Nuts and Seeds – the Good and the Bad

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Nuts and seeds Topics – the good and the bad

• Healthiest nuts and seeds
• Reducing Phytic Acid content
• Calories in nuts and seeds
• Omega 3 and 6 fats
• Baking with Almond and Coconut Flour
• Nut and seed snacks
• Nuts and Seeds on a Herpes Diet

Healthiest Nuts and Seeds

1. Almonds have excellent flavor, versatile for baking, snacking and food toppings. Studies show they have more Vitamin E than most foods.
2. Brazil Nuts have abundant Selenium, a mineral that helps chelate heavy metals such as  Mercury. Three Brazil Nuts supply plenty of selenium. They are also anti-inflammatory as Dr. Axe details. 
3. Walnuts have more beneficial Omega 3 fatty acids than any other nut or seed. These are the best heart-healthy nuts. They make excellent toppings for salads and vegetables too. I like these Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts.  
4. Pistachios have plenty of fiber, protein and antioxidants.

Phytic Acid in Nuts and Seeds

Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient coating that keeps seed from sprouting prematurely. Unfortunately, it binds up minerals in our intestines, so we lose some of the valuable minerals in nuts and beans that way.

Soaking will remove much of this.  Soaking will NOT remove the gluten and gluten-related toxins and lectins however. This is one reason why Ancestral Diets such as my Diet For Human Beings, and the Primal Blueprint diet suggest avoidance of all grains and beans.

Soaking almonds overnight in water and rinsing in the morning will reduce much of the Phytic Acid. The almonds will be chewy and moist and will last only a day or two in the fridge. Delicious! 

This article and Primal Diet – Modern Health Podcast detail soaking out Phytic acid in Quinoa and Wild Rice. They are also seeds…

This one talks specifically about prepping seeds and nuts to remove seed toxins. 

Calories in Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds have somewhat equal calorie amounts from protein, fats and carbs. They are pretty high in calories overall, but not from starchy sugars such as bread or cookies. 

1/4 cup of Walnuts (1 ounce) has 185 calories, 4 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber. They have 18 grams of fat.

Cashews have the highest fat of all – 1/4 cup of cashews can yield 300 calories and 25 grams of fat. 

If you are eating Paleo and losing weight you don’t want to lose, add soaked almonds or cashews to help gain weight.

If your weight loss has plateaued on your Paleo Diet, check the amount of nuts and seeds (and nut butters) you’re eating. You may be using them as convenience foods rather than the condiments they really are.

Omega 3 and 6 Fats in Seeds or Nuts

Nuts contain varying amounts of Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats – the bad ones we want to balance with Omega 3 fats.  The nuts lowest in Omega 6 PUFA’s are macadamias, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews and chestnuts. These are your best nut choices.  

Baking With Almond or Coconut 

Almond flour makes great muffins, quiche and pancakes, but like whole almonds, it can contain phytic acid. Fortunately, buying blanched almond flour means the almonds have been skinned (removing much of the phytic acid and seed toxins) and then blanched, removing even more.  Blanched almond flour is still very high in calories though, so a little goes a long way.  Avoid almond meal, as it has the skins still on it and has not been blanched.

Nuts, seeds and coconut flakes make crunchy toppings or a simple crushed coating. Good on fish or chicken. Or top vegetables with them.

Nut and Seed Snacks

Almond Butter on apple or celery makes a good snack – portable too. The skins are removed before the almonds are ground to butter.

Peanuts are NOT nuts, but legumes (bean family). I don’t recommend them to Clients as they are moldy and allergenic. 

There are many snack bars with nuts but most contain mostly dates and are high in fruit sugar. Look for those with fruit as the lowest ingredient. This article and Podcast on Paleo Road Trip Snacks details more.

Nuts and Seeds on a Low-Arginine Herpes Diet

If you have any RetroVirus such as Herpes, Epstein Barr, Shingles or Cytomegalo Virus, avoid nuts unless you take a Lysine capsule with them.  These viruses feed on Arginine amino acid that is high in nuts, all grains and chocolate.  Taking the Lysine will help, but don’t overdo…. This article on Best and Worst Foods for Herpes explains more. I carry several great supplements for these viruses in my online store and clinic as well. See some here.

As you control your outbreaks with a low-Arginine Diet you can add some nuts back to your diet if they do not trigger an outbreak.