovely sunflower, and they will perk your heart health right up by reducing high blood pressure and lowering heart attack risk. They also calm asthma symptoms and migraines and are a good source of Vitamin E which is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Eat a fourth of a cup daily to gain these benefits.
9. Pine Nuts
Pine nuts come from the pine tree and contain various phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Pine nuts are commonly used in the Mediterranean diet, which has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary disease and stroke by boosting blood lipid profiles. The pinolenic acid found in pine nuts lowers bad cholesterol levels. They improve heart health and assist with appetite suppression.
10. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds contain high fiber and promote good gut health while suppressing the appetite and assisting with weight loss. Maintain your hair and skin health, balance blood sugar, protect against cancer risk and heart disease and calm PMS symptoms by eating flaxseeds as a part of your diet regularly.
Please note that flaxseeds can interact with blood thinners, so check with your doctor if you're on medication. Breastfeeding moms and pregnant women should also avoid flaxseeds at this time.
Please consult with a doctor if you're pregnant or have a potential sensitivity to nuts and seeds. Your current medications may also interact with certain ones. Be safe!
Including nuts and seeds and your diet daily will improve everything from your energy to your heart health, even reducing your risk for certain cancers and other chronic conditions. Optimize your health with a delicious trail mix or dash of these tasty nuts and seeds on your salads and sandwiches. It typically only takes a handful to get the benefits!