Challenge #2: Go Nuts

Nutrition can get pretty confusing when you're trying to lose weight or just stay in shape. You don't know what to eat, how much, how little... You know what's terrible for you and you know what's gonna do wonders for your body... But what about that stuff in between? Like the stuff that you think is natural but fitness gods swear you should stay away from... And yes I'm talking about nuts.

Your 2^nd challenge will be to add ½ cup of nuts to your diet every single day. Whether it’s in a smoothie or you’re eating them plain it will work the same way. So how are nuts ok to eat while you're trying to lose weight? Aren't they full of calories? Well, yes. But they're also full of nutrition! Here's what's great about nuts; eating nuts in moderation can actually help you lose weight.

When you spend more time snacking on nuts, you spend less time snacking on chips or pretzels because nuts will keep you fuller longer, and you're slowly breaking the bad habit of eating highly addictive and fattening snacks. The less you eat junk, the less you crave it. Another cool trick is that the whole process of chewing those crunchy nuts makes you eat less because your jaw gets so tired of chewing. 

So what happens to all of the nuts we eat? Where do the calories go?! 70% actually disappears through dietary compensation mechanisms (just slips right through us), 20% may be lost due to increased fat burn (nuts speed up our metabolism), and 10% is just flushed away. So what's left? Lots of nutrition, a sped up metabolism, and a suppressed appetite.

For those those of you that want facts...

The "fecal excretion theory" shows that "a good portion of the cell walls of almonds remain intact in the GI tract throughout digestion, so even though nuts are high in calories, you may not absorb those calories because they stay behind".

So you might be asking, "How can I still lose weight by eating ground nuts?" The cell walls are already ground up, ready for absorption and ready to pack on calories…Right?

Well a study was done with two groups, one that ate whole peanuts and the other ate the same amount of peanuts ground into butter. “Both groups were told to continue following their regular diet... Neither group gained any weight because nut consumption is so satisfying, so appetite suppressing that throughout the rest of the day they unconsciously ate less”.

Not only do we lose weight when eating nuts, but nuts can actually help us live longer, healthier lives. A study done by Dr. Frank Hu,  professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, showed that daily nut-eaters were less likely to die of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease. That's a win win if you ask me. 

Eating nuts also burns fat. Arginine (found in nuts, soy, seeds, and beans) stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis (creation of more furnaces per cell) in your body. Creating a thermogenic effect that boosts your metabolism.

There's really no way to go wrong with eating nuts everyday. They're good for you and they taste great. I hope you all enjoyed this blog post because I worked really hard on getting all of this information together. I've applied this to my diet and I love it! I can't wait to hear about how this helped you reach your fitness goals! 

Disclaimer: Any of the information stated is an opinion that I've formed through my own research. I am not a doctor and I am not promising that this will work for anyone. Before you attempt any type of lifestyle change, whether its something you read here or on the internet, do your own research and consult your doctor.

Some informations was provided by author Kathy Freston in her book The Lean.