Living “green” has become a very popular topic right now. People are quickly realizing that we need to take care of our bodies naturally to improve our health and to lose weight permanently.

Raw nuts such as almonds and walnuts are a must for holistic weight loss. You can actually shed unwanted pounds by strategically eating these throughout the day.

Eating raw nuts do not create the calorie intake that you’d expect because 5% to 15% of calories are not absorbed by your body. This is due to the skin on the nut and how well the nut is chewed up in your mouth. Both have a tendency to influence digestion. Because of the slow caloric release, you will feel much more fulfilled and your appetite will gently be surpressed.

All nuts are high in protein and monounsaturated fat (good fats). Out of all of the different types of nuts, almonds and walnuts are the healthiest.

What they will do for you: Build muscle. In addition to having protein, almonds have an adequate amount of magnesium, which is crucial to building muscle.  Fight cravings by eating 24 almonds for a snack or before a meal then immediately follow them with a  drink of 8 ounces of water which will suppress your appetite. The water causes the fiber to expand in your stomach making you feel more full.

Major nutritional factors in almonds: fiber, potassium, vitamin E,  magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, monounsaturated fats

Alternatives: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados

Nuts to Avoid: smoked nuts, peanuts, salted nuts

How to introduce into your diet:

• Carry a small bag of nuts with you to snack on.
• Add chopped nuts to your cereal or yogurt.
• Add chopped nuts to your ice cream.
• Eat a small handful of raw nuts 15 min before your meal to curb your appetite
• Add chopped nuts to a bowl of fresh fruit

Dr Charles Livingston is a structure/function doctor who specializes in advanced nutrition and weight loss. He is also the author and creator of http://www.greenlifeweightloss.com which teaches healthy “green” principles for shedding weight fast naturally.