Almonds For Your Wellness

As a child, if your grandmother insisted you eat a handful of almonds every morning before heading off to school, then consider yourself lucky. Widely popular, this small nut packs quite the nutritious punch because of its innumerable health benefits.

Deliciously sweet, almonds can be incorporated in your diet in several ways. Whether eaten raw or roasted as a mid-meal snack or added to salads for crunch, crushed into desserts for that extra dose of nutrition or had with fruits in a smoothie-on-the-go, almonds can go a long way in making your food interesting and packed with goodness.

Here are three reasons why you must include almonds to your daily meal plan.

Heart Friendly

Rich in monounsaturated fats—the type of good fats also found in olive oil—almonds are known to reduce the risk of heart disease and lower elevated LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. This is also because the nut is high in antioxidants, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

Weight Management

Studies have shown that people who eat nuts are less likely to gain weight than those who don’t. Almonds are rich in protein and fibre and therefore supress hunger, keeping you satiated for longer and less likely to binge on unhealthy snacks.

Beauty Benefits

The antioxidants and vitamin E in almonds make it a great skin food. The high amounts of catechin, epicatechin, quescetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol—all powerful antioxidants—help fight damage caused by UV rays, pollution and a poor nutrition and has anti-ageing benefits as well. Also, the presence of omega 3 and 6 make it fabulous for lustrous and healthy hair.