Is The Almond Diet Just Another Fad?
On the surface, an almond diet sounds like just another fad, adding to the list of "diet a month" fads that come and go. Most fad diets are out to accomplish one of two things, rapid weight loss, which is not terribly good for anyone, or emptying one's wallet, when the diet is based upon a store-bought product.
The almond diet is a different breed of cat. We're not talking about a regimen of almonds and water for days on end, no doubt one way to lose some weight. Even almond lovers would tire of that fairly quickly. And as nutritious as almonds are, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and almonds are no exception.
Raw, Not Salted - The bottom line is almonds are an exceptionally healthy food. Many nutritionists regard almonds as the most nutritious of all the members of the nut family. Of course, we're not talking about roasted, salted almonds. They are good tasting, but the excessive salt is not good for you, and roasted almonds are not quite as nutritious as the raw ones. If you must, have a few salted almonds as an occasional treat. We only live once!
A Handful or Two Is All You Need - If an almond diet isn't simply almonds and water, just what is it? What an almond diet is all about is replacing certain foods in your regular diet with almonds. Which foods to replace? Try doing without foods containing excessive fats, salt, or sugar. Even just eliminating those types of foods will be healthy, and may lead to some weight loss, but you still need calories. An ounce of almonds, a small handful, contains 165 calories, two handfuls provide 330 calories, and one or two handfuls a day is what we're talking about. That's your "almond diet", and if you go about it the right way, it's a very healthy one, and a safe one at the same time. You don't necessarily have to eat them a handful at a time. Almonds can be combined with other foods, such as in salads.
An Appetite Suppressant - As far as weight loss is concerned, almonds, like many other nuts, make you feel fuller, and in that sense act somewhat like an appetite suppressant. Almonds contain fiber, protein, and fat, foods that make you feel have eaten enough. You eat less, you should lose some weight. Fat from almonds is not the same as fat from meat or fat from chocolate milkshakes. Tests conducted among groups of people, some whom were on an almond diet, and others who were not, indicated that the almond diet group lost significantly more weight and experienced a greater reduction in waist size than did the non-almond eaters.
The real benefit realized from an almond diet has more to do with the heart. Almonds are known to be very beneficial when it comes to keeping cholesterol levels in check. Almonds also have a positive effect on blood sugar, and have a tendency to reduce blood pressure, particularly the upper or systolic number.
Summary - The almond diet is so much different than most other diets, and definitely is not in the same category as the fad diets. With the almond diet, one actually adds an extremely healthy food item to the regular diet, substituting it for something not so good for you. Add a little that is very good for you, and take a way a little that is not, and you get a two-fold increase in nutritional benefits, and a two-fold increase in potential weight loss and lowered cholesterol. Not bad for a handful of nuts.