Nuts - yay or nay?

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My mother generally snacks on peanuts or almonds rather than chocolate or junk food. However, all my father's done recently is go on about how they're putting weight on her not taking it off.

Some places say that nuts are full of fat and bad for you.
Some say that they may be fatty but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

What do you guys think? Do you eat nuts to help you lose weight or as a replacement for snacks?
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Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    My mother generally snacks on peanuts or almonds rather than chocolate or junk food. However, all my father's done recently is go on about how they're putting weight on her not taking it off.

    Some places say that nuts are full of fat and bad for you.
    Some say that they may be fatty but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

    What do you guys think? Do you eat nuts to help you lose weight or as a replacement for snacks?

    They don't help you lose weight, a caloric deficit does that, not magic foods
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Nuts are wonderful but as with anything else portions need to be controlled and calories need to be counted.
  • msmimi
    msmimi Posts: 381 Member
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    A friend at church loves them because they keep hunger at bay. I can't have them because control goes right out the window.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Nuts are wonderful but as with anything else portions need to be controlled and calories need to be counted.

    ^^^^^ Pretty much it in a nutshell!:laugh:

    Almonds in particular are (in moderation) really good for you.....

    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-almonds.html
  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
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    I eat nuts as a snack while I'm losing weight. They are full of good oils and the vitamin E from brazil nuts in particular keeps my skin great. Good fats are necessary in the diet, especially as women get older as it helps store depleting oestrogen in the body.

    HOWEVER .... 3, yes, just 3, whole brazil nuts contain 83 calories ... a whole 250g bag (1 cup) contains a whopping 1368 calories - it takes some discipline to measure them out and resist the temptation to eat the whole bag!
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
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    Nay. Damn nuts always be tryin' ta kill me.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    There's no magic food. They are declicious though.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I eat them because they are a calorie dense food and have good fats but as far as losing weight that only occurs if you are running a caloric deficit..... Best of Luck
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Nuts are very good for you and packed with nutrients and heart healthy fats...but they're also calorie dense. 30 grams...roughly a small handful is around 150 calories or so, and that's if they haven't been roasted in other oils.

    Don't confuse calories (energy) with nutrition; there are any number of calorie dense foods that are also nutrient dense and very good for you...equally, there are any number of low calorie foods with little or no nutritional value whatsoever.

    Also, if they're eating tons of nuts, it's likely they're exceeding their maintenance calories pretty easily...like I said, very calorie dense food.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
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    Nuts are OK but only to be eaten in moderation. They have very high calories (160-200 cals per 1/4 cup serving). When every handful has 150-200 calories, you can see how quickly and easily you can go overboard eating nuts. They will definitely cause weight gain if eaten too much.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
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    Snacking on a calorie-controlled amount of nuts is great. Sitting and eating a whole Costco-sized can of mixed nuts, not so much.
  • CajunTexan33
    CajunTexan33 Posts: 76 Member
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    :happy: I am gluten and dairy intolerant so nuts have been a great protein source for me as I also can't do soy. i prefer the wholseom nut mux by planters in the individual bags so I know exactly how many calores I'm getting (200) at a time and wont over do it! :)
  • megsi474
    megsi474 Posts: 370 Member
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    I eat a lot of nuts, I just count them out. I made the mistake once of bringing a bag of walnuts, almonds and pecans to the movies in lieu of candy and ended up eating 600 cals worth.
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
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    Just an FYI...go easy on the Brazil nuts...

