Top 10 Health Benefits Of Nuts

Almonds, cashew nuts, coconut, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, poppy seeds, brazil nuts, chestnuts, flax seeds (linseeds), macadamia, pecans, pistachio, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, sunflowers seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds etc. – all of these are grouped into a single family called Nuts. 

Nuts contain proteins moderately with exception of chestnuts and fats in high quantity. Nuts benefits a lot to the over all body and are considered to be good sources of fibers and nutrients, vitamins B, vitamin E, minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, anti-oxidant minerals, and anti-oxidant compounds.

Try to find at least few of these nuts and take a handful of them daily. Want to know why. Read further about the Health benefits of Nuts:

1. Nuts are rich in energy and nutrients. The monounsaturated fatty acids in nuts help lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol.

2. They help in preventing coronary artery diseases, and strokes.

3. They are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids with anti-inflammatory properties. They help in controlling high BP, fight against breast, colon and prostate cancers.

4. They also benefit in rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression.

5. Poly-phenolic flavonoids in nuts protect from cancers, heart diseases, degenerative nerve diseases, Alzheimer’s disease.

6. They are a rich source of potassium, manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, fluoride, selenium. Manganese is a powerful free radical scavenger. Potassium controls heart rate, blood pressure. Copper helps in producing red blood cells. Fluoride prevents dental problems.

7. They contain vitamin E which help in maintaining cell and mucous membranes of the skin and protects from free radicals.

8. They contain B complex which is very essential for health.

9. But you may ask if they are good for heart’s health as they have a high presence of fat content?

It may sound strange but the answer is yes. Research says that people who eat nuts daily have a healthier heart than the people who don’t. In short 30 grams of nuts everyday can help your heart stay healthy. They;

• Help in proper regulation of blood cholesterol.
• Reduce bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol.
• Arginine in nuts prevents from hardening of arteries by increasing its elasticity.
• Anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals help fighting against inflammation.
• Maintains healthy blood pressure due to the presence of low sodium and high potassium content.

10. For people with excess weight:

Nuts contain high fat content. So if you are already a little fat, do you need to avoid nuts? The answer is no because nuts keep you away from obesity. They release satiety hormones in the gut helping you to control appetite. You need to substitute them with low nutritious food in your diet. Replace the processed meat, cereal foods like bread, sugary snacks etc. with these handful of nuts.

Nuts Nutrition Chart

How many should I consume daily?

You should ideally consume 30 grams of nutes.

Well, it is not possible to weigh all the nuts each time at home. So here is a rough list to give you some idea on how many nuts to take per day, i.e., for 30-50 grams.

20 almonds/15 cashews/ 20 hazelnuts/ 15 macadamias/ 2tbsp pine nuts/ 60 pistachios in shells/ 10 whole walnuts/ 20 half walnuts per day can do the work for you. 

If you bought mixed nuts, then simply take a small handful of the mixture.

Which Is Your Favourite Nut?

This article was originally published in stylecraze.com

Bak Kwa Recipe & Nutritional Content

Calories in 1 sheet Bak Kwa – 45g
Energy: 176 calories
Protein: 12 g
Carbs: 18 g
Fat: 6 g

Does that suprise you? That BBQ pork contains more carbohydrates than protein? That’s because it’s loaded with sugar during cooking!

From Wikipedia:

Bak Kwa, or rougan is a Chinese salty-sweet dried meat product similar to jerky, made in the form of flat thin sheets. It is normally made from pork. Bakkwa is believed to have originated from a meat preservation and preparation technique used in ancient China that is still practiced in places with Hokkien influence.

In Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines bakkwa or ba gua is the most widely used name. Cantonese speakers use the term yuhk gn’, Anglicised version long yok, while in China and Taiwan the product is more commonly known as rougan. Commercially available versions are sometimes labeled as “barbecued pork,” “dried pork,” or “pork jerky.” Bakkwa is particularly popular as a snack in Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines. In Beidou, Taiwan, it is regarded as one of the three pork delicacies. 

Bak Kwa – Chinese Barbecued Pork – Recipe (Makes 8 pieces)

• 300gr pork mince 
• 90gr caster sugar 
• 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce 
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce 
• Pinch of bicarb of soda 
• 1/2 ts light soy 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine 

Method

• Mix all the ingredients and leave in the fridge overnight. 
• Cut a sheet of greaseproof paper to fit in a standard (35cm-ish wide) baking tray then place the pork on top, patting out well with your hands. Lay a sheet of clingfilm on top then roll the pork out with a rolling pin until it is maybe 5mm thick, at which point it should pretty much cover the paper. 
• Slide the paper onto the baking tray and dry the pork in an 80C fan-oven for 45 minutes. 
• Remove, cut the pork into 8 and then place on the rack of a grill pan, so air can circulate around it for the final cooking. 
• Turn the oven up to 200C and cook the pork for 10 – 12 minutes, turning once, until is reddish-brown and starting to char around the edges. 
• Leave to cool for a few minutes then demolish in its entirety in 5 minutes flat.