How Nuts Can Help You Maintain A Healthy Weight

Click Here to See the “Doctor’s Secret” That Can Melt Pounds of Fat in Just 12 Weeks…

The food you eat affects your waistline. This is a given.

But your diet’s impact goes far beyond the simple math of “calories in minus calories out.” It turns out that some foods can help reduce your body’s natural weight gain as you age.

And nuts is one such food group.

According to a long-term study published in 2019, replacing half a serving of unhealthy food with half a serving of nuts can help reduce the weight you gain as you age.

The study, paid for by the National Institute of Health, had over 20,000 participants. These people recorded their nut intake at regular intervals for 20-24 years.

When researchers looked over all the data, they found that eating more nuts meant that people gained less weight as they aged. Researchers also found that certain kinds of nuts made a bigger difference than others.

So by replacing only half a serving of unhealthy food each day with the nuts used in the study, you too will have an easier time maintaining—and even losing—weight!

Which Nuts Are The Best For Weight Management?

The study broke down the data into three nut categories: walnuts, “other tree nuts,” and peanuts.

If you want help in maintaining your weight, walnuts are your best option. Study participants who ate walnuts gained about .8 lbs less each year than people who did not eat nuts. 

Participants who ate a mix of other tree nuts also gained about .8 lbs less each year… though the exact numbers were a little less impressive than the walnut group. And people who ate peanuts only saw a difference of about .3 lbs each year.

Why Do Nuts Help With Weight Management?

Although the study was far-reaching, the researchers still aren’t sure why nuts have such a strong impact on annual weight gain as you age. For now, all we know for certain is that they are helpful if you want to maintain or lose weight.

Some people believe that the fiber content in nuts is the reason. Since fiber helps you feel full and keeps your gut healthy, this would make sense.

Others think it is the fact that nuts are packed with healthy fats. Unlike the fats found in most meats and processed foods… healthy fats boost your energy levels.

Research has even found that saturated fat—the “bad” kind found in processed foods—may damage your memory over time. Healthy fats, on the other hand, protect your brain from the damage of saturated fats, along with other negative factors!

Still others believe that it is the protein in the nuts. As any bodybuilder will tell you, protein is essential to a healthy body. And when your protein source also offers healthy fats and fiber, that’s even better. 

More research should soon be underway to find the exact answer. Until then, it is best to start working in the nuts that you can!

How Do I Add More Nuts To My Diet?

At a base level, you could just measure a half-serving of nuts and munch on it as a snack. It’s important to note that the study specified a half-serving, since serving size varies from nut to nut. 

But the study found that benefits were more pronounced in people who substituted nuts for other foods, specifically unhealthy ones. This works best if you portion out your nuts ahead of time… then reach for them instead of unhealthy snacks like a bag of chips.

Of course, depending on the kind of nuts you prefer, there are ways to add your daily half-serving into any number of delicious recipes.

There are a few restrictions, however. Peanut butter, unfortunately, does not have the same effect on your waistline as whole peanuts.

And nuts used in sugary recipes are less effective at managing your weight than their sugarless counterparts. So when you add these foods to your diet, opt for mostly whole nuts and skip the added sugars.

Walnuts

Unlike most nuts, walnuts are not often eaten on their own. They have a very mild flavor and, even when salted, are a bit bitter.

But this flavor profile makes them the perfect addition to other dishes. They blend into the other flavors so they can add crunch, nutrition, and substance without changing much else. 

Walnuts are also packed with omega-3s and other nutrients. These, combined with the nut’s fiber content, can help reduce your appetite. 

My favorite way to eat walnuts is by adding them to a salad with spinach, feta cheese, chicken, and some kind of vinaigrette. This is a great go-to lunch for anyone on the go who needs a healthy meal.

If you would rather get your walnuts with dinner, you can try this delicious walnut-crusted chicken. Just make sure you’re getting your full half-serving of nuts!

Tree Nuts

Although the study wasn’t specific about which tree nuts people ate… there are only a few other nuts that are considered “tree nuts” besides walnuts.

These other options include pistachios, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans. You can find most of these nuts at your regular grocery store.

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, there are countless recipes out there that use these nuts.

Hazelnuts—usually only seen in sweet recipes—can be added to fettuccine and mushrooms for a delicious gourmet dinner. Hazelnuts also pack a nutritional wallop. They offer a great deal of manganese, copper, and Vitamin E, all of which you need in your diet.

Cashews and pecans are both delicious as a crust on the outside of chicken or fish. Both nuts offer a ton of nutrition… which just enhances the chicken’s protein-packed flavor profile.

And pistachios are delicious when you add them to grated carrot with a little bit of lemon. Like walnuts, pistachios are loaded with healthy fats that will keep your energy levels up throughout the day!

Peanuts

Peanuts stood out among the foods tracked in the study. Participants who ate peanuts gained more weight than those who ate other nuts… though they gained less weight than people who did not eat nuts.

This difference is likely due to the fact that peanuts aren’t actually nuts—they’re legumes. 

This explains why peanuts tend to behave differently than nuts when cooked. It also explains their differing effect on your waistline.

But the peanut’s technical status as a legume doesn’t mean it isn’t useful… or tasty!

Boiled peanuts are a staple in many households across the southern United States. You can change the spices you boil them with whenever you want to try a new flavor.

And as long as you’re getting a half-serving every day without any added sugar, you’ll still get all the health benefits!

Or you can try making a stir fry with peanuts. They add just enough texture to keep things interesting without derailing all the other delicious flavors.

And, like nuts, peanuts are packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber to keep you full!

The Takeaway

As with all things in health and weight loss, nuts are not a magic solution. But they are a fantastic tool that you can add to your weight management tool kit.

We all gain weight as we age. Our bodies aren’t as effective at breaking down and using the food we eat.

But small changes, like eating nuts instead of certain other foods, can help you better control how your body grows.

It might not be a magic solution… but it’s a fantastic insight into the way your body works.

Make This Easy Nighttime “Snack Swap” To Stay Fit & Trim (And Burn Up To 441 More Calories The Next Day!)…

If you get hungry late at night like I do… and tend to reach for sweets, or something that’s convenient (but not exactly “healthy”)… 

… then like the study showed, simply by eating 1/2 ounce of nuts instead (that’s about 17 peanuts, 12 almonds, or 9 cashews), you can not only avoid “unexplained” weight gain…

… but also boost your metabolism, and lower your risk of obesity too!

The good news is, you don’t *just* have to eat nuts to get the health benefits found in the study.

This is about to get really fun.

I don’t know about you, but there have been MANY times when I’ve tried to be “good” and eat something “healthy” instead of the cookies, chocolate, and snacks I actually want to eat… and I still end up caving. Now, you can have the best of both worlds…

For example, try a few dark chocolate-covered almonds with sea salt… or a healthy-ish peanut butter cookie studded with peanuts… or even a Reese’s peanut butter cup!

Yes, you read that right. That was NOT a typo.

Surprisingly, a standard serving of Reese’s packs the same amount of protein as a handful of almonds. And one of the big reasons nuts support weight loss is because they’re chock-full of… you guessed it… protein.

As a matter of fact, one recent study found that by adding this specific amount of protein to your diet, you can burn an extra 441 calories the next day. [1]

And this includes protein from sources like lean meats and fish, eggs, beans, seeds, and even cheese(!).

So if you’d like to know exactly how much protein to eat… plus a couple more surprising secrets that can boost your metabolism and help you reach your weight loss goals (while still enjoying delicious foods, and spending your free time doing what YOU want to do… instead of in the gym)…

Then click here now, and discover the delightful ways eating more will help you lose more weight.