I'm confused about nuts and seeds

[TerriCRW]

I am preparing to start a Whole30 for the first time. I've downloaded the shopping list. It lists some nuts/seeds as "Limit." I assume I can use them (they are not prohibited), but I should only use them occasionally and not regularly. Is that correct? Would the same apply to the oil or butter of those nuts/seeds? Example - sunflower. In the past I've always sprinkled sunflower seeds on my salads and thought it was healthy! I'm not clear as to why some nuts and seeds are preferred over others.

Thanks experts!

Terri

[Fenderbender]

The main reasons to limit nuts are that they are very calorie dense and also very high in omega 6. It is very very easy to just pop open a can and before you no it" whoops, all gone" so best to use them as a condiment, sprinkled on a salad for some crunch....

If they pose no problem to you as a control issue goes, by all means grab some as a part of your meal.... Just don't snack on them through the day. Not saying this is you, but to many times I read posts of people complaining that they are not losing/gaining weight on W30.... Well if you eat a pound of nuts a day in addition to everything else....duhhh

As far as seed oils go, there are better choices... It think olive oil,coconut oil, pastured tallow,ghee all have much better fatty acid profiles and are anti inflammatory .... Nut and seeds are very high in omega 6 ( inflamitorry ) and you want to limit those.

[Tom Denham]

Most nuts and seeds deliver a high dose of omega6 fats. Most of us already have too many omega6s and we need to reduce omega6s and increase omega3 fats to achieve a proper balance. So, while nuts and seeds are okay, eating a lot of them will tend to overload you with omega6s. Some nuts are lower in omega6 fats - macadamias, hazelnuts, cashews, so they are "better" for you. Others are especially high in omega6s - walnuts, brazil nuts, etc. Almonds, which are Paleo favorites, are in the middle of the pack. Flax seeds have a lot of omega3 fats, but in a form that our bodies can't access readily, so they don't add health benefits. The oils and butters of the nuts and seeds have the same nutritional profile. In addition, many people lose control with nuts and seeds and eat a lot of them.

Bottom line: you can throw seeds on your salads if you like the crunch, but they are probably not making you healthier.

[Mltroutman]

I inadvertently ate a handful of roasted almonds tonight and afterwards realized they were not dry roasted and cooked in soy bean oil. I'm on day 12, does this mean I need to start over?

Thanks!

[Tom Denham]

Ouch. That is a bummer, but I would probably not start over. As a point of reference, if you drank a swallow of milk or ate a slice of bread I would say start over, but the amount of oil in a handful of roasted nuts might not be enough to create a problem, so I would not automatically start over. However, if you get to the end of 30 days and you don't feel good about your experience, you might want to go on for another 10 days and see if things improve. Soy bothers some people worse than others.