That's Fit

Each week, we'll be naming a Super Food and offering unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Few health foods can be found in the junk food aisle of your local grocery store. But there is one healthy item to be had in the seemingly endless sea of stuff that's bad for you. I'll give you a hint: it comes in little tins. Give up yet? Next time you're not sure what to pick up for a quick a delicious snack, nuts are your best bet.

But wait a second, you say. Aren't nuts high in fat? And salt? And calories? The answers to those questions are yes, yes and yes, but don't be too quick to write nuts off -- I'll tell you why.

Man, nuts are expensive. A strange way to open a discussion, I know, but I needed to get right to the point. And as I take a quick look back at that first sentence, I'm thankful for the way a comma can help clarify the meaning of a statement. Anyway, back to what I was saying: nuts are not cheap these days. Where I shop, a good sized package of almonds can run about six bucks. Walnuts are only slightly cheaper. With the exception of peanuts, it seems as though the price of nuts has become ... well, for lack of a better term, nuts.

This is too bad, really. Nuts are an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat -- the kind that helps reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol. In addition, studies have shown that nuts may also reduce inflammation in blood vessels, helping to prevent against the development of heart disease.

Considering that nuts contain the antioxidant vitamin E, as well as a fair amount of folate and niacin (among myriad other nutrients), you'd think there would be government action taken to make them more affordable. A handful of almonds, for example, would make for a much healthier snack in a kid's lunchbox than would a bag of potato chips; yet, the small container of almonds cost twice as much as an overstuffed bag of the latter. With the growing problem of obesity (no pun intended) in this country among kids and adults, efforts should be made to make healthy foods such as nuts the better financial option than sugary and salty snacks.

As a kid, I think the only time I ate almonds was when I bought the Hershey's with almonds from a local convenience store. Nowadays, I eat less Hershey's bars of any kind (except for the occasional dark chocolate variety) and often find myself picking up a package of almonds at the grocery store.

A handful of almonds can make for a great, healthy snack. Packed with good fats, vitamin E, and calcium, almonds can help protect against a myriad of physical maladies.

In fact, a recent study, conducted at the University of Toronto, led to the discovery that eating about an ounce of almonds per day can lead to a decrease in LDL cholesterol by as much as 20 percent over time. Incredibly, this decrease in LDL is comparable to the reduction caused by some medications.

If you're still living under the misguided impression that eating three square meals a day is healthy, you're really not to blame. This eating regimen was practically law for generations past, which is why it is so hard to break from this very conditioned pattern. However, it is now well known that eating three, large meals per day can contribute to weight gain, for eating too much food at once shifts the body into digestion and sedation. What's more, not eating for extended periods of time causes your metabolism to slow.

Try eating a combination meals and healthy snacks throughout the day. Ideally, you should be eating six separate times of each day. Here's a sample-6, sourced from Dr. Elson M. Haas' website www.elsonhaas.com

BREAKFAST: Oatmeal or cream of rice with sunflower seeds and fruit, such as an apple or banana

MID-MORNING SNACK: A handful of almonds and an orange, or a six to eight-ounce, low-sugar fruit smoothie

LUNCH: Four to six ounces of salad greens, chopped carrot, celery and/or cucumber, one or two hard-boiled eggs or a piece of skinless chicken breast topped with olive oil and lemon juice or vinaigrette

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: Celery, jicama and/or carrot sticks with hummus and sliced avocado

DINNER: Salmon, Swiss chard and green beans, plus one cup of brown rice

EVENING SNACK: A slice of toast with a tablespoon of peanut or almond butter, topped with a sliced apple or date

If you're busy prepping for your upcoming holiday travels, you may want to consider what nutrition experts have to say about eating healthy at airports.

Definitely avoid the fast food spots, they say. And since flying makes you incredibly dehydrated, they recommend picking snacks with high water content -- like apples and pears. Instant soup works too, but only if sodium levels register at 500 milligrams or less.

More tips: During airport layovers, give dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese a try. They contain amino acids which increase blood flow and tryptophan which promotes relaxation and calmness during air travel. Almonds are another wise choice -- just limit your portion to a healthy one-ounce serving.

Low sodium is key for travel. So pass on the potato chips and try something like low-sodium beef jerky. It's low in calories and carbohydrates and has lots of protein. Optimally, though, whole foods top any sort of processed food. The fewer the ingredients, the better.

I was told by a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona to make sure I put something in my body after I exercise. Exercise takes a lot out of us. So it's important we replenish what we've lost when our physical activity is complete. The experts at active.com agree and offer some smart eating tips for runners wishing to nourish and repair their bodies after workouts.

Try red bell peppers, they say. Just one provides 380 percent of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C, a nutrient crucial for repairing connective tissues and cartilage. Vitamin C should be worked in throughout the day, every two to three hours or so until five daily servings are consumed. Also give papaya, cantaloupe, and oranges a try.

Protein rebuilds muscle and also repairs bones, ligaments, and tendons. What better source of protein -- and omega-3 fatty acids -- than salmon. "Eating fish high in omega-3s or taking supplements is like throwing a big bucket of ice water on inflammation," say the experts. Mackerel, flaxseeds, and walnuts will also do the trick.

Almonds are one of those things that have been around for ages but are just now gaining the notoriety they deserve. Those delicious nuts are now being lumped in with many superfoods for the nutritional value they offer. True, they're high in calories and fat, but if you consume them in moderation, they have a number of health benefits.

