If you want a stronger cardiovascular system, you could start riding a stationary bike or you could incorporate walnuts into your diet. I suggest the latter.
My dad was sort of a hippie when I was a kid. We had granola in the house before it was a thing. We also had an unreasonable ratio of nuts and seeds to other foods. Walnuts were always available. Of course, pops wasn’t optimizing for convenience or efficiency. Unfortunately, the walnuts were always unshelled, so we had to break out the heavy-duty silver nut crackers. Walnut shells are sort of slippery, so this was a major pain the ass. It was worth it. The health benefits are undeniable. From whfoods.com:
No aspect of walnuts has been better evaluated in the research than their benefits for the heart and circulatory system. Some review studies have emphasized the very favorable impact of walnuts on “vascular reactivity,” namely, the ability of our blood vessels to respond to various stimuli in a healthy manner. In order to respond to different stimuli in a healthy way, many aspects of our cardiovascular system must be functioning optimally. These aspects include: ample presence of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, proper blood