nuts and seeds

This post is to remind me for future use what I just learned. I looked at the nutritional info for various nuts and seeds, using the CRON-o-meter program (it's free). I compared (raw) walnuts, pistachio, brazil nuts, almonds, cashew; hemp, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, chi, and flax seeds.

Now I see why Dr. Fuhrman and others recommend flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts for getting your omega-3 fats. Chia seeds are also super-high in omega-3. I've never tried them but I'll add them to my shopping list and try them out. The seeds are much higher than the walnuts in omega-3s. Here's an article describing the benefits. Here's another that says it helps with macular degeneration (eye disease). Since housemate got warned by the eye doctor that she had the beginnings of this, I will put the seeds in her smoothies. According to the same article, citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables are good too. House mate does pretty well with those.

Then I want to get some more muscle on my skinny frame so Dr. Fuhrman recommends sunflower seeds because of their complete amino acid profile. He said it's just like eating meat. I think he said that about hemp seed too. I recall this from one of his telecons or the forums so I don't have an article to point to.  According to this website, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds have even higher "quality" protein than sunflower.  It didn't have an entry for hemp.  Most nuts and seeds have 4-5 grams of protein per oz, but hemp seeds have 8, and pumpkin seeds have 6.  So I want hemp, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds in my diet for protein.

So for me, I want flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and I'll try chia seeds for the omega-3s; hemp, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower  seeds for the high-quality protein; and Fuhrman recommends sesame seeds too (see Howard's comment below). Then the nuts have varying quantities of minerals which is why Dr. Fuhrman recommends a variety. Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium, while the others have little. Unfortunately I have a tendency to pig out on brazil nuts, so I guess I should buy them in relatively small quantities. Pistachio nuts have 5 g of protein per oz, lower calories than walnuts, and taste great. so if I could control myself, I probably should get some pistachio nuts, brazil nuts and walnuts to add to the mix. Sesame seeds have more calcium than any other nuts or seeds. Interesting how much it varies between them all--hence Dr. Fuhrman's advice to vary them.

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