Like? Well, according to a new study on Almonds, almonds can help you feel full for longer periods of time, keeping you from overeating other stuff. Almonds are also a great source or protein and don't have all the bad fats that other protein sources may have. Almonds lower cholesterol and can increase your levels of a number of important nutrients, including Vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, potassium, calcium, and iron.

The best part? Studies have shown that adding up to 570 calories worth of almonds to your daily diet doesn't lead to weight gain. Why this is, I don't know. But I do know I'll be eating more almonds from now on.

Protein is an important part your diet, but protein can also be the most unhealthy part of your diet, particularly if your main protein sources include bacon double cheeseburgers. Mark's Daily Apple has put together this list of bad and good protein choices:

• Instead of hamburger meat, choose grass-fed beef
• Instead of frozen chicken, choose organic chicken
• Instead of farmed salmon, choose wild salmon
• Instead of fish sticks, choose tuna
• Instead of regular eggs, choose organic DHA-enhanced eggs
• Instead of regular yogurt, choose organic or Greek yogurt
• Instead of tofu, choose Tempeh
• Instead of regular beans, choose high-protein legumes and quinoa
  
• Instead of peanuts and peanut butter, choose almonds and almond butter

What do you think about these choices? I agree with most of them, but I still think that tofu, beans and natural peanut butter can be a good addition to your diet.

Are you nuts for nuts? I am -- walnuts, pecans, almonds and peanuts in particular. Not only are they healthy, but they are tasty as well. The bad thing is that those tasty, nutritious nuts can sometimes get stale if not stored correctly.

Why do nuts go bad? The healthy oil inside them is the reason. Some of the best oils for heart health are inside many nuts, but if not kept preserved, they will go bad. Answer: freeze those nuts. And no, husbands should not be laughing at that line. You know what I meant.

Still, some plastic containers (or glass, which is more preferable) make for great nut storage in the side compartments of the freezer. Make sure your contained of choice is airtight, and you'll have nuts waiting for you to enjoy long after they would have gone bad at room temperature.

If you're trying to lose weight or just generally healthify your life, you need to take a critical look at your pantry. There are some definite pantry no-nos (chips, sweets, etc.), which you should rid yourself of in favor of healthier snacks. Such as? eDiets names these items as some of the best things to have in your pantry:

• Oatmeal: This high-fiber, low-fat breakfast choice (or afternoon snack) will keep you full for hours.
• Rice cakes: again, this low-fat, low-cal snack is a great way to fill that mid-afternoon craving. Try it with a bit of peanut butter on top.
  
• Almonds: They're full of protein and good fats, but make sure you don't eat too much.
  
• Bananas: they're a great source of potassium and can satisfy that sweet tooth.
  
• Green Tea: It's a great source of antioxidants and energy.
  

Want to know more? Read the original article.

What's in your pantry?

There are new rules coming into affect tomorrow by the US Department of Agriculture that state that almonds must be pasteurized as of September 1, 2007. The new rules are a result of a series of salmonella outbreaks that occurred between 2001 and 2004 and were ultimately linked to raw almonds. This applies to all almonds, including organic ones.

However, these new rules have been met with some outrage. One major point of contention is that no manufacturer can ever truly call their almonds 'raw' anymore, even though the new regulations state that the label 'raw almonds' can be still be used. It's also felt that the powers that be are over-reacting to a small incident that occurred years ago.

Almonds are delicious and nutritious. If you can find the raw kind (not subject to irradiation), the healthy effect of these excellent nuts can be had while your taste buds get a treat.

In a unique study, a group of women were given a daily diet that included about 350 calories of almonds a day for nearly two-and-a-half months. Another group were given a customary diet for the same period, minus the almonds.

Result? The group that consumed almonds daily did not gain weight at all during the period in addition to having a good dose of vitamin E and magnesium, two components found in ample supply inside almonds. The fiber in the almonds was also found to actually block absorption of some of the fats almonds contain as well. Odd but true.

Are you a food fan? Yeah, aren't we all? Sometimes it's tough to know exactly what to eat though, especially if you're trying to find a healthy, balanced diet but don't want to spend precious free time reading and re-reading labels. If you want to find out what foods give you the most most bang for your buck (health-wise at least) check out this fun, illustrated article posted on AOL Body.

It lists 10 of the best possible foods to eat when attempting to create a balanced diet full of nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, antioxidants and more. These are the foods that will not only fill you up but that will keep your heart, brain and the rest of your body in great shape.

In no particular order, here are the Top 10:

• Kidney Beans (Check out this post by Debra McDuffee for the skinny on kidney beans).
• Avocados (Learn more about the healthy fats in avocados by taking the quiz Brian White mentions here).
• Bananas (Find delicious banana-tastic dessert recipes in Jessica Ashley's post on the healthy fruit).
• Green Tea (Decide what kind of tea is best for you in Bethany Sanders' post on green, black and white tea).
• Almonds (Check out Rigel Gregg's post on celebrity snacks to find out which stars love almonds).
• Wild salmon (Try the easy glazed salmon recipe mentioned by Debra McDuffee for your next meal).
• Honey (What's so fab about honey? Find out about the wonder-food in this post by Rigel Gregg).
• Broccoli (Debra McDuffee lets you know why broccoli is super here)
• Blueberries (Enjoy healthy blueberry muffins with this recipe courtesy of Jessica Brim).
• Extra virgin olive oil (Martha Edwards' post on healthy cooking tips discusses olive oil and other foods).

They're all tasty and offer the added bonus of being really really good for you. Head over to AOL Body to take a look at the foods and find out more about what exactly it is about each that makes them so edible and excellent.