by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Pistachios are one of my absolute favorite nuts both in terms of taste AND nutrition.

When I was a kid, my parents always bought these huge bags of pistachios and I loved snacking on them all day long.

Later on, as a Nutritionist, I learned that pistachios are also one of the most beneficial nuts for your health, as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and even have a better fatty acid profile than many other popular nuts like almonds.

Pistachios are rich in beneficial nutrients like flavanols, selenium, lutein, beta carotene, zeaxanthin, b6, and tocopherols. Studies show that pistachios are one of the best nuts for your heart health too!

Other studies also show that pistachios improve libido, improve blood sugar, and increase fat loss when consumed regularly.

Pistachios also help to feed the good bacteria in your gut and thereby improve gut health.

They really are a super-nut!

One of my favorite ways to snack on pistachios is with some good dark chocolate. And since dark chocolate is also known to improve gut health, lower blood pressure, and improve heart health, in my opinion, pistachios and dark chocolate together are a powerful combo to supercharge your health all while enjoying incredible taste!

But speaking of chocolate, did you know that there’s ONE specific unique form of chocolate that can nearly DOUBLE your GLP-1 levels in a matter of hours?

And this means your metabolism fires up and you slim down faster.

However, most people have never heard of this specific type of chocolate that I’m referring to here, and yet this chocolate is proven to boost your fat loss, lower blood pressure, and improve your gut microbiome.

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Hope you enjoy!

The post Pistachios & Chocolate: this combo burns fat, lowers blood pressure, feeds a healthy gut appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Cat Ebeling RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-seller: The Diabetes Fix

I remember back when I was a kid, pistachios were bright red! Back then, pistachios mostly came from the Middle East, and the harvesting methods left them with stains, so they were dyed (ugh!) a bright reddish pink to cover up the stains. Fortunately, most pistachios today come from California, where they come to us for snacking in their natural (and more appetizing) tan color.

Pistachios have become elevated to almost everyone’s favorite snack. Did you know that pistachios are one of the most nutritious nuts you can eat? Just a small 1 ounce serving contains over 30 vitamins, minerals and other powerful nutrients to help you burn fat, improve your cholesterol and heart health, balance out your blood sugar, and even improve your sex life!

Pistachios contain some of the highest protein and healthy fats of any nuts, so they are one of the best ways to snack, get tons of nutrients, keep your blood sugar low, and burn fat as well.

Pistachios rank high among nuts as having the highest amounts of antioxidant activity (ORAC ranking) of any food. Antioxidants help to prevent free radical damage, which allows for healthy cell reproduction, slows aging, and prevents chronic disease, among other things.

Pistachios have a unique nutrient and fatty acid profile. They are a good source of unsaturated fatty acids and numerous antioxidants, including γ-tocopherol, β-carotene, lutein, selenium, flavonoids, and phytoestrogens.

Compared with other popular nuts, pistachios are one of the richest sources of potassium, vitamin B-6, beta-carotene, and lutein + zeaxanthin. And they contain a healthy amount of protein, fiber, and selenium (good for thyroid health) as well.

These little green nibbles are crunchy, salty, delicious, satisfying, low-carb and good for you! In spite of the fact that these yummy nuts have loads of (healthy) fat in them, they are one of the best fat-burning snacks you can find.

Here are FIVE good reasons to snack on pistachios—

1. A great source of vitamin B6—B vitamins are ‘water soluble’ vitamins. That means that    B vitamins are easily washed out of your body, and you cannot store B vitamins.

B6 is vital for helping to produce certain neurotransmitters that protect the brain and nervous system. What’s more, B6 helps banish depression and anxiety, increase your ability to break down and process fat cells, up your energy levels, improve premenstrual syndrome, and help attention-deficit issues like ADD and ADHD.

B6 is also one of the most important vitamins to lower homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine is an inflammatory substance the body produces that is a leading indicator of heart disease. High homocysteine = an increased risk for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots.

2. Improves Heart Health and Cholesterol Levels—While many of the other nut varieties have been well-studied for their health benefits, pistachios have been studied for heart health and cholesterol-lowering benefits.

