<p>Today’s fast-paced life demands for a healthier and a fitter ‘you’. The increasing incidence of heart disease, obesity and other lifestyle-related disorders is alarming. It is about time you make some healthy lifestyle choices.<br /><br />One simple step to achieve this is to include nuts like almonds in your daily diet. Almonds are a waistline-friendly snack known to boost heart health. Let’s take a look at some lesser-known facts about this superfood:<br /><br />Almonds are a great source of vitamin E antioxidants, dietary fibre, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, protein, manganese and calcium. They also contain folate, iron, niacin, thiamine, zinc and potassium.<br /><br />A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that consuming 43 gm of dry-roasted, lightly salted almonds every day, reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated fat intake.<br /><br />Almonds lower total and LDL cholesterol and reduce the levels of heart damaging inflammation.<br /><br />Snacking on almonds also reduces belly fat and waist circumference, which are all well-established risk factors for heart disease.<br /><br />Research shows that almonds can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, improve blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes and lower the blood sugar impact of carbohydrate foods.<br /><br />Thanks to their trusty antioxidants, almonds have considerable shelf-life. When kept in cool, dry conditions, whole natural almonds can be stored for about two years.<br /><br />A handful of almonds make for a nutrient-rich convenient snack that can be eaten anywhere, any time of the day and throughout the year.<br /><br />(The author is a nutritionist and Pilates expert)<br /></p>
<p>Today’s fast-paced life demands for a healthier and a fitter ‘you’. The increasing incidence of heart disease, obesity and other lifestyle-related disorders is alarming. It is about time you make some healthy lifestyle choices.<br /><br />One simple step to achieve this is to include nuts like almonds in your daily diet. Almonds are a waistline-friendly snack known to boost heart health. Let’s take a look at some lesser-known facts about this superfood:<br /><br />Almonds are a great source of vitamin E antioxidants, dietary fibre, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, protein, manganese and calcium. They also contain folate, iron, niacin, thiamine, zinc and potassium.<br /><br />A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that consuming 43 gm of dry-roasted, lightly salted almonds every day, reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated fat intake.<br /><br />Almonds lower total and LDL cholesterol and reduce the levels of heart damaging inflammation.<br /><br />Snacking on almonds also reduces belly fat and waist circumference, which are all well-established risk factors for heart disease.<br /><br />Research shows that almonds can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, improve blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes and lower the blood sugar impact of carbohydrate foods.<br /><br />Thanks to their trusty antioxidants, almonds have considerable shelf-life. When kept in cool, dry conditions, whole natural almonds can be stored for about two years.<br /><br />A handful of almonds make for a nutrient-rich convenient snack that can be eaten anywhere, any time of the day and throughout the year.<br /><br />(The author is a nutritionist and Pilates expert)<br /></p>
