Keep Energy High Through the Summer With Nature's Power Snack - Pistachios!

FRESNO, Calif., July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The summer season brings hiking and biking trips, long days outside and race training season. Fueling your body with healthy foods is important to keep energy up especially when the sun is beating down. The antioxidants in pistachios help reduce the risk of heart disease(1) and the protein, carbohydrate and vitamin B content make them an ideal natural refueling option. Snack on pistachios for a delicious – and fun – summer.

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As mentioned, pistachios have been long known for their heart-healthy qualities, but here are a few more reasons from Keri Glassman, MS, RD, to power up with pistachios this summer:

• Pump up the protein – Use pistachios as body fuel. One half ounce of pistachios counts as one serving of protein according to MyPlate. With a mix of protein, carbs and healthy fats, pistachios are the perfect pre- and post-workout snack.
• Vacation in a nutshell –Stress can often deflate your energy. Give yourself some downtime and grab a handful of pistachios. Promising research suggests that eating pistachios may help lower stress, by lowering blood pressure.(2)
• No more guilty guessing – Save your shells and count them to make sure you're eating the right amount.  What's the right serving size, you ask? You can snack on 49 pistachios – more than any other snack nut.
• Filling your fuel tank – Pistachios are so delicious and packed with energy that you may want to eat the whole bag.  Luckily, nature packages pistachios in their shell, which naturally slows down your consumption, helping to prevent you from overeating.
• Orange you glad – Pistachios pack as much of a nutritious power punch as some of your favorite fruits and veggies. Pistachios have as much potassium (300mg, 8%) as an orange (250mg, 7%) and as much fiber (2.9g, 12%) as half a cup of cooked broccoli (2.5g, 10%).

For more fueling up tips about American Pistachios, visit www.thegreennut.org.

(1) Kay CD, Gebauer SK, West SG, Kris-Etherton PM. Pistachios increase serum antioxidants and lower serum oxidized-LDL in hypercholesterolemic adults. J Nutr. 2010;140:1093-98.

(2) West SG, Kay CD, Gebauer SK, Savastano DM, Diefenbach CM, Kris-Etherton PM.  Pistachios reduce blood pressure and vascular responses to acute stress in healthy adults. FASEB J. 2007;21: 682.3.

SOURCE Western Pistachio Association