That's Fit

I like nuts. Okay, that sounded weird. Allow me to back up for a second -- I like peanuts, almonds, cashews and even the occasional macadamia. All make for great, healthy snacks, and all of them carry their own, individual health benefits. But, the one nut that I just can't seem to develop a taste for is one that may be the very best in terms of lowering cholesterol and protecting blood vessels: Walnuts. Despite what I keep reading about how healthy walnuts are for you, how many times I see news briefs saying the same thing, or even how my fiance swears that they have helped stabilize her cholesterol levels, I still can't bring myself to eat those damn things.

But, I should try. Maybe I can coat them with something delicious -- like dark chocolate, which would also provide me with the health benefits of its own natural flavonoids. Cinnamon is supposed to help regulate insulin/blood sugar levels, so maybe that would be yet another healthy way to eat walnuts without wanting to spit them out when no one is looking. Yeah, that sounds pretty good. Roasting them might help, kind of like almonds or chestnuts. The bottom line is that these damn nuts are healthy and the science is certainly there to support that -- yet, I still can't bring myself to eat them.

In efforts to force myself to eat at least a handful of walnuts, I looked up some studies showing their efficacy in lowering cholesterol and protecting blood vessels. It didn't take long for me to find a welter of useless internet blips, but I also came across some well-documented research studies. Among them was a study held in Spain, where participants were asked to consume an unhealthy 1,200 calorie lunch each day that included an extra-large salami sandwich and either eight shelled walnuts or 5 teaspoons of olive oil. What they found was that although both the nuts and olive oil reduced arterial inflammation caused by the participants' diet, only the walnuts improved blood-vessel elasticity.

Alright, fine, I'll eat some damn walnuts. Apparently, it only takes as little as a handful a day to produce the positive effects, so I suppose I can choke them down. But, should anyone out there reading have an idea or recipe enhancing the flavor of walnuts, please pass it along!!