Healthy Girl Project: Let's Go Nuts!

Recently I've started adding raw nuts and seeds to my diet... admittedly, I wasn't super keen on consuming them in their raw form when I've grown up snacking on their tasty salted & roasted cousins! But knowing they were good for me (I'll explain in a sec!) I resolved to make myself eat a handful now and then... and amazingly within only a couple of days I started enjoying them. Heck, I'm craving them right now just writing about them!
So here's what I've been learning about nuts and seeds (the following info is from this website - visit it for a more detailed description):

- They're the NUMBER 1 source of plant protein!
- They are high in fat - but it's the good kind. While they can contribute to weight gain and should be carefully portion controlled if you're trying to lose weight, they're great for your heart. A study showed that people who consumed a serve of nuts just 5 times per week reduced their risk of heart disease by 35%! What!?
- They're an amazing source of energy (hence why you should be careful if you're trying to lose weight)
- They're filled with a whole bunch of minerals and even a couple of vitamins!

And check this out (from the same website):
"A study published in the April 2002 Journal of Nutrition had people replace half the fat in their daily diets with almonds for six weeks. Researchers found that the almond eaters’ bad cholesterol went down six percent, and good cholesterol went up six percent. In addition, blood fat dropped 14 percent." [source]

So what's a good portion size? According to a couple of websites I browsed through, a good daily serve is 1 ounce (30g) - I measured it out and it was a little less than a 1/4 cup. Nuts and seeds are super versatile - you can mix them through your muesli in the morning, snack on them at work, sprinkle them on a salad... get creative! The important thing to remember is that they're at their best in raw form.

I also found this site which has a list of nuts and seeds and an extensive look into each individual one... seriously each nut and seed has its very own page packed with information! Worth a look.

Healthy Girl Project - The Sheepish Face

Is this sheepish enough for you??? It's been a while since I blogged, and honestly, the reason why I'm dusting it off and jumping back in is because of the people who have (sometimes forcefully!) been suggesting I get back into it! I'm really sorry I got so slack... I think that making this project a 365 was a terrible idea! I started running out of ideas, losing motivation, putting way too much pressure on myself, and once I'd skipped blogging that first week I thought to myself "Well, I'll never catch up on that 365 now" so I stopped trying. For that reason, while I do plan to blog as regularly as possible, I'm taking the pressure right off, ditching the "365" and renaming this the "Healthy Girl Project". Now I can blog every day... but I don't have to. And probably won't.
Anyway! What have I been up to? Have I been sticking with it? No. No, I haven't. But you'll be pleased to know that I'm not completely off the band-wagon. Some of the things I've been keeping up:
- Eating more fruit
- Avoiding coffee. And it's amazing how well I've been sleeping!
- Eating avocado on an almost daily basis
- Drinking more water

Yay me! But, let's be real. I've also been travelling terribly in other ways, or I wouldn't have gone into cyber-hiding all these months. For one thing, KFC just opened up at our local shops. You know I love my KFC. Some nights I can smell it from my front yard. Resolve, I need you! But I can't pin the blame entirely on KFC either. I've been planning some pretty atrocious meals*, letting my portion sizes slide back up there, and don't even talk to me about exercise... But guys, from tomorrow it's back on. I'm crawling back asking for another chance. Have your good intentions slipped since the new year? Is the colder weather inspiring you to load up on carbs and plop down on the couch with little other plans than to watch My Kitchen Rules**? Make this your week to start fresh too!

*Example: tonight's dinner was chicken stuffed with bacon and cream cheese, wrapped in puff pastry. I think that roughly equates to 500g weight gain per bite!
** Seriously babes.