Powerhouse Foods for Athletes & Bodybuilders- Pre and Post Workout Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are powerhouse foods,

containing the essential and vital nutrients to help nourish your body in a positive way. These nuts and seeds can be consumed on a daily basis for their benefits. Anyone and everyone, including Bodybuilders and athletes should consider consuming nuts and seeds throughout the day. It's low on calories, high on fiber and other vital nutrients to help with anti-inflammation, prevent health issues and more, and high on protein. Very ideal for those who need protein within their diet. Since it's a low-calorie food, you can eat a lot of these, receive their nutrients and still be able to manage your (weight) easily. Skip those unnecessary junk foods like chips, candies, and sodas, and start eating your nuts and seeds.

Nuts, especially walnuts, are rich in healthy fats like omega-3, which boosts your strength and performance during aerobic exercise. This kind of fat also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent problems with your joints.

Nutrients in nuts and seeds

Overall, nuts have very similar macronutrient (protein, carbohydrate, and fat) profiles, but different types of nuts may have slightly different micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) content.

Nuts have about 29 kJ of energy per gram, and are:

high in monounsaturated fats (most nut types) and polyunsaturated fats (mainly walnuts)
low in saturated fats
good sources of dietary protein, hence a good alternative to animal proteins. Some nuts are also high in amino acid arginine, which keeps blood vessels healthy
free of dietary cholesterol
high in dietary fiber
rich in phytochemicals that act as antioxidants
rich in vitamins E, B6, niacin, and folate; and they provide minerals such as magnesium, zinc, plant iron, calcium, copper, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.
Like nuts, most seeds are rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, plant iron and zinc, and contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, and vitamin E. Oily seeds also contain antioxidants that stop the fats from going rancid too quickly.

Due to the unique nutrient profiles of nuts and seeds, they are known to provide several health benefits, including:

helping with weight regulation
reducing risk for heart disease
reducing risk for diabetes.

Regular consumption of nuts, seeds and legumes is recommended for vegetarians, vegans or people who avoid animal foods. They are a good substitute for meats, fish and eggs as they contain protein, fat, iron, zinc and niacin. More than 30 grams of nuts and seeds a day may be needed to ensure adequate protein.

To help boost iron absorption from nuts and seeds, eat them with vitamin C rich foods and beverages such as tomato, capsicum, orange and citrus juices.

So, nuts boost your physical performance and are good for your health. You can eat them in several different ways, including on their own, with yogurt or with fruit. You shouldn’t be eating any snacks as you walk through the door to the gym, as your body will divert energy to digest this food. Between half an hour and an hour beforehand is about right. And don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

Here are some highly nutritious and crunchy favorites to consider:

Walnuts are high in omega 3s, which are good for the brain and heart
Cashews are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats as well as minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are good for prostate health and preventing inflammation
Sunflower seeds are high in thiamin and help keep your muscles and cardiovascular and nervous systems healthy

Health Benefits of Nuts

Remarkably, nuts not only taste great, but they’re loaded with protein, fiber, essential fats, antioxidants and minerals, which also makes them great for you. It seems like every day more and more studies continue to be released extolling the health benefits of eating nuts as a fundamental part of your diet. The FDA has backed this up, claiming that eating additional servings of certain nuts may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Wow! Now that’s something to write home about.

It turns out that just a handful of nuts a day keeps the doctor away. A 30-year Harvard study tracking 119,000 men and women found that those who ate nuts nearly every day lowered their mortality risk by 20% compared to those who never ate nuts. Researchers suggest that nuts may promote longevity because they’re packed with healthy fat, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.

If you’re watching your waistline, snacking on nuts is a smart choice. Some people mistakenly think the high-fat content in nuts can make you gain weight, but they’re actually a slimming snack. A 2007 Mediterranean study found that frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain. Nuts fill you up so you’ll be less likely to reach for unhealthy foods.

