Nuts, Seed Snacks & KeeDiet

Professional Obesity & Weight Loss experts continuously report that including a little more healthy fat promotes continued good health and is a positive addition to a diet. KeeDiet® agree with this statement and suggest that our clients add a small amount of nuts, seeds or oils and enjoy a delicious healthy snack whilst reaping the health benefits.

If you feel adding nuts and seeds in their whole form will be too tempting. Instead opt to add nut/seed oil to your a salad or permitted meal as a dressing or take in tablet form as a final choice. Enjoy this addition to your plan, jazz up your dressing, flavour it with garlic cloves, chilli, mixed herbs or slightly heat one of the KeeDiet Bars and roll in crushed nuts and freeze, crumble on top of your Mousse to add an extra dimension to your products. There are lots of options!

When following any KeeDiet® Weight Loss Plan three times each week you can include either:

• 1 Tablespoon / Approx 6 small unsalted nuts / seeds
• 1 Tablespoon of nut or seed oil

Each nut is packed with nutrition and is the ideal healthy snack when consumed raw, this excludes salted, oil cooked, roasted or tampered with in anyway, for example honey roasted. The type of nut or seed you enjoy eating isn't that important!

Nuts are excellent sources of Fibre, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, riboflavin, niacin and iron. One ounce of nuts contains 165 - 200 calories and typically 14-21 grams of healthy fats. Research has shown high protein - low carbohydrate diets to be more effective at reducing weight and are easier to stick to than following a low fat diet.

KeeDiet® products are low in saturated fat (bad fats) and contain more healthy unsaturated fats, with many including essential Omega-3 and Omega-6. Going on a diet too low in essential fats is not the best way to lose weight quickly. A certain amount of healthy fats are needed for the bodies essential functions, going too low on essential good fats can actually increase the risk of developing or aggravating gallstones and dieters may experience common side effects attributed to a low fat / VLCD plan, for example: hair shedding, dry skin, splitting nails.

Brazils Nuts: Particularly healthy due to their high selenium content, 4 brazil nuts contain all the selenium you need for a day which makes their protein content "complete". Selenium is a powerful antioxidant linked to lower rates of cancer and heart disease. They are also a very good source of zinc, essential to digestion and metabolism.

Macadamia Nuts: A high energy food, full of protein, fibre and loaded with other important nutrients that impact favourably on health. Macadamias have a rich, buttery flavour that makes them unbeatable. They can be eaten raw or roasted, whole or chopped.

Almond Nuts: A good source of protein, vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and phosphorus. Eating almonds can lower bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, provide protection against cardiovascular disease and diabetes, boost energy and help prevent gallstones. Whole almonds (with skins) provide the most heart-healthy benefits.

Cashew Nuts: High in antioxidants and have a lower fat content than most other nuts; additionally, 75 percent of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids. Good source of monounsaturated fats, copper, magnesium and phosphorous. Eating cashews promotes good cardiovascular health, even in individuals with diabetes.

Peanuts: Heart-healthy and a good way to reduce your risk of stroke and possibly even cancer. A good source of vitamin B3 (niacin), foliate, copper, manganese, protein and are a significant source of resveratrol, a chemical studied for potential anti-aging effects. Peanuts may also help prevent gallstones and protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Walnuts: Excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, manganese and copper. An important source of healthy (monounsaturated) fats. Eating walnuts may benefit your cardiovascular system, improve cholesterol in individuals with type 2 diabetes, help brain functions, protect bone health and help prevent gallstones. Walnuts also have bio-available melatonin which helps regulate sleep.

Pecan Nuts: Lower in carbohydrates, good source of protein, easily digestible, contain minimal sugar, low in saturated fat and contain no trans-fat. Slimmers best snack food are pecans. So instead of reaching out for that bag of crisps, get yourself some pecan nuts for a treat and you are not only satisfying your sweet tooth cravings, you're also doing your health one big favour.

Coconuts: Recently cooking with coconut oil has been really fashionable for the health conscious. Highly nutritious, rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Classified as "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content and possesses healing properties. Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, now known that the fat in coconut oil is unique and different from most other fats. It is now gaining long overdue recognition as a nutritious health food although you may wish to do a little more personal research.

Unsaturated Fats - Considered the 'healthy' fats' - Encouraged as part of a healthy diet, helping to lower cholesterol & more

Saturated Fats - The ‘bad’ fats'

Monounsaturated Fats - The ‘good’ fats'

Polyunsaturated Fats - The ‘in between fats’ - Some good & bad properties

Trans Fatty Acid - A man made fat which is worse for you than saturated fats. Trans Fatty Acid is created when certain oils are heated. Present in foods that contain hydrogenated oils such as margarine.

Flax seeds/oil - Nutty taste, sprinkle on cereals, salads, just about any dish you want. Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds provide anti-inflammatory benefits, protect your bones, protect against heart disease, breast cancer and diabetes. Eating flaxseeds also lowers blood pressure in men with high cholesterol.

Hazelnut Oil - Delicious, rich flavoured oil extracted from the nut. Its delicate flavour is lost when heated but it can be whisked into a sauce at the last minute or used for baked goods, salad dressings or as a marinade for fish or poultry.

Pine Seed Oil - Distinctive flavour, this oil is produced on a small scale. It is quite costly but the flavour will never disappoint. Use it for salads; it is especially delicious when added to a dipping sauce for artichokes.

Pumpkin Seeds / Oil - Use as a last-minute seasoning for steamed vegetables or fish. Eating the green, hulled, pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) may promote prostate health, protection for men's bones, anti-inflammatory benefits for those with arthritis and help lower cholesterol. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of the essential fatty acids, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, copper, protein and vitamin K.

Sesame Seeds / Oil - Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1 (thiamin), zinc, dietary fibre and healthy (mono saturated) fats. They also contain phytosterols, which block cholesterol production. Eating sesame seeds may help lower cholesterol, provide relief for rheumatoid arthritis and support vascular and respiratory health. There are many types of this oil. All are aromatic and capable of being heated to a high temperature making it a good cooking oil. Asian sesame oil is made from toasted sesame seeds, giving it a darker color and more pronounced taste.

Sunflower Seeds / Oil - Best all purpose oil. It is high in polyunsaturated, tasteless, pale, light in texture and inexpensive. It can be used for frying, cooking, salad dressings and mixing with other more strongly flavored oils. Eating sunflower seeds may help provide anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits, lower cholesterol and prevent cancer. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), dietary fibre, protein and minerals such as magnesium and selenium and are high in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.

Walnut Oil - Delicious topaz-colored oil, rich, nutty flavor. Production is small, therefore this oil is expensive. Walnut oil does not keep long, either opened or unopened, so buy in small quantities and keep in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator. It makes a delicious salad dressing. It is also good with fish, poultry and vegetables or use wherever a walnut taste will marry well with the ingredients.

Olive Oil - (the exception to the seed/nut rule - Olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only non-vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit).

The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of anti oxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("the bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good") cholesterol levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil - mainly oleic acid.

Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation. When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first "pressing" of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no "off" flavours and is awarded the "extra virgin" status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as "extra virgin".