Smart Snacking

Raw, natural almonds are a great snack!!!

Health benefits of Almonds

• Almond nuts are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous healths promoting phyto-chemicals; This kind of well balanced food offers protection against diseases and cancers.
  
• These nuts are rich source of energy and nutrients. They are especially, rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids that help to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol".  Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids helps to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
  
• The nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E; contain about 25 g per100 g (about 170% of RDA). vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen free radicals.
  
• These nuts are packed with many important B-complex group of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates. These vitamins functions as co-factors for enzymes during cellular substrate metabolism.
  
• They are also rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.
  
• The sweet almond oil is obtained from the nuts is an excellent emollient; helps to keep skin well protected from dryness. It has also been used in cooking, and as “carrier or base oil” in traditional medicines in aromatherapy, in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry.
  http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/almonds.html
  

Just a handful of these nuts a day provide so many benefits... they are also surprisingly filling!!!