The Nut Snack

Dr. Gundry calls the twice-a-day nut snack a "nutty gift" because 1/4 cup of nuts helps stave off hunger and also ensures that your brain has sufficient protein and glucose to burn for energy without going after your muscles. I keep a large jar full of mixed nuts on the counter with my 1/4 cup measure. When the jar runs out, I try a new mixture.

Pictured here is a mixture of: pecans, peanuts, brazil nuts (those huge ones) and almonds. The jar of peanuts only in the background is for my fiance Max who is a one nut kind of a man (okay, I'm laughing out loud too, but you know what I mean). Whenever I leave the house, I have a small tupperware container of nuts in my purse. If you've been living the Gundry lifestyle successfully for six weeks or more, try cutting back to 1/8 Cup.

Dr. G. recommends raw, unsalted nuts, with the exception of peanuts which you should buy roasted, but unsalted. Raw is best because nuts contain beneficial omega-3 fats whose antioxidant benefits are lost in the cooking process. Unsalted is best because salt tells your body that you want more. See page 78 of Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution for the full explanation. Also, avoid sunflower seeds which have omega-6 fat (the "bad" fat) and cashews which are high in sugar. You can have 1 Tbsp of nut butter (peanut isn't the only kind out there) instead of your nut snack, but make sure that the brand you select does not add oil or sugar. Dr. G. warns that unlike nuts, nut butters are fully digestible, so you will be consuming more calories than you would with just raw nuts.