Oh Nuts Blog

"I can't eat almonds because they will make me fat." Chances are either you have uttered this statement or have heard someone else say this. However, this statement may not be accurate as you will see below. A more accurate statement would be "Eating an excess of any energy producing nutrient (carbohydrates, proteins, or fats) will make you fat".

Our bodies can be compared to cars and the food we eat to fuel. Just as a car needs fuel to keep it running, so to, our bodies need food (energy) to function. The key here though, is to know which types of food and in what amounts are best for our bodies. Not only do we want to prevent diseases, but we want to feel and look our very best. Yes, it is true, we are what we eat. There is no greater feeling one can have than when one is in control of what he/she puts in his/her mouth.

Here are a few raw facts on almonds:
· Rich in antioxidants (vitamin E)
· Excellent source of protein and fiber
· Contains magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron
· Low in carbohydrates
· 1/4 c. =205 calories

The fiber found in almonds helps prevent constipation. This fiber also helps those who have big appetites and are trying to either maintain or lose weight. Almonds are great for diabetics, those diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), or those on a gluten-free diet.

Cardiovascular Health

Eating almonds is a great way to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The antioxidant action of Vitamin E plays a major role in reducing heart disease risk. Almonds provide 25% daily value of magnesium. A deficiency of this mineral is associated with a risk of a heart attack. Almonds are also very low in sodium, making them an excellent choice for those with hypertension.

In 1992, researchers working on the Adventist Health Study at Loma Linda University in California reported that those eating nuts daily had up to 60% fewer heart attacks than those who ate nuts less than once per month.

Worried about your weight?

Eating almonds actually lowers your risk of weight gain. So, what's the scoop on almonds? How can I eat them and enjoy their excellent health benefits without getting fat?

Here are a couple of interesting studies:

A study in the journal Obesity found that those who ate nuts at least twice a week were much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never ate nuts.

The Nurses' Health Study found that nut consumers were actually a little thinner on average than those who almost never consumed nuts.

A study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders revealed that an almond enriched low calorie diet can help one shed more pounds effectively than a low calorie diet which is high in complex carbohydrates.

Nuts do not seem to cause a weight gain since they appear to satisfy hunger thereby appropriately reducing the consumption of other foods. For example, substituting one ounce of almonds a day for a carbohydrate rich food would be a good choice. So don't make yourself nuts and enjoy your almonds!

Hare you will fined some of the Biggest Halloween Candy Myths

Razor blades in apples

This is probably the most famous "dangerous Halloween candy" story of them all. Most parents warn their kids not to touch fresh fruit they get trick-o-treating. Halloween razor blade stories began to replace poisoned candy stories in the mid-1960s.

Jack Santino, author of "Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life," wrote that in 1968 the New Jersey legislature passed a law mandating prison terms for people who boobytrapped apples. That year people found 13 apples with razor blades in them.

But Santino said the cases where more details are available indicate that about 75 percent were hoaxes, where the parents or the kids put the razors in themselves.

And another study tracked 80 cases of sharp objects in food since 1959 and almost all were hoaxes. Only 10 caused even a minor injury and the worst was a few stitches.

Needles in snickers

(Judy Sloan Reich, s-s / April 13, 2004)
Needles in candy

In 2000 James Joseph Smith of Minneapolis allegedly put needles in Snickers bars and gave them out to kids on Halloween. A 14-year-old boy was pricked when he bit into the candy, but no one needed medical care.

Smith was charged with one count of adulterating a substance with intent to cause death, harm or illness.

Drugs in candy

candy: cocaine poisoning

(TFW / October 19, 2004)

A three-year-old in New Britain, Conn., was diagnosed with cocaine poisoning after Halloween1994.

The finger was pointed at his Halloween candy, but no drugs were found on the leftover piece of candy.

Drugs in candy

candy: herion

(TFW/Iris Schneider / October 30, 2006)

On Nov. 2, 1970, Kevin Toston, 5, lapsed into a coma and died of a herion overdose. Analysis of some of his Halloween candy showed it had been sprinkled with heroin.

Detroit police concluded the boy had gotten into his uncle’s herion stash, and his family sprinkled the heroin on Kevin's candy afterward to protect the uncle.

Fruit Snacks

(TWP / October 25, 2007)
Poison on candy

In October 1988 the New York Times reported that traces strychnine were found in a box of Sunkist Fun Fruits Dinosaurs purchased in a New Jersey grocery store.

The Food and Drug Administration tested the substance and found out it was cornstarch. But the manufacturer had already destroyed 9,400 cases of the snacks because it said its image was hurt.

Snickers with drugs

(handout / October 17, 2004)
Handing out drugs

In 2000 some kids in Hercules, Calif., came home from trick-o-treating with packets of marijuana done up to look like mini Snickers bars. The police traced the fake candy to a single house.

They found the homeowner didn't know the Snickers were actually mini marijuana packs. He was a postal worker who took the candy home when it ended up in the dead letter office.

Source: snopes.com