Going nuts

Did you know...

-  Nuts reduced the risk of heart disease and heart attack by 30% - 45% (see PubMed.gov for details on 5 major studies)
- The Nurses Health study showed that women who ate more than five ounces of nuts a day also tended to weigh less than those who didn't, according to Web MD.

So I'm adding this to my Less is More diet:

less cheese, more nuts. 

The trick is sticking to an ounce a day. According to The Nut Case on Yahoo food, that's about a 1/4 cup a day, or 30 almonds or 20 walnut halves.

Prevention magazine cites a study from Pennsylvania State University where volunteers ate 1 1/2 ounces (about a handful) of pistachios every day. At the end of 4 weeks, those who munched the nuts reduced their total cholesterol by an average of 6.7% and their LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 11.6%. They also give you an energy boost.

... Happily this practice also complements the other guideline to 'eat more plant food and less meat' being promoted by food advocates like Mark Bitten and Michael Pollan.

Try different kinds.

Make pesto, peanut sauce, peanut soup, eat them raw, toast them, or add them to stir fries or salads.