Unravelling the Goodness of Dry Fruits for a Holistic Lifestyle



Two things to start off with, first is helping you recall your childhood when you used to covertly get your hands on these supreme snacks to chomp on whenever you felt hungry. Second, do you remember realising later how crucial these superfoods are and how important it is to keep a healthy diet and to track your daily food consumption habits to avoid disordered eating? The realisation might have hit you sooner or later, but our craving for dry fruits and nuts remains impervious.

This blog will exactly take you through why and how one should incorporate these scrumptious little nuts into your daily eating habits to gain the most from what they have to offer to you and your body as a whole rather than just some handpicked benefits. Also, interestingly, we seem to have different opinions about the benefits of nuts and dry fruits, however, an average consumer like all of us is far more information-seeking and we form opinions based on how much we know about them. So, here is a reliable source to precisely get you through your nutritious snack diet.

The daily eating events that are now becoming more about health and energy are breakfast and evening snacks. The health merged with the strong pre-existing culture of snacking in India introduces ‘healthy snacking’. To this effect, every fitness enthusiast is now cleverly adding nuts and dried fruits as a new inclusion in their eating regime. These quick snacks are now available in multiple formats such as salty snacks and dried fruit mixtures and make it more fun for snack times. Wellness experts such as yoga teachers, gym instructors, dieticians, doctors and beauty consultants promote a healthy eating regime by finding exciting new ways to introduce this in people's lives.

Lets know more about Nuts as Nutraceuticals:

Nuts are energy-dense foods that nature has gifted with a complex matrix of beneficial nutrients and bioactive, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, high-quality protein, fibre, and non-sodium minerals. These nut components synergize to favourably influence metabolic and vascular physiology pathways, reduce cardiovascular risk factors and improve cardiovascular prognosis. Moving forward we are encountering more evident research stating that nuts positively impact vastly other health outcomes as well. Nut consumption is correlated with lower cancer incidence and risks. Favourable effects on depression have also been reported whereas trials consistently show nuts have a cholesterol-lowering effect. Nut consumption also shows modest improvements in glycemic control, blood pressure (BP), and inflammation. Although nuts are energy-dense foods, they do not predispose to obesity, and in fact, may even help in weight loss.

Let us have a closer look at each of our Super nuts & Dry fruit Independently:

Golden Raisins

The shrunk yellow, brown morsels known as raisins are actually grapes that have been dried in the sun or in a food dehydrator.

You may have eaten them baked into delicious cookies, slices of bread, and muffins. Despite their small size, raisins are power-packed with energy and are rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Raisins are naturally sweet and high in sugar and calories, so these are definitely not to be consumed in an excess manner. Raisin nutrition can aid digestion, boost iron levels, and keep your bones strong.

Golden raisins aren’t exactly a low-calorie or low-sugar treat. That is why they are often referred to as “nature’s candy.” This is why keeping an eye on how many raisins you are eating at a time matters. If you face difficulty with eating portion control like most of us when it comes to raisins, try purchasing these prepackaged golden raisins to keep your intake in check.

Almonds

Almonds may look tiny, but these nuts can provide you with the nutritional punch your body needs. Also one of the most popular consumed tree nuts has Vitamin E in abundance. Now it gets important to note that besides being packed with Vitamin E, they are a rich source of Magnesium, Manganese and contain a high amount of fibre, minerals, antioxidants and significant protein in almonds, contributing to vital health benefits like reduced blood sugar levels and weight loss.

Almonds, while nutritionally beneficial for everyone, are great for people with diabetes. Almonds may aid in controlling the rise in glucose (blood sugar) and insulin levels if consumed after meals. It is also found that the consumption of 2 ounces of almonds aided lower levels of fasting insulin and fasting glucose. This amount consists of about 45 almonds. Eating almonds may help increase insulin sensitivity too. Almonds are reportedly high in monounsaturated fat, which is the same type of fat we often hear that is associated with olive oil for its heart-health benefits.

A few almonds can surely help you fill up a bit. Have around 10-15 almonds on an average daily.

1 ounce of almonds contains:

• 164 calories
• 6 grams of protein
• 3.5 grams of dietary fibre

Let’s not forget and try to avoid mindless eating. Try and portion your almonds in small containers or plastic bags. Use these single-serving almond packages from Himalayan Natives for an easy grab-and-snack time.

Cashew Nut

Arrives all of our favourite Cashews, a kidney-shaped seed sourced from the cashew tree which is a tropical tree native to Brazil but now cultivated in various warm climates across the world resulting in us being able to enjoy its taste & benefits. Although commonly referred to as tree nuts, and nutritionally comparable to them, cashew nuts are actual seeds. They’re rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds and make for an easy indulgence in many dishes.

Like most nuts, cashews may also aid in keeping your healthy lifestyle in check. They’re believed to possess benefits like weight loss, better blood sugar control, and a healthy heart.

Cashew nutrition is believed to be low in sugar and rich in fibre, heart-healthy fats, and plant protein. Being a rich source of copper, magnesium, manganese, and nutrients important for boosting energy, brain health, immunity, and bone density. Impressively, Cashews appear to provide fewer calories than what is widely assumed. Their rich fibre and protein content may help reduce hunger and surge feeling full. All together, Cashews can help you lose excess weight.

They can be eaten raw or roasted and even as a quick healthy portable snack. Ground cashews can also be incorporated into a healthy snack diet likely, toasted with a little masala to make healthy roasted cashews, as an ingredient popularly in Punjabi desserts, gravies, or subzis.

Summary

However, it is important to understand why to prefer natural nuts, keeping aside all these nutritional facts of it. Another aspect worth mentioning is whether the nuts produced conventionally retain these benefits when filled with chemicals and fertilisers. Even if they do, what are the chances that one might be able to achieve their aspiration of healthy living with these chemicals getting accumulated within their bodies and posing a threat to their health and immunity. So it makes choices obvious for a fitness enthusiast just like all of us is to enhance and work around the food choices we got, including a shift toward natural food items. Many natural alternatives for all the food items one would need to add to their meals are available in the market, and the same can be chosen for nuts to observe better health effects.

If you have made it this far and are really motivated and impressed enough to read and learn more about natural better healthy food options, check out this really helpful blog on Eat Right For A Healthy Life.

Also, check out our Instagram post showcasing the premium attributes of dry fruits and nuts offered by Himalayan Natives.