Did you know that walnuts have been considered brain food from way back? Originally named brain food because the surface of this nut has a crinkly appearance strikingly similar to the brain. Walnuts are considered a sign of intelligence leading people to believe that walnuts can make you smarter. This is not just an old wives' tale because consuming walnuts helps promote brain function. There are two types of walnuts, brown and black. Our primary focus will be on the benefits of brown walnuts.
Walnuts can easily fit into any diet, whether a weight loss diet or a health-conscious one.
In addition, to being quite tasty, walnuts contain more antioxidants than any other nut. An example of an antioxidant in the walnut is melatonin, which helps overcome insomnia. It is amazing how many vitamins and minerals just one walnut contains. Walnuts are also rich in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids stop the oxidation of bad cholesterol called LDL. They boost bone health by increasing the absorption of calcium in the body. These smart nuts possess anti-inflammatory properties which improve both brain health and lift moods. Among the many vitamins that walnuts contain is Vitamin E which helps improve skin problems and prevents wrinkles and dry skin.
Doctors call walnuts the “Power Food”. These nuts are recommended by doctors to athletes for the improvement of their body stamina. Your immune system gets a boost when you eat a delicious walnut regularly. Walnuts are best eaten raw. See the types of walnuts we offer for sale, including walnuts in shell, walnut halves & more!
The skin of the walnut is very healthy and should be eaten in this natural state. Many of the antioxidants just happen to be found in the skin. Just eating 7 walnuts a day will give you vitamins including vitamins B & C as well as proteins, magnesium, iron, and potassium.
As mentioned before, walnuts can be quite advantageous in specific diets. For example, The Mediterranean Diet has been consistently hailed as the most healthy of diets both for weight loss seekers and health-conscious individuals as well.
There are also healthy ways to incorporate walnuts in your cooking and baking. Ground walnuts are a delicious additive to your toll house cookie recipe. Even better are chopped walnuts which give the extra crunch that kids love. Use the ground walnuts instead of bread crumbs when coating your fish fillets.
Walnut butter is also a most delicious addition to your food preparation. Try adding one-quarter cup of walnuts or two tablespoons of walnut butter to your smoothie. What could be more delicious than dipping your walnut halves in a high quality melted dark chocolate? After dipping, let your chocolate covered walnuts harden and you have a replacement for sweet candy. For your famous apple crumble, replace your white flour with half ground walnuts and half whole wheat flour; then wait for the rave reviews.
Notice how colorful and appealing the foods appear. It’s almost as if a food artist placed them on your plate for the look only. However, advocates of the Mediterranean diet asks you to eat these various picturesque foods for their nutritional value. Each color has its own set of micro-nutrients.
Sometimes, the simplest foods are best for your health, and this is certainly the case for walnuts, in which Mother Nature has designed a nearly perfect toolkit of protein, healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, and many other minerals vitamins.
