Daily Tips

Adding a handful of almonds to your daily menu may well be the easiest way to give yourself an instant health boost. Almonds have already been found to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and new research shows that they may play a role in mediating blood sugar spikes after meals. Almonds are also rich in protein, calcium, vitamin E, arginine (an amino acid that aids blood flow), fiber, iron, and zinc. They are very low in carbohydrates and high in heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Almond skin contains a host of antioxidant compounds.

If you are not the type to snack on raw or roasted almonds, don’t despair. Slivered, chopped, and toasted almonds can be added to just about anything – green salads; chicken, tuna, or fruit salad; cold or hot cereal; granola; yogurt; steamed vegetables; stir fry dishes; baked or broiled fish; and sugar-free desserts. Almond meal can be added to meat loaf, meatballs, burgers, and crab or salmon cakes, and can also be substituted in part for flour in baking.

Is sweetness your weakness?

Source:

1 – Parul Choudhary, Saroj Kothari and Vimal Sharma. 2009. Almond Consumption Decreases Fasting and Post Prandial Blood Glucose Level in Female Type 2 Diabetes Subject. American Journal of Infectious Diseases 5 (2): 116-118. (Accessed August 6, 2009).

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08