The Benefits of Peanuts and Pomegranates

By Braxton Cosby

Wellness, fitness, oh let me count the ways…that I can get in shape fast. Many people are going nuts trying to find the next fitness craze, or insane diet plan to maximize weight loss and fit into their size (fill in the blank) before the summer. But I challenge you to ask the question of “Have I looked At The Simple Things In Life Yet?” Simple things like fruits and vegetables to invigorate your body and rev up that metabolism that has slowed down to the speed of a tortoise. Well, I am starting this blog off as a series, where I will give you some information to tap into the potential that I know you have as pertaining to your metabolism. It’s in you. I can feel it. Dripping, pouring and spilling onto the computer monitor. It is a beast that desires not to be tamed anymore. All you have to do is cheat the system a little and provide the necessary substrates, along with exercise, to get things moving in the positive direction. Let’s start with one of my favorites, the Peanut!

•   Peanuts are packed with fiber and protein. Fiber forces your stomach to stay active during the day and night in the digestive process. The more your body/stomach work, the more energy is consumed. This helps to shed off unnecessary calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. The protein is needed to help your body re-build and repair muscle that is torn and damaged during a good workout. They also keep you satisfied and full for a long time (fiber). This helps you to manage your hunger. Some suggests that the urge to eat is stifled for as much as 2 1/2 hours vs. the half hour you’ll get from high-carbohydrate foods.

•   Peanuts can increase your metabolic rate. A researcher group studied the resting energy expenditure on peanut and peanut butter eaters, finding that after just 19 weeks, there was an 11 percent gain after regular peanut consumption as compared to baseline.

•   The fat in peanuts is the good stuff (HDLs). They help provide satiety and add a little to the taste buds so you don’t feel deprived. 🙂