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5 Nuts That Are Beneficial for Fitness People

1. Almonds

Of all the nuts, almonds have the most going for them. They're fairly high in protein, and half of their carbs come from fiber. Plus, the monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, and magnesium content of almonds may promote heart health.
Research even suggests that consuming almonds can aid fat loss, finding that subjects eating 1.5 ounces of almonds per day reduced their waist circumference, abdominal fat mass, and leg fat mass significantly more than subjects getting a similar calorie amount from complex carbs.

Nutrition Per 1-Oz. Serving Of Almonds

164 calories
6 g protein
6 g carbs
14 g fat
3 g fiber

2. Walnuts

Walnuts are the only nut to provide a decent amount of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids. Although ALA is an omega-3 fat, it still needs to be converted in the body to the major omega-3 forms (EPA and DHA), so include plenty of fatty fish in your diet as well, or take a supplement.

Walnuts have also been shown to support heart health.[4] They aid your body's production of nitric oxide, which is critical to maintaining the elasticity and dilation of blood vessels, and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Some people don't like the bitter taste of walnuts. A delicious way to include walnuts in your diet is to add a half-ounce of walnuts to a cup of Greek yogurt along with some honey. This works well to cover up most of the bitterness.

Nutrition Per 1-Oz. Serving Of Walnuts

185 calories
4 g protein
4 g carbs
19 g fat
2 g fiber

3. Peanuts

Peanuts are an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, which can support testosterone levels. They're also higher in protein than most other nuts, and low in carbs, making the peanut one of the healthier, more beneficial nuts you can eat.

The same pretty much holds for peanut butter, making it a perfect treat to enjoy when following a low-carb diet. Go for all-natural peanut butters without added sugars to avoid trans fats.

Nutrition Per 1-Oz. Serving Of Peanuts

161 calories
7 g protein
14 g fat
5 g carbs
2 g fiber

Nutrition Per 2-Tbsp Serving Of Peanut Butter

190 calories
7 g protein
16 g fat
6 g carbs
2 g fiber

4. Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are higher in fat and lower in carbs than many other nuts, with most of the carbs being fiber. That makes them a great snack on low-carb days. They're also loaded with selenium (about 90 micrograms per nut), a mineral that helps to support thyroid function, which in turn controls metabolism. Selenium is also involved in immune function and evidence also suggests that selenium is critical for maintaining muscle strength.[5,6]

Eat two Brazil nuts, and your selenium needs for the day are met!

Nutrition Per 1-Oz. Serving Of Brazil Nuts

184 calories
4 g protein
19 g fat
3 g carbs
2 g fiber

5. Cashews

Cashews tend to be popular due to their taste, though they have less healthy fat (and therefore fewer calories) per ounce than other nuts. Cashews are also higher in carbs than most other nuts, with only 1 gram per ounce coming from fiber. They do, however, have a decent amount of protein, so keep that in mind when choosing which nut you want for your snack.

Nutrition Per 1-Oz. Serving Of Cashews

157 calories
5 g protein
12 g fat
9 g carbs
1 g fiber

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5 Top Seeds to Eat

1. CHIA SEEDS

60 calories, 3 grams protein, 3 grams fat, and 5 grams carbs per tablespoon

2. HEMP SEEDS

57 calories, 3 grams protein, 4 grams fat, and 1 gram carbs per tablespoon

3. PUMPKIN SEEDS

47 calories, 2 grams protein, 4 grams fat, and 1.5 grams carbs per tablespoon

4. FLAX SEEDS

37 calories, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fat, and 2 grams carbs per tablespoon

5. SUNFLOWER SEEDS

51 calories, 2 grams protein, 4.5 grams fat, and 2 grams carbs per tablespoon

DelicateNutrition - Bodybuilding, Nutrition

Powerhouse Foods for Athletes & Bodybuilders- Pre and Post Workout Nuts and Seeds - Fill Your Body With Powerhouse Nutrients