If you're looking to add a healthy dose of goodness to your diet, look no further than almonds. Almonds are one of the world's tastiest tree nuts, a fact belying their nutrient-dense composition and benefits to human health. Just a quarter-cup serving of raw almonds provides a heaping helping of vital vitamins and minerals to fuel your body and prevent or even reverse disease.
If you are struggling with LDL cholesterol, then it might seem counterintuitive to add a high-fat food like almonds to your diet. But the truth is that almonds contain mono-saturated fats, which are good fats, like those derived from olive oil. These healthy fats not only reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 30 percent – they also may lower your LDL cholesterol with regular consumption. Almonds are rich in:
- Vitamin E, a vitamin beloved for its antioxidant and free-radical fighting power.
- Magnesium, known as nature's channel blocker, lessening resistance in the circulatory system and improving blood flow, nutrient exchange, and the movement of oxygen throughout the body.
- Potassium, a valuable electrolyte necessary for all the muscular action of the heart and for the maintenance of a healthy blood pressure.
- Manganese, a trace mineral that keeps the body's energy flowing.
As if that's not enough to get you running to your local grocery for a bag or two of almonds, then eat them for their ability to reduce the post-meal surge in your blood sugar, which helps to stave off diabetes and help you control your weight.
While many people love almonds raw or slightly salted with a little sea salt, another way to enjoy their benefits is by incorporating almond milk, almond flour, or even almond butter into your diet. Almond milk is an excellent replacement for dairy milk and is a cruelty-free non-dairy addition to your morning breakfast routine (that also makes a mean smoothie). Almond flour is much like traditional flour, minus the gluten, and it's also low in carbs and a good source of protein and fiber. Almond butter comes in the same format as peanut butter and other nut butters, making it a good exchange when you're looking to replace peanut butter's bad fats with healthy fats for your daily PB&J snack (making it an AB&J snack instead).
So there you have it. A few good reasons to make almonds part of your nutritious and healthy lifestyle.