This study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows a definite and significant reduction in the harmful LDL cholesterol with as little as one serving a day, although the reduction in cholesterol actually appears to be ‘dose-dependent’. In other words, 2 servings of pistachios will bring down cholesterol and other cardiac risk factors slightly more than 1 serving (serving = 10% of total daily calories). LDL cholesterol was lowered by an impressive 9-12%.

High LDL is a major risk factor for heart disease and is thought to result partly from increased triglycerides (which usually come from a high carbohydrate-high sugar diet. In addition, pistachios contain high levels of antioxidants, which also protect heart health and blood vessels.

3. Diabetes Fighter—Eating pistachios has a beneficial effect on blood sugar, helping to keep blood sugar levels low, insulin levels low, and helping to prevent diabetes.

New research from Spain shows that people with prediabetes actually have a lower risk of developing diabetes if they eat pistachios on a regular basis. The test subjects ate 2 ounces of pistachios daily and had significant drops in both blood sugar and insulin levels. Some subjects also found they had reduced inflammatory levels as well, due to the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory levels in pistachios. As an added benefit, subjects also found that their waist measurement decrease as well.

Besides the fact that pistachios are very low in sugar, they also contain many bioactive compounds that affect the heart, blood sugar levels and other measures of health.

Pistachios are also high in protein, fiber and healthy fats, so they help control your ‘munchies’ and satisfy you. Not only do pistachios curb your appetite, but they give you some seriously healthy nutrients as well.

4. Better Sex—A study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research looked at the effects of eating pistachios in 17 men who had erectile dysfunction (ED).

The men ate about 3.5 ounces (about a cup) of pistachios a day for three weeks. The men were tested before and after the study using the International Index of Erectile Function score. After 3 weeks, the men’s IIEF scores increased significantly, and the subjects also reported they had increased sexual desire, pleasure and satisfaction. So want to add a little ‘spice’ to your life? Eat more pistachios!

5. Fat Burning—Nuts contain lots of healthy fats, but they also help you burn fat! Pistachios are one of the nuts that contain the highest amount of protein, which helps to make you feel satiated and full.

In addition, they contain generous amounts of healthy monounsaturated fats, similar to the healthy fat in olive oil. This fat not only helps you feel satisfied, but it keeps blood sugar low—a key factor in appetite and the ‘munchies’. When blood sugar stays low, you keep your body in the fat-burning mode, burning fat for energy instead of storing fat—which is what happens when you eat carbohydrates or sugary foods.

What’s more, when you eat shelled pistachios, it takes a bit of work to crack those tasty little babies open, so you tend to eat less.

Pistachios also contain generous amounts of the antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eye from diseases related to aging, including macular degeneration.

And, pistachios are great for your gut health too. We all talk about “probiotics” but there are “prebiotics” as well. These are healthy, fibrous foods that feed your healthy gut bacteria, and pistachios just happen to be one of those foods that feed your healthy gut bacteria and keep those critters happy!

A study from University of Florida study showed that people who ate 3 oz of pistachios for 19 days, had improved levels of beneficial gut bacteria, and an increase in beneficial butyrate’s, which are substances formed from healthy gut bacteria that help heal the gut lining. Got the munchies? Pick up a bag of yummy, crunchy pistachios. Your body and your gut critters will thank you! Enjoy your pistachios and stay lean!

If your interested in keeping your gut healthy, did you know that the amount of poop in your intestines varies at any given time. This can cause numerous health concerns, but also leads to unwanted weight gain. The amount depends on your diet, how often you have bowel movements, and individual factors. While some sources suggest that the average person might have a few pounds of stool in their colon!

Our friends at Peak Biome have found a solution to not only shrink your belly, but empty your bowels effortlessly each morning.

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References

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2014/08/07/dc14-1431
https://www.medicaldaily.com/regularly-eating-pistachios-might-help-reduce-blood-sugar-levels-diabetes-risk-300780
http://www.truthaboutabs.com/pistachio-nutrition-benefits.html
https://draxe.com/pistachio-nutrition/?utm_campaign=Article-May-2016&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=pistachio

The post Pistachios – My Favorite Fat Burning & Heart-Healthy Snack appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.