When we hit a certain age, we all notice that although we eat the same amount, we seem to gain weight. It happens when we reach our thirties, forties and fifties but eventually this weight gain catches up with everyone. Unless they take action. Hormonal changes, aging of the metabolic processes, loss of muscle and being less active all contribute to the slowing down of our metabolisms.
I’m generalizing, but we are at our peak metabolic rate in our early twenties. The evidence suggests that your metabolic rate decreases by one to two percent per decade. By time we hit thirty, we might also be living a more sedentary life, at least when compared to our early twenties. This can impact our muscle mass. Muscle burns more of our energy, so losing this can compound the slowdown in our metabolic rate, maybe by as much as four percent.
Weight Gain by Stealth
It might not sound like much, but in effect that means that you can be adding pounds to your waistline by just eating the way you always have. If you consume the same calories as you did in your early twenties, then when you are in your thirties, four percent of those calories won’t get used and will be deposited as fat. Scary.
Here are some numbers to illustrate. It is thought that for every 7,000 additional calories you eat, then one pound of this can be deposited as fat. The recommended daily calories for a woman in her twenties, is 2,000 calories. In your forties, the recommended calorific intake falls to 1,840 calories a day. So, if you continue to eat as your twenty-year-old self, that’s an additional 4,800 calories in a single month over what you need. This could mean gaining 0.7 of a pound being added just in those four weeks.
What can we do?
We need to look at what we eat and make some subtle changes. One thing that is easy to do, is to change one of your daily snacks to nuts. Nuts have recently moved from a snack time treat to a healthy eat. This has happened for two reasons. First, that the scientists got the calories wrong on nuts. Well, not wrong exactly, but because of the way we eat nuts, as much as 20% of the nuts don’t get digested. Secondly, when we consume nuts, the calories that we do take in, don’t all get converted to fat. The jury is still out why this is the case, but it appears that there may be some enzymes which help to prevent the move into lipids (fats).
Secondly, it’s reported is that “nuts are rich sources of bioactive nutrients with the potential to deliver metabolic and cardiovascular health benefits.” In layman’s terms, it looks like nuts can help increase our metabolic rate and reduce our calorie intake by making us feel full sooner.
Evidence suggests that eating nuts is linked to having lower body weight and lowers the risk of a heart attack and stroke. Quite a claim but one that is backed up studies.
It seems clear that we should all be eating more nuts.
Nuts in Japan.
There are lots of varieties of nuts and most of them share the same health benefits. Even peanuts, which are a legume, like beans and not true nuts, have a similar chemical makeup. In the US, we are really spoilt for choice with cashews, almonds, macadamia, hazelnuts, walnuts and brazil nuts all being sold widely, as well as lots of other varieties.
In Japan, nuts are a common snack item too. They are sold in small bags targeting the calorie conscious consumer. Low calorie, small portion snacks have really taken off in Japan. They are marketed under the banner “fill small space of stomach”. It sounds better in Japanese. These snacks are often below 100 calories per pack. Nuts haven’t been overlooked by this marketing trend.
Many Japanese eat nuts as one way to stave off their hunger pangs during the day. Handy pocket size bags of chestnuts are popular for snacking at any time, and only 90 calories per pack. They are a bit tricky to get online in the US, but there is a similar product on the US Amazon site. Details below.
Ginkgo nuts, known as ginnan, are readily available in Japan. They are first roasted in their outer shells (raw ginkgo’s are slightly toxic). At this point they look like pistachios. Once deshelled, they are slightly chewy and taste a bit like pistachios, almonds and walnuts combined. They are delicious.
The Japanese also believe that they help with hypertension and are an aphrodisiac. Although I’m not sure those two facts are compatible.
You may have seen or even eaten “Japanese Peanuts”. However, a word of warning. These are neither healthy nor Japanese. Most are made in Mexico. They are tasty, no doubt. But they are also laden with carbohydrates in the form of an added crunchy outer shell. The coating is made of flours, sugars, butter and flavorings. There is a reason why they taste so good. But that is also the reason why they are particularly unhealthy.
Go eat nuts.
Perhaps, snacking on nuts helps the Japanese keep their trim figures. After all, it is rare to see an overweight Japanese person. I believe that eating nuts, is just one of the many things that contribute to the Japanese staying trim, living healthier and living longer. The data from the latest science journals backs this up. Eating nuts regularly, can increase your metabolism and help reduce your risk of heart disease.
What’s not to love. If you are now hankering for a nut, then you can get your ginkgo nuts at your nearest Asian market or shop at Amazon online store. Or for general nuts why not have custom boxes delivered to you by Graze. Enjoy!
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