Amazing benefits of having dried fruits and nuts: The busy schedules packed in meetings, presentations and seminars leave us with nothing but a habit of skipping meals in order to meet those deadlines making us completely forgetful about our own health which in turn disables us to keep a check on what we eat during those short breaks or students in their studies have no time to take a pause and rethink about the little unhealthy snacks they have been filling themselves with. These intermittent fillers mainly comprise of fried/deep-fried eatables, sugary drinks which actually are sweet poison cans, savouries made of processed flour, pizzas, burgers, potato fries that leaves us with various chronic diseases which ultimately should not be the result of all the hard work you do.

It is natural for anyone to come up with the question about the replacement of these disturbing food elements. The nuts or the dried fruits are one approach towards a healthy intermittent snacking. Nuts are simply dried seeds, legumes or any other part of a plant loaded with nutrients in abundance making them a healthy and tasteful edible while dried fruits are what their name suggests, fruits such as apples, apricots, peaches, dates, etc. dried by various methods, maintaining their sweet taste and prolonging their shelf life. Other benefits of dry fruits are their reduced calory count even though they are sweet in taste.

Given below are some of the easily available dry fruits and their un-applauded benefits. For saving time one may opt to purchase dry fruits online.

Pistachios- The trees of pistachios bear seeds which are widely consumed all over the world, well known as ‘Pistachio seeds’. With a salty and a papery-taste, they can make a delicious intermittent snack for people with hectic schedules with no time to eat anything during breaks. The calorie count of pistachios is remarkable which makes it a good filler and could simultaneously help to be on the go for a longer time. Despite being on the higher side in calories they, surprisingly, aid in weight loss due to higher protein count, a necessary nutrient for cutting fat out. Besides protein they are rich in fibers, antioxidants too which creates a feeling of being full making one eat lesser, ultimately leading to weight loss. They are proven to preserve the intestinal bacteria which are good and necessary maintaining the bowel movements that might get disturbed on consumption of Anti-bacterial medications for various ailments. A disorder of imbalanced LDL and HDL levels in the body can be prevented by consuming pistachios due to their composition of good fats such as omega-3 and omega-6, eliminating LDL (low density cholesterol) and enhancing HDL(high density cholesterol) levels which is major contributor towards an improved heart health reducing risks of angina and heart failures.
Almonds- From the oldest times, we have been told that almonds are meant to enhance brain capacity raising our intelligence and strengthening the nerves present in the head region, well, it seems to be completely true due to presence of a beyond-price element ‘copper’ which is known to promote controlled mental growth, neurological and endocrinological functions and a healthy heart and vascular growth. These dry fruits are cheaper than the others and can be incorporated well into a balanced diet. Also rich in plant-based nutrients(phytonutrients), sterols and phenols which make good antioxidants meant for weight loss and its further maintenance. Almonds are best had raw with their skins removed after an overnight soaking in pure water. Besides having them raw people prefer other forms such as almond milk, almond butter, almond flour which are again processed and might compromise with its nutritive property. The dried fruits like these make an appropriate gifting option on Diwali, preparations of which have already started with various offers and sales on purchase of dry fruits online.

Walnuts- these tiny brain-shaped nuts do not only appear so, but they are in-fact rich in compounds that may assist in the mental development and retaining capacity. Most importantly they are proven to be helpful in reducing symptoms of epilepsy. Not only this, walnuts have shown amazing results in fair and fatty females (prone to develop gall-bladder stones) to prevent the risk of gallstones or at least the pain associated with it. The important connective tissue of our body (bones) tends to develop a condition called osteoporosis which too can be checked by consuming this magical dry fruit. Like other nuts and dry fruits, they help in weight management too. Students during their studies are advised to have walnuts to improve memory power. Other compositions include melatonin, phytic acid, phosphorus, copper, manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, copper which have their own respective roles to be played leading to the overall well-being of heart, brain and metabolism. Walnuts are best had along with brown Raisins.

Cashews- they are the most popular nuts due to their rich, sweet taste, creating a feeling of being full even with a handful of them making them a healthy choice over many other snacks for the intermittent breaks. Be it salted, plain or roasted, each variety of cashews is enjoyed well by people of almost every age group. Now, talking about the health benefits, cashews offer a great deal of micro as well as macronutrients making them stand out. These kidney-shaped nuts are actually seeds of the plant rich in proteins, carbohydrates, iron, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, copper, selenium, vitamin K, etc.

Antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids are beneficial for kidney function preventing any disparity in urinary system hence easily flushing out toxins ultimately leading towards weight loss. Like others, they are loaded with good and healthy fats promoting a healthy and sound heart.

Raisins- They simply are dried grapes and fall under the category of dried fruits. They find their way into our diet through numerous ways passing down from our kitchen shelves. They can be eaten as they are in their raw form, added to bakery products like cakes and cookies due to their intensely sweet taste and lower risks associated with sweeter edibles. Raisins are even called natural candies for whatever qualities they possess. It is always advised to have raisins to compensate for lower Hemoglobin levels of a body due to their high content of iron. Since they are simply a dried fruit they are rich in fibres and have a remarkably longer shelf life. Another important elements like calcium and boron which are meant for maintaining teeth and bone health are also present in abundance.