Are Nuts Good For Weight And Fitness?

One of the outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a renewed emphasis on health. Many people have been paying closer attention to their health and fitness goals because the less healthy you are, the more likely you are to have complications from an illness. If you are working towards your health and fitness goals, you are most likely looking for ways to increase your intake of essential vitamins and minerals while keeping track of cholesterol and trans fats. Nuts can go a long way towards helping you reach those fitness goals you are aspiring to. Here are some ways eating nuts can help you with your weight loss and fitness goals.

Nuts Help You Get Full and Stay Satisfied Longer

Nuts are one of the best foods you can eat if you are trying to reach a weight loss goal. First, nuts are full of fiber. Fiber is an essential nutrient your body needs in order to operate normally. This is especially true for your digestive system. Fiber helps keep your digestive system moving food through it and waste out of it. Many people don't get enough fiber in their diets, especially if they are dieting, often because fiber usually comes with carbohydrates. Nuts are a great way to add fiber to your diet without adding empty carb calories.

Also, nuts are full of other vitamins and minerals that help you stay full. Iron is an important mineral for your body. It helps your blood oxygenate, which helps you feel stronger and healthier. If you are a vegan or a vegetarian, you need plenty of iron in your body, and you may find it difficult to get enough if you are not consuming meat. Nuts can provide your iron content and aid in helping you feel full as well as gain nutrients.

Calcium is another essential vitamin that people who are working towards a weight loss goal may not be getting enough of, and they may get hungrier more quickly. Nuts can provide so much calcium. Both vegans and vegetarians use nut milk and nut cheese to ensure they are getting enough calcium.

Nuts Can Help You Regulate Your Blood Sugar

Scientists are realizing how important your blood sugar levels can be if you are trying to reach your weight loss goals. Researchers began studying blood sugar levels while they were studying the chronic disease of diabetes because it is when diabetics cannot regulate their blood sugar that they suffer damage to the body. They can have kidney and liver damage, suffer from blindness and nerve damage, and are even at higher risk for both strokes and heart attacks. Scientists discovered that it is not only diabetics that can have blood sugar issues. People's blood sugar levels change during the day. If your blood sugar gets too low, your body signals that it is time to eat.

Often, people who are trying to lose weight suffer from a cycle of low blood sugar, crashing, and eating a ton of sugar and carbs to try and regulate their blood sugar. This isn't good for either your fitness or your weight loss goals. However, nuts are one of those foods that contain fiber, which work to help your body regulate your blood sugar levels, which means they stay stable during the day. If your blood sugar levels are stable, you don't get hungry as quickly, which means you can stick to your goals.

Nuts Can Help With Your Fitness Goals, Too

Nuts are amazing for supporting you when you are trying to reach your fitness goals. First, nuts have tons of vitamins and minerals that support your increased activity level. Vitamins and minerals such as B and E vitamins, folate, niacin, zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, and potassium all work to keep your body strong while you increase your activity level. These nutrients support bones, muscles, and your cardiovascular system, which means you are gaining muscle while you're increasing your activity and reducing the risk of a fracture.

Nuts aren't just filled with vitamins and nutrients; they have all kinds of phytochemicals that plants produce. Nuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers have found both phytochemicals and fatty acids work as anti-inflammatory agents in your body. Scientists know that when you have enough anti-inflammatories in your body, you are boosting your body's immune system and decreasing the amount of time your body needs to recover after exercise. Anti-inflammatories also relieve pain in your joints and allow any damaged muscles you have to begin their recovery. Those amazing anti-inflammatories also protect your heart and cardiovascular system and even act as additional mood boosters.

The next time you are reflecting on your weight loss goals or on your fitness goals so that you can continue to grow in your health journey, consider how much a daily handful of mixed nuts can benefit your current and future weight and fitness goals. It's time to get out and stock up on nuts!