And October is probably one of those times. Fresh nuts will be more plentiful and available through autumn, so it will be easier to add them to your meals. (Nancy has an allergy to some nuts, so she will be cautious.)
"A new Harvard study found that women who get their protein from sources other than red meat are far less likely to suffer from heart disease. Those who ate one daily serving of nuts (except Brazil nuts) in place of meat reduced their risk by 30 percent; substituting one serving of meat with fish lowered the risk by 24 percent." - Parade Magazine
So why not Brazil nuts for your serving? When you have Brazil nuts, you want to have just a few a day. They are so rich in selenium (a good thing!) that a "serving" would far exceed USDA guidelines. Selenium is a mineral that does wonders for our immune systems, helps fight cancerous cells, and protects our bodies from heart disease.
"Dr. Christine Thompson has published a study in which, over a 12-week period, volunteers were divided into groups. Some took selenium supplements, and some just ate two Brazil nuts a day. After 12 weeks, the blood selenium concentrations of the Brazil nut group had increased the most, and they had more than twice the activity of a key antioxidant. The results indicate that including a couple of Brazil nuts a day in the diet could ensure a greatly enhanced selenium status without needing to fortify other foods or take supplements." - American Clinical Journal of Nutrition
There's only one type of nuts headed our way this autumn that we'd better try to dodge - the ones included in those SCARY bags of Halloween candy! Here's one plan for handling all that candy on sale in the stores right now:
"Tips for Halloween: Don't buy more candy than you'll need, and keep the bags sealed until Halloween night. Allow yourself three of your favorite treats in mini, fun or snack size, then brush your teeth or gargle with mouthwash. Give away all leftovers to the lucky last trick-or-treater of the night." - Joy Bauer
Yikes, mouthwash and then candy probably not. Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes, you don't!
What other smart health choices are YOU making this October?