    Health Risks from Excessive Selenium
    Chronically high intakes of the organic and inorganic forms of selenium have similar effects [6]. Early indicators of excess intake are a garlic odor in the breath and a metallic taste in the mouth. The most common clinical signs of chronically high selenium intakes, or selenosis, are hair and nail loss or brittleness. Other symptoms include lesions of the skin and nervous system, nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, mottled teeth, fatigue, irritability, and nervous system abnormalities.
    As discussed earlier, Brazil nuts contain very high amounts of selenium (68–91 mcg per nut) and could cause selenium toxicity if consumed regularly. Acute selenium toxicity has resulted from the ingestion of misformulated over-the-counter products containing very large amounts of selenium [2,5]. In 2008, for example, 201 people experienced severe adverse reactions from taking a liquid dietary supplement containing 200 times the labeled amount [64]. Acute selenium toxicity can cause severe gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, hair loss, muscle tenderness, tremors, lightheadedness, facial flushing, kidney failure, cardiac failure, and, in rare cases, death [2,6].
    The FNB has established ULs for selenium from food and supplements based on the amounts of selenium that are associated with hair and nail brittleness and loss (see Table 3) [6].
    Table 3: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for Selenium [6]*
    Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
    Birth to 6 months 45 mcg 45 mcg
    7–12 months 60 mcg 60 mcg
    1–3 years 90 mcg 90 mcg
    4–8 years 150 mcg 150 mcg
    9–13 years 280 mcg 280 mcg
    14–18 years 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg
    19+ years 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg
    *Breast milk, formula, and food should be the only sources of selenium for infants.
  • makibird
    makibird Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks everyone!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
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    i guess the answer is yes and not

    yes because its a good source of monounsaturated fat. you need fat, and if your going to eat it (and you should) that would be the best choice.

    no because its very easy to over eat on them. a cup of almonds is easily over 1000 calories.
  • triciaj66
    triciaj66 Posts: 253 Member
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    I LOVE NUTS!!! but unsalted is best ....
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    I eat them every day, starting with a nut butter on toast in the morning and ending with almonds (cinnamon, smoked, or roasted) mixed with chocolate chips at night.

    I weigh my portions with a scale; nuts, and all high-fat foods, are calorie-dense.

    They will not cause you to lose weight, but they are delicious.
  • DesdemonaRose
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    I like them because they stab hunger quite well without eating a bunch, but yea... you can overdo the calories if you are not careful. I love Trader Joe's Go Raw Trex Mix!
  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
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    Just an FYI...go easy on the Brazil nuts...

    Health Risks from Excessive Selenium
    Chronically high intakes of the organic and inorganic forms of selenium have similar effects [6]. Early indicators of excess intake are a garlic odor in the breath and a metallic taste in the mouth. The most common clinical signs of chronically high selenium intakes, or selenosis, are hair and nail loss or brittleness. Other symptoms include lesions of the skin and nervous system, nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, mottled teeth, fatigue, irritability, and nervous system abnormalities.
    As discussed earlier, Brazil nuts contain very high amounts of selenium (68–91 mcg per nut) and could cause selenium toxicity if consumed regularly. Acute selenium toxicity has resulted from the ingestion of misformulated over-the-counter products containing very large amounts of selenium [2,5]. In 2008, for example, 201 people experienced severe adverse reactions from taking a liquid dietary supplement containing 200 times the labeled amount [64]. Acute selenium toxicity can cause severe gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction, hair loss, muscle tenderness, tremors, lightheadedness, facial flushing, kidney failure, cardiac failure, and, in rare cases, death [2,6].
    The FNB has established ULs for selenium from food and supplements based on the amounts of selenium that are associated with hair and nail brittleness and loss (see Table 3) [6].
    Table 3: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for Selenium [6]*
    Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
    Birth to 6 months 45 mcg 45 mcg
    7–12 months 60 mcg 60 mcg
    1–3 years 90 mcg 90 mcg
    4–8 years 150 mcg 150 mcg
    9–13 years 280 mcg 280 mcg
    14–18 years 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg
    19+ years 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg 400 mcg
    *Breast milk, formula, and food should be the only sources of selenium for infants.

    Interesting thanks. The link to the full article is here http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/
    The benefits far outweigh the risks in my opinion, but the old adage 'everything in moderation' is a good one to follow :)