<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Nuts or dry fruits can provide invaluable nutrients to your body which can keep deficiencies at bay and keep you full and energetic throughout the day. The tiny superfoods have been part of our diet since time immemorial and supply the body with essential vitamins and minerals, ALA omega-3 fatty acids and other healthy fats that can lower cholesterol levels and prevent from diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer's and dementia.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eating a handful of nuts which is around 30 grams or 1/3 of a cup is part of a healthy and balanced diet and can keep immunity strong. Almonds, walnuts, cashews, groundnut, pistachio, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, are among some of the healthy nuts that should be added in daily diet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nuts should be eaten in the right amount, right time and right way for reaping maximum benefits. Ideally eaten in the morning, nuts can also your evening snack, but one must be mindful to not have more than a handful to avoid indigestion, bloating and side effects of excess fats. Soaking many of the nuts overnight is recommended to get rid of phytates and tannins which inhibit nutrient absorption and disrupt digestive process. If not possible to soak, one should dry roast to improve their digestibility. It is not recommended to deep-fry your nuts and eat them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">National Grab Some Nuts Day is celebrated in US every year on August 3 and emphasises on importance of adding nuts to your diet for overall health. On this occasion, Susmita N, Clinical Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals-Bellandur, Bengaluru shares a list of 7 healthy nuts and the right way of eating them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Nuts are not only calorie dense foods but are a great source of good fats, protein, fibre, and antioxidants. We do not need to eat a lot of them to tap into their power. Just a small handful a day will deliver a healthy dose of omega-3’s, melatonin, copper, manganese, and the hard-to-find gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E which helps protect our heart. It’s advised that all adults, especially pregnant and lactating mothers and children from the age of one year include important nuts in their food on daily basis," says Sushmita N.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>NUTS FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. ALMONDS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Badam or almonds are known to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and help improve HDL (good cholesterol). They are also high on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, source of good fats, proteins and Vitamin E. Almonds protect the body from free radicals that cause cancer. They slow the ageing process and reduce the risk of heart disease.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>How to eat them</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Almonds can be eaten in raw form. Soak about 5-6 almonds overnight in water, peel it and have it in the morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Edible almond oil cannot be cooked. Hence it can be used to drizzle only on salads or in vegetable dips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">• Dry-roasted powdered almond powder can be added to smoothies, porridges, and salad bowl.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Almond milk can be a vegan replacement for cowmilk and for people with lactose intolerance.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>2. WALNUTS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Walnuts, super rich in Omega 3, protect your brain and help slow the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Walnuts are also known to help reduce LDL and risk of heart disease. By soaking 2 whole walnuts overnight in water, it helps in digestion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>How to eat them</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Add chopped walnuts to vegetable salad or to fruit bowl.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Overnight soaked walnuts in water can be included as a part of daily nuts portion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Add walnuts to fruit smoothies to increase the nutrient density.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Dry roast, grind and store them in airtight containers. A spoon of this can be added to porridges, parathas, rotis and sandwiches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>3. CASHEWS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cashews were previously known to have a bad name as they were considered high in calories and fats. However, research shows that Stearic acid present in cashew nuts are known to reduce LDL levels. Cashews are good with protein, good fats and minerals like manganese, zinc, magnesium that help to reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Be mindful of portions when it comes to cashew. About 5-6, raw or simple roasted cashews can be eaten daily.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>How to eat them</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Raw/plain unsalted cashew can be eaten as a snack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Chopped cashew can be topped on salads, fruit bowl, smoothies, and oatmeal to get a crunchy texture.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Make Puree and use a spread on the bread while making sandwiches.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Cashew milk is a good alternative to cow milk. Milkshakes and smoothies can be made with cashew milk.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>4. PISTACHIOS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eating about 5-6 unsalted pista daily helps to improve heart health, haemoglobin levels, boost immune system, and improve blood sugar levels.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How to eat them</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Best way to eat pista is having them unsalted as a snack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Plain roasted or chopped pista can be added to salads or can be pureed and added to salad dressings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Pista grounded into paste can be used in dips and sauces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Add unsalted pista to smoothies and milkshakes to elevate the nutrients.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>5. PEANUTS/GOUNDNUTS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Groundnuts can boost energy levels and it contains monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Omega 3 fatty acids lowers the risk of heart diseases and fights cancers, degenerative nerve disease, Alzheimer’s disease, viral and fungal infections due to the presence of the antioxidant called Resveratrol. Avoid using groundnut oil for cooking at high temperatures.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>How to eat them</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Peanuts can be made into oil and used in cooking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Plain roasted unsalted and boiled groundnuts are a healthy snack. Eating the raw peanuts with skin helps to retain antioxidants.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Puree the roasted nuts to make into peanut butter, a healthy bread spread for sandwiches.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>7. PECAN NUTS</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pecan nuts are a good source of antioxidants and various vitamins and have anti-inflammatory properties, along with omega 3 fats. Eating 15-20 pecans are beneficial to health.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>How to eat them</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Pecans are eaten raw as a snack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• Adding chopped pecans to salads, oatmeal and yogurt will increase the protein and healthy fats.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">• They can also be added as topping on salads, smoothies, and pasta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">People with nuts allergy, stomach related problems, kidney problems must check with a qualified nutritionist before consuming any nuts. HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>