40 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • DECEMBER 21, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Boomers: 10 reasons to go nuts
For the roughly 75 million Americans
who make up the baby boom generation,
a healthy diet and lifestyle are the best
weapons against age-related diseases.
“It’s vital at any age to adopt good habits
to live a strong, fi t and healthy life,”
says Dr. Mike Roussell, a nationally recognized
nutrition consultant and nutrition
adviser to Men’s Health and Shape.
“Fueling your life with tasty and nutrient
rich foods while making sure to be
active every single day are essential components
to keeping your body young and
vibrant.”
Roussell’s recommendation? Nuts. In
particular, pistachios. “Pistachios are a
multitasking nut with fi ber, healthy fats,
and three specifi c types of antioxidants
that may help fi ght the onset of age-related
conditions that lead to poor health in
these 10 ways.”
1. Heart health
Large population studies show that
people who regularly eat nuts, such as pistachios,
have a lower risk of dying from
heart disease or suff ering a heart attack.
Pistachios provide 360-degree cardiovascular
support in that they can promote
improvements in cholesterol levels, blood
pressure and blood vessel function.
2. Anti-infl ammatory
Excessive inflammation is one of
the root causes of age-related conditions,
such as arthritis. Pistachios
contain a special form of vitamin
E called gamma tocopherol, which
has unique anti-inflammatory properties.
Gamma tocopherol levels have
also been shown to decrease as we
age.
3. Weight loss
Being overweight can also contribute
to a number of age-related illnesses.
Studies show pistachios positively promote
weight maintenance as the dietary
fi ber, fat and protein all work together
to make us feel fuller and satiated longer,
plus removing them from the shell slows
down eating. Pistachios are also the lowest
fat nut.
4. Digestion
Th e fi ber in pistachios also can help
with digestion. Research shows that the
fi ber in pistachios works as a prebiotic
and feeds the good bacteria in our digestive
tract to improve the health of our
digestive system. A single serving of pistachios
contains as much as 3 grams of
dietary fi ber.
5. Blood glucose level
Developing adult onset diabetes,
or Type 2 diabetes, is a common fear
for boomers. Th e American Diabetes
Association praises the health benefi ts of
nuts, including pistachios, calling them a
diabetes superfood because they improve
how the body’s cells use glucose and how
insulin responds to a carbohydrate-containing
meal, namely, stabilizing blood
glucose levels.
6. Skin health and appearance
UV light from the sun promotes damage
and accelerates the aging of our skin.
Pistachios contain two carotenoid antioxidants
that are concentrated in the
skin and work to fi lter out and protect it
against the damaging eff ects of UV light.
7. Eyesight
Pistachios contain lutein, a nutrient
known to help improve eye health, especially
in older individuals. Lutein has been
shown to prevent and slow down macular
degeneration by providing more pigment
for the eye, thereby refl ecting more of the
sun’s light, preventing damage to the retina.
8. Memory
Preliminary research shows that the
fatty acids and antioxidants found in pistachios
can help support brain health.
Th e antioxidants in pistachios can help
ward off excessive infl ammation in the
brain, a major cause of accelerated cognitive
decline. Another study found that
eating pistachios stimulated brain waves
that aid the formation of ideas and memory
processing.
9. Sleep
Nuts, including pistachios, are rich in
minerals such as magnesium. One benefi
t of magnesium is that it may aid sleep
because it assists in helping the muscles
relax and quiet activity in the brain
by working as an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
10. Energy
Pistachios have been shown to promote
energy, which is why so many professional
athletes consume them while training.
More energy means we’ll commit to getting
enough exercise.
But what is Dr. Mike’s main reason for
having his clients eat pistachios? “Th ey
taste good. People are much more likely
to stick to a healthy diet when the food is
tasty and fun to eat.”
Courtesy BPT