The month of February is commonly known as American Heart Month. Maybe it’s due to being the month that celebrates Valentine’s Day in the US or the start to other soulful celebrations such as Easter kicked off with Lent for Catholics, Groundhog’s day to know if you’ll be in for a longer winter or an early spring; or increased vitality by feeling more energized as that sun is shining a little longer each day.
During my clinical practice I learned (and continue to learn) a LOT. I value this gained knowledge and love the black and white of the clinical, the objectives represent what is going on in the body, and more often than not, people can just feel those objective results (labs, tests, etc.). For example, if the heart rate of an individual is higher than “normal” i.g. 100+ beats per minute while sitting, you literally can see the person struggling. Maybe they can’t sit still, have difficulty focusing, their eyes are looking around the room, and possibly even breathing more rapidly. They may also audibly express their worries, fears, inability to sleep, and so forth. Recognizing what is going on inside the body, can have the outward effects of that clinical result(s). But knowing what is going on inside the brain, could also affect the heart…
The body has SO MANY connections. As most Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners already know, there are lines and meridians throughout the body that affect each other, as well as organs, pressure points, and energy. We are learning more and more about the brain-gut connection, but the heart is also connected not just to the mind, but the kidneys. For diabetics, dialysis treatment, or even other kidney related illnesses, I specifically pay a little extra attention to the heart.
A few of my favorite heart healthy lifestyle tips….
There are many things we can do to support a healthy heart. I’m sure you’ve heard about them, but I’ll remind you of a few of my favorites: exercise, meditation, sleep, and diet. Being a holistic dietitian, I love focusing on all of these, but today, I’m going to share a few simple things you can add to your daily eats. Adding a handful of nuts has not only the satisfying power of preventing “hanger” for an hour (hopefully), but it also is a nutrient dense food. Overall, nuts have healthy fats, which are monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fats can help raise your HDL cholesterol, while thus helping lower the “bad” cholesterol aka LDL cholesterol. Fats in general, but nuts containing healthy fats, contribute satiety in a calorie-controlled eating plan which can help aid in weight loss.
Crazy about Nuts…a pro quick tip to add them into your weekly diet
If you have any allergies to nuts, please consult with your medical practitioner before adding them into your diet. Working with a skilled RD can also help select options for you, be it other dense foods like seeds or smoothies, or even reintroducing some, can be a great path to ensure you are getting the most from your diet. For those that aren’t plagued with nut intolerances or allergies, read on! You can also check out this list here, for a full breakdown of all the tree nuts from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
These little odd shaped morsels crunch their way into not only a fabulous meal, but there is more research dedicated to the importance of incorporating them into your diet. In fact, the Mediterranean-style diet, said to be one of the healthiest diets still, emphasizes a high consumption of nuts. The FDA has an approved qualified health claim for most nuts (including: walnuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, and almonds). Cashews are excluded from the FDA claim “due to the content of saturated fat,” here is the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article to support the exclusion.
“Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. See nutrition information for fat [and calorie] content.”
Heart healthy nuts contain healthy fat….but what else? Nutrients, Vitamins, & Minerals
Nuts have fiber which can contribute to gut health and ease for bowel movements. They are full of phytochemicals and antioxidants, which can help decrease the risk of other chronic diseases such as cancer, cataracts, diabetes, heart, and lung diseases. They contain protein and amino acids for the building blocks of cells, muscle mass, and mind clarity. You can also check out more protein benefits, here. Nuts also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin E, selenium, zinc and minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus. When looking at these nutrients, these can promote healthy skin and memory, muscle functioning and cell processing, improved heart health and overall wellbeing. Do keep in mind, nuts are like humans, they are unique and offer differing benefits and nutritional values.
Nuts are not created equal…
Almonds have the most fiber, calcium, vitamin E (tocopherol, alpha & beta). Fiber is great for healthy & regular bowel movements.
Brazil nuts have high linolenic acid (18:2), magnesium, phosphorus, selenium. Selenium can help maintain a functioning thyroid.
Cashews are high in iron, zinc, pantothenic acid, vitamin K, and phytosterols (also contain saturated fat from the article mentioned above). Iron is great to prevent anemia, especially in women who may need a little extra dose of iron rich foods.
Hazelnuts are high in monounsaturated fats, iron, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin E. Manganese isn’t a nutrient you have to take a supplement for, but it is great to help with maintaining bone mineral density with the addition of calcium, vitamin D, zinc and other nutrients.
Macadamia nuts are the highest in calories, but also have the largest amount of monounsaturated fats than other nuts. Monounsaturated fats are great for decreasing the "bad" cholesterols in your body thus decreasing heart disease and stroke risk.
Peanuts are high in protein, potassium, zinc, thiamin, niacin and folate. Peanuts are not a tree nut, but a great source of protein and other amino acids to help reach your daily protein needs, build and maintain muscle mass, strengthen your cells, and so forth.
Pecans are high in monounsaturated fats, calcium, zinc, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E and phytosterols. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and has the ability to decrease free radicals in the body.
Pine nuts are high in iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, riboflavin and vitamin K. Vitamin K supports blood clotting, which can be useful if you cut yourself, like a paper cut, so you don’t bleed out.
Pistachios are high in linoleic acid, linolenic acid, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E and phytosterols. Vitamin B6 helps support a healthy brain and a strong nervous system.
Walnuts are high in omega 3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fat, calcium, phosphorus, selenium and vitamin B6. Omega 3 fatty acids are similar to the healthy fish fat and promote increasing “good” HDL cholesterol vs the “bad” LDL cholesterol in your body.
Overall, nuts vary in benefits, thus supporting the notion to mix up your nutty offering for a balanced diet. The goal is to have nuts 3-4 times a week, for some it may be daily, but working with a Registered Dietitian can help customize a diet to suit your specific needs. With all foods, focusing on a food first mentality is going to be the best approach as all the nuts listed above have many nutrients to support a balanced diet. Too much and too little of something, isn’t a good thing. Having a mixture of nutrients in its purest form, is how nature intended it to be and one I regularly promote. Below is a quick reference on nuts portions and you can learn more about portion sizes here.
Simple Ways to Incorporate Heart Healthy Nuts into your Diet
Here are some recipes on my website that incorporate nuts.
My new favorite recipe is here too, Banana Bark (pictures in above right), and it is not only sweet, but super simple and requires no cooking! Check out the video for ease.
Wherever you are in this Heart Health Month, incorporating nuts into your diet may promote some of the benefits to nourishing your heart and appetite. You may feel like a nut, but you can do so with a little extra crunch to your diet and the knowledge that the foods you eat provide more than just a full belly, but are wholesome, delicious, and have the ability to even make your heart…beat a little easier.
Please contact me for alternate methods of incorporating nutrition into the diet without nuts!
References:
American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/en/)
US Food & Drug Administration (www.fda.gov
Nutrients. 2023 Feb; 15(4): 911.
Published online 2023 Feb 11. doi: 10.3390/nu15040911
Baer David J, Novotny Janet A.
Consumption of cashew nuts does not influence blood lipids or other markers of cardiovascular disease in humans: a randomized controlled trial.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2019 Feb; 109(2): p. 269-275
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