Nut Questions

I know that peanuts are bad for you but taste great (not sure why) but I have read that almonds and walnuts are great for you in terms of "good" fats. Dried almonds are freaking awful though IMO but I love pistachios, how do they match up? If someone could give me a run down on the best (kind of a rating  system) sort of nuts to eat in terms of health that would be awesome. I am trying to fill my day snacks instead of a candy bar or chips with some other healthy snacks! Thanks fellas.

deez nuts

I am in the process of trying to shed about 20lbs...recently have some time to hit some more cardio than usual. I am definitely trying to improve my diet as well...because honestly you could not eat any worse than I currently do (I am 5'10 190lbs) just so you. For breakfast I was gonna try and eat 2 overeasy eggs, a piece of wheat toast or maybe a banana or yogurt. Are these Greek yogurts worth buying? They seem to have great nutritional values...based on my research the Oikos is best follwed by Yoplait Greek (but a significant price difference). OR would I be better off just buying like Yoplait Light? Should I eat yogurt at all? Lol please excuse my ignorance here but I have been put in a spot where I can exercise and eat healthy. Suggestions are GREATLY APPRECIATED  trying to lose roughly 20-25 lbs.

Appreciate that Count...clever link title too

I have read all these threads from peoples "ingame weight loss" and have read some pretty solid info just wondering if someone could give me some info in relation to my body type

Why is the peanut getting such a bad rap in here?  According to the deez nuts chart they hold their own against most of the other fancier nuts.  Why the hate for peanuts?

I get a container of fresh roasted almonds from Whole Foods regularly. Grab a handful when I get hungry and really curbs the appetite to keep me from eating junk.

 

Walnuts excellent for

omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Almonds are rich in


Antioxidants



Magnesium



Potassium

Brazil nuts contain much more selenium than other nuts. Selenium is a potent antioxidant

Thanks ClubDirt I appreciate the advice my friend, that is a good call on the mixed nut container (nice variety). I can handle dairy very well...so not too worried about that. I guess I just eat the toast as a "filler" but I am looking for other breakfast options other than a couple eggs and some yogurt and some fruit...(I don't eat all of that for breakfast fyi) I am just looking for other good breakfast option. Appreciate everyones thoughts, keep it comin if you anyone can think of any good breakfast suggestions...hell, any good snack or other meals as well! But I will definitely be loading up on nuts as snacks.

i pretty much have the same breakfast everyday.

smoothie- coconut milk, half a banana, organic berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), whey protein powder, sliced almonds. 

That breakfast shake is a good one. Also, go with scrambled eggs over fried eggs when possible.

Check out marksdailyapple.com for some good, healthy info. Thank club for that one.

Yeah, that shake sounds very legit...I will be giving it a try no doubt.

Club, any sort of measurements/numbers on the ingredients by chance? Roughly how many ounces is your finished product shake for breakfast? Pardon the numerous questions

I follow a few simple rules.  Eat real food and avoid processed stuff.  I try to start each meal with at least one piece of fruit (apple, banana, grapes....whatever you like....have a variety) and some sort of vegetable (steamed, roasted, or raw....carrots, asparagus, green beans, small salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar).

Then I try to get some protien via lean meats or something (chicken, pork tenderloin, salmon, turkey) or something else I like (that might mean some peanut butter on some triscuits) and maybe mix in a few carbs (maybe a small potato or something).  By eating the good stuff first, my appetite is curbed and I don't go crazy on the other stuff. 

But the main thing I try to do is have fruits, veggies, and some sort of protien at every meal.

Also, when I do eggs at work, I scramble them and do them in the microwave (2 eggs + 1 yoke...you can't even tell).  Just put them in a bowl.  No fat required. 

Hutch, nice advice and appreciate the input

ad, all coconut products are high in saturated fats.  but i don't share the opinion that saturated fats in natural products are bad.  the way i see it, trans fats from processed foods are bad.  fats from natural foods are good.  so, i never worry about fat intake from natural foods. 

here's an article on coconuts and coconut products. 

this is what i use (vanilla flavor) although i'm sure there are other options. 
here's an article on saturated fat

coconut milk is higher in medium chain fatty acids.  here's an article about that. 

Club----you are money my friend. I really appreciate your time and effort for posting those links for me (good karma is headed your way I feel). I have been to the gym the past 2 days and ran 2 miles each time...I legs and abdomen are dying but I know it is a good thing haha. I am just trying to get back in to decent shape just focusing on cardio for now, the weight training will come later...but overall I feel great and been eating fairly healthy. One question though, I know that you do not do well with dairy products but if you did would you just use skim milk instead of the coconut milk?? I was at the store today and actually just bought a quart of skim milk because I was very unsure on the coconut milk/product. But I did see that coconut milk lol just scared to pull the trigger. I have all the ingredients that you use to make your shake and plan on doing so tomorrow except I will be substituting skim milk for coconut milk for now...any specific reason why I should use the coconut over the regular skim milk? Thanks again and look forward to discussing food and fitness with ya as I progress down the line...

Oh I weighed myself before I ran yesterday and I weighed in at 182...I had originally guessed 190 when I originally began this thread

ad, dairy isn't terrible for me.  i can have it in moderation and be fine. and i do like ice cream every now and then.  but sometimes it causes me problems and my thought is that if it causes me problems even some of the time, it's probably not something i should consume very often.  on a related note, i used to get heartburn a lot, usually after eating bread and similar carbs.  when i reduced carbs, no more heartburn.  these kinds of experiences support the paleo way of thinking that our bodies evolved over many years a certain way and were meant to eat certain foods.  your body will tell you what those foods are and what they aren't.  but not everyone listens.

anyway, since i have no problem eating fat (in fact, i welcome it), i don't eat anything that is artificially lowfat.  of course, i eat naturally lowfat or fat free foods like fruits and vegetables but i won't buy anything that is artificially made to be low fat or fat free.  when they remove the fat, they are putting something else in to replace it.  fat isn't the devil, but whatever artificial substitute that is going in may be.

this includes yogurt, milk, ice cream, etc.  i'm basically off dairy milk completely.  but i occasionally have cheese, yogurt and ice cream.  i seek out the highest fat yogurt if the ingredients are ok and i trust the product.  i would do the same with milk. 

i read a book i recommend called "in defense of food" by michael pollan.  he basically suggests eating real foods.  he recommended whole milk over skim milk or 2%.  i don't recall the details of the argument but here's a sample of his book that i found in the amazon.com comments. 

 But if you'll turn to page 153 of "In Defense of Food," you'll read that processors don't make low-fat dairy products just by removing the fat. To restore the texture --- to make the drink "milky" --- they must add stuff, usually powdered milk. Did you know powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, said to be worse for your arteries than plain old cholesterol? And that removing the fat makes it harder for your body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins that make milk a valuable food in the first place?

and i just did a quick google search and this post seems to be consistent with what i'm saying.  i have no idea if this lady is reliable but read this and see what you think. 

the bottom line for me is, don't worry about fat.  fat is good.  if you are eating the right foods, you'll eat less, you'll be filled up and the fat and calories will take care of themselves.  no more eating an entire bag of lowfat doritos because you can.  try eating the same weight in almonds.  you won't want to do that.  while i have no issue with fat, i do think all the crazy ingredients they put in products instead of fat are probably not meant for us to consume. 

i would love to be 182 lbs