Nuts and Seeds

Book excerpt: A popular health writer gets down to the nuts and bolts of these superfoods—from almonds and quinoa to chia and hemp seeds. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are bursting with vital nutrients. Even just a handful is rich with vitamins, minerals and fats, all of which we need, and which team up to help your heart, brain and waistline. As little as an ounce a day provides invaluable fiber, protein, and immune-boosting minerals. Nuts and seeds contain mono and polyunsaturated fats, healthful fats which are essential to maintaining the normal structure of every cell in our bodies. Meats, full-fat dairy, fried foods and processed foods are where the harmful forms of saturated and trans fats are found. Research shows that diets high in these unhealthy fats can lead to a host of diseases. Choosing healthy fats lowers cholesterol and enriches cell development, growth and repair. Nuts and Seeds is “a superb treatise on the benefits of those foodstuffs” (Books Monthly). “If you want to add more nuts and seeds into your diet, reading this book can be very helpful. Also, diversifying both the kind of nuts and how they are prepared is very interesting and she highlights this in the book.” —Coffee and Books