Peanut lovers are just barely bouncing back after a major salmonella scare. Now the news is breaking that the country's second largest pistachio farm is recalling its entire 2008 crop -- or a million pounds of nuts -- due to concerns that the pistachios might be contaminated with salmonella.

If you're a nut lover or a vegan/vegetarian who depends on nuts for protein, you're probably saying nuts to all these food safety concerns. I don't blame you. But nuts are far too good for you to give up on them altogether -- not only can they help control weight gain, they're also rich in healthy fats and good for the heart. While you're waiting for your favorite nuts to be cleared, here are a few healthy choices to try instead:

• Almonds: Low in saturated fat, an ounce of almonds fulfills 35 percent of your vitamin E for the day for only 160 calories.
• Walnuts: An ounce of tasty walnuts will give you a day's worth of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Cashews: Go crazy for cashews -- they're a lower-fat nut and rich in oleic acid.
• Pecans: A handful of these offer 19 different vitamins and minerals and could lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

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Determined to eat a healthier diet? Almonds are one food that experts will almost certainly recommend you factor into your daily eating regime. Why? Those tasty little nuts are nutritional powerhouses, offering protein, calcium, vitamin E and plenty of healthy fats. And they've been shown to decrease your levels of LDL (aka "bad") cholesterol, all while helping curb your appetite.

And if they're so healthy for you, they're probably good for your waistline too, right? What do you think?

Looking to Shrink a Size in 2009? Look no farther than these five rules for weight loss.

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There's nothing like watching that number on your scale decrease when you want it most, is there? Nothing like a little confirmation that all your good eating and good exercising is really working. Here are three foods the folks at Oxygen magazine say will work your scale so that your digits definitely go in the downward direction.

• Water. It may not be food in the specific sense, but it's vital for a well-functioning body, and the right amount of hydration can truly tip the scale in your favor. The right amount? Drink about two cups of cool water on an empty stomach and earn a 30 percent jump in metabolism.
• Almonds. They're getting more press -- read more here about this nutritious nut -- and can be a key component of a low-calorie diet. You could lose 62 percent more weight and 50 percent more body fat with a few of these in your diet. Just make it a few, though (lots of calories and fat in these puppies) or your scale just might revolt.
  
• Grapefruit. Half of one of these (or three servings of grapefruit juice) can help you lose four to 10 pounds. And the good news: You shouldn't have to alter your diet or workout routine to enjoy this prize.

So maybe grapefruit has some real power. I don't doubt it. But I don't want you walking away from this post thinking a grapefruit, a handful of almonds and two shots of water are going to transform your body on the spot. It takes time -- and a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Adding some nuts to a diet consisting of pizza, cookies and Coke just isn't going to work. Know what I mean?

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Running isn't just an effective form of exercise, it's cost-efficient (you need nothing more than a good pair of shoes), you can do it anywhere and it's an excellent way to work through life's little stressors. If running is your exercise of choice, you may want to fuel yourself with these four foods, recommended by running coach Jenny Hadfield:

• Almonds. The vitamin E in almonds helps to prevent achy muscles. Grab a small handful for a snack -- but watch your portion sizes. Even though almonds are rich in healthy fats, they still pack quite a few calories.
• Oranges. Vitamin C helps repair muscle damage caused by running.
  
• Sweet potatoes. A great source of healthy carbs, sweet potatoes are rich in potassium and magnesium -- minerals that runners lose through sweat.
• Tuna. Serious runners need 60-90 grams of protein a day to help repair muscle. Tuna is a convenient and lean source of protein.

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My son is in the fifth grade this year. The school's cafeteria is small, so they scatter the times kids go out for recess and to lunch. As the oldest kids in the school, my son's class doesn't hit the cafeteria until 1:00. Considering he catches the bus at 7:30, that's a long span of time before lunch.

His teacher has a scheduled snack time at 10:30 to help tide the kids over until lunch. She sent home a note regarding snack time for the kids. She recommended a list of healthy snack options which was great. But what was more impressive was this: she's banned candy from her classroom.

I thought it was wonderful. The kids will still be allowed to have candy on special occasions such as Valentine's Day. But on a day to day basis, my son's teacher is promoting good nutrition that will give them the energy they need.

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Sabrina Bryan, one-third of The Cheetah Girls recording act, really sets a positive, healthy role example for young girls. She's fit, toned, and at an appropriate weight. What's more, she clearly enjoys staying fit -- especially through one of her first loves ... dancing.

Bryan previously released a fitness DVD titled BYou. She shared a video of her top five fit tips with People Magazine:

• Do cardio. Bryan loves to dance, but any form of cardio you enjoy will do.
• Hit the dance floor. Even if it isn't your first choice of cardio, hit the dance floor and try different styles of dance, like Bryan did while on Dancing With the Stars.
• Try Pilates. Bryan does Pilates for strength and toning.
• Start swimming. Bryan recommends finding a pool or beach where you can swim outside in the sun.
• Eat healthy snacks. Her favorites include string cheese, apples, and almonds.

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I have a favorite salad I make at home. It's healthy. It's easy. It's something you might want to add to your at-home menu.

It all starts with a bed of baby spinach leaves. Then I add a handful of red grapes, sprinkle on some shredded carrots, mix in some dried cranberries, and toss in a few shaved almonds. For a dose of good protein and a serving of essential omega-3 fats, I top with salmon, which is always a leftover from a previous dinner meal.

No dressing for this salad. The juice from the grapes and the moist fish do the trick all on their own.

Want permission to eat before you go to bed? Here it is: About 90 minutes before you turn in for the night, head to the kitchen and make yourself a snack. Make it light and around 200 calories and you won't head into dangerous eating territory. You will relax your muscles, quiet your spinning mind, and rev up the sleep-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin -- if you eat one of these 10 picks.

Bananas. Bananas contain serotonin, melatonin, and the muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Chamomile Tea. Chamomile has a mild sedating effect.

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When you really get down to it, one of the main objectives of life is to stay alive for as long as we can. On average, we occupy a place on this planet for about 75 years. Some of us hang around for a little longer, while others take an earlier ferry. Still, barring any unfortunate accident or contraction of a terminal illness at a younger age, 75 seems to be the norm.

Keeping your stay on this wonderful world of ours from being cut short sometimes requires a good amount of work (regular exercise, adequate amounts of sleep, stressing less, etc.). However, there are also some easy ways to prevent early departure, many of which involve nothing more than a revised grocery shopping list. For the next eight days, we'll offer one death-defying food choice each day to help keep you healthy and happy for many more years to come.

Death-Defying Food #5: Almonds

Packed with good fats, vitamin E, and calcium, almonds can help protect against a myriad of physical maladies. A recent study, conducted at the University of Toronto, led to the discovery that eating about an ounce of almonds per day can decrease LDL cholesterol by as much as 20 percent over time. Incredibly, this decrease in LDL is comparable to the reduction caused by some medications.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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