Do Nuts Add to Increased Weight Gain?

I just received this recent study from my colleague and mentor, Dr. Frank Schallenberger that I wanted to share. As you know, most doctors - conventional and alternative - recommend eating nuts. But nuts contain a lot of calories - about 170 calories per ounce. And many people, including me, love to snack on them. So are these tasty treats making us fat?

The interesting thing is that studies using food diaries show that the more frequently people eat nuts, the less fat they are. So what's the deal?

Recently some researchers examined all the literature to date. They were looking to find some studies that put half of the participants on a diet high in nuts and the other half on a diet without nuts. All together they found a total of 33 studies that did just that. Then they added up the results.

They found that there was no difference in the people eating the nuts verses those not eating them. This was true not only for weight, but also for waist size. So nuts are not fattening. 

Most nuts are high in magnesium and vitamin E. Brazil nuts are particularly high in selenium which is often deficient. Low levels of selenium can lead to breast and prostate cancer. Walnuts are the only nuts that are high in the essential omega-3 fats.

The best way to eat nuts is raw. You can soak them overnight to help with optimal absorption. I prefer to eat mixed nuts to get the best balance of the various nutrients. And you can do so knowing they won't pack on the pounds. If you have a nut sensitivity, I can  help you with that using desensitization techniques as well as taking specific enzymes that help with breaking down the fats. If you have been cutting out this important nutrient, I encourage you to rethink it ... and feel free to go a little nutty!

7 Simple Steps to Vibrant Health: Step 1: Thinking Well

I want my clients to know that achieving optimal, vibrant health can be easy! I have come up with 7 Simple Steps to help them create Vibrant Health and I am sharing them with you. By practicing each step, day by day, you will notice long term results when it comes to your health! I often tell my clients, do one thing, each and every day, and before you know it, you will realize that vibrant health is not so hard to achieve! So let's get ready ....



STEP 1:       THINK WELL          

1. Set SMART Goals
1. Specific - Define what Vibrant Health means to you. Does your goal clearly and specifically state what you are trying to achieve? If your goal is particularly large or lofty, try breaking it down into smaller, specific SMART goals. What are your specific goals regarding your health? Write them down. Be very specific so your subconscious mind can go to work on them.
2. Measurable - A goal needs to me monitored and measurable. You have to know if you are hitting your targets and if not, readjust! How will you (and others) know if progress is being made on achieving your goal? Can you quantify or put numbers to your outcome? 
3. Attainable - Is achieving your goal dependent on anyone else? Is it possible to reframe your goal so it only depends on you and not others? What factors may prevent you from accomplishing your goal?  
4. Relevant: Why is achieving this goal important to you? What values in your life does this goal reflect? What effect will achieving your goal have on your life or on others? Knowing how being able to do the things you want to do with the people you want to do them with is a great motivator when it comes to your health goals.
5. Time-Bound: When will you reach your goal? Again, if your goal is particularly large, try breaking it down into smaller goals with appropriate incremental deadlines. A good goal is something that can be reached, in the amount of time you decide to achieve it. If you have a big goal, like losing 50 pounds for example, then a SMART Goal would look like this: "I will lose 50 pounds" in one year's time". It can also be beneficial to break that goal into smaller increments and measure your successes as you go. For example: "I will lose 10 pounds in 2 months time. I will achieve this by increasing my exercise to 40 minutes, 5 days a week; I will eliminate pop from my diet; and I will increase my daily intake of green vegetables to 4 cups per day.
6. When you do hit your goal, celebrate it! Celebrate all the win's in your life and in the lives of those you love!
   
2. Do Daily Affirmations
3. Consider your best self – hope for it, see it, and believe it!
4. Be kind to yourself
1. Incorporate self-loving habits into your life
2.  Believe in miracles and expect them!