HEALTHY SNACKS

Delicious Cookies – Packed with Fiber!

You’ve likely heard quite a bit lately on a “miracle” substance that is proven to foster weight loss, improve gastrointestinal health, protect your heart, and even guard against cancer.

Food manufacturers and diet gurus are boasting about it in their products, TV commercials exposing taut tummies urge you to get more by whirling it into juice or water, and a recent book suggests that 35 grams a day is the key to losing weight and staying healthy for life.

What is this miracle substance?

Fiber!

Although devoid of calories, this “non-nutritional vital nutrient”, is anything but lacking when it comes to your health. And new research shows yet another way that roughage (as Mom calls it) can help prevent inflammation – one of the major causes of chronic disease.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the relationship between fiber and C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is the best clinical marker for inflammation in your body. And it is a powerful predictor of future heart disease and diabetes. The study evaluated the body composition, CRP levels, diet and physical activity of 524 people and found that CRP levels were inversely associated with the total fiber in the diet.

The message is clear. Fiber up to keep inflammation down. For maximum benefit, you should eat a variety of plant-based foods that provide both soluble and insoluble fiber. And don’t forget Natasha’s Health Nut Cookies. With two grams of fiber in each cookie, our treats makes a healthy snack and a decadent after dinner delight.

Almonds – Good for the Heart

Almonds don’t just please your taste buds. They can also protect your heart.

Research conducted at the State University of New York found that consuming a diet moderate in fat, but providing healthy monounsaturated fatty acids offers more benefits to the heart than a diet low in fat.

In this study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, subjects were separated into two groups for weight loss – low fat and moderate fat. Those following the moderate fat diet not only lost weight, but also reduced their triglycerides and LDL or “bad cholesterol”, while maintaining levels of heart healthy HDL cholesterol. Those in the low fat group lost weight, too, but their triglycerides rebounded and their HDL levels sank at the end of the study.

Enjoy the heart-healthy benefits of almonds in Natasha’s wholesome products!