Let me tell you about my favourite go-to snack. It is one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat and highest fiber nut. Since over a decade it has been a part of my client’s and mine daily food. It’s California pistachios! It really is nutrition in a nutshell. 

Whenever I ask people to add it to their food, I am initially met with disbelief. Everyone loves this nut but they were always apprehensive to eat it. I then explain to them how it would aid first and foremost in weight loss. I tell them it is the “skinny nut” as about 40-50 pistachios are barely 160 calories compared to 40 grams of any fried snack which could go up to 250-350 calories with zero nutrients. I have realized that the rich and creamy texture of the pistachio is so tasty and it really makes you feel happy as you munch through them. 

The entire process of de-shelling the pistachio and eating this emerald green nut takes time. I explain to all my clients that to experience the creamy texture, one really needs to chew on it properly and slowly. This gives the stomach enough time to signal the brain that you are satisfied thus preventing binge eating and ultimately aiding in weight loss. 

As previously mentioned, the dietary fiber in the nut adds bulk which further assists in keeping one full while eating a small quantity. Good quality food (nutrient dense) always satiates faster than the junk counterparts. The reason is simply because good quality foods are nutrient dense thus when you consume it, you are filling up all the requirements of the body. When the requirements of the body are met with you will not overeat which you tend to do with junk food as the body will just not feel full with nutrient lacking foods.

You will consume less fat when you eat pistachios as compared to other nuts and this can further support weight loss. 

It is always wise to consume foods that keep you full for a longer time. In the Nutrition Dictionary we define these foods as low glycemic index foods. Lucky for all of us, pistachios do feature on the lower end of the glycemic index. So just a handful can prevent hunger pangs and you don’t end up reaching out to constantly eat.

When you are losing weight you think of cutting fat. It is very sad that people have the misconception that all nuts have to be cut out. I am constantly educating them that the only fat that needs to be removed is the bad fat. Adding good quality fat which is nutrient rich is the key to sustainable weight loss and pistachios is one of the ways to have good quality fat. Often people forget that it is not only about calorie counting when on a weight loss but more importantly nutrient counting. They land up with constipation, low immunity and fall ill quite frequently. Their skin and hair become lackluster.  

This is where good quality food plays an important role. The added health benefits of the nutrient rich pistachios often combat the problems we face when we do not bother to add good food that is good for overall health. Pistachios support gut health due to the dietary fiber. Pistachios antioxidant content boosts over all immunity, improving heart health, preventing cancer cells from multiplying, while the beta carotene content improves vision. Vitamin B6 which is found in pistachios is vital in improving the amount of oxygen transported by our blood thus making ones brain function optimally. Eating pistachios can help improve one’s physical appearance as the good quality biotin nourishes the hair and its roots and the Vitamin E content helps fight premature aging in the skin. Lastly, the protein content found in pistachios is quite impressive for the size of this nut. 

I recommend that everyone should add pistachios with their breakfast lunch and dinner and even use it as snack! Eating pistachios really is a win-win situation for all.