Healthy weight loss tips include the consumption of nuts

When people ask for healthy weight loss tips, a typical piece of advice that often comes up is to eat nutritious food. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein are part of a proven diet in terms of staying lean and fit, and a recent study that appears in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that nuts should be on the menu as well.

Lead author David Jenkins explained that peanuts can be a valuable contribution to one’s diet, particularly in the case of individuals who have type 2 diabetes. These foods can help replace high glycemic index carbohydrates with vegetable fats and proteins that have been associated with long-term heart health.

“Increased proportions of fat and protein, especially of plant origin, may confer metabolic benefits and reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease and diabetes,” Jenkins and his colleagues wrote in their paper. “Nuts may be used to increase [these nutrients] in the diets of type 2 diabetic patients as part of a strategy to improve diabetes control without weight gain.”

The scientists added that weight maintenance can contribute to a better resting metabolic rate, enhanced satiety and better energy absorption.

Eating a healthy diet is only one of many factors that medical weight loss programs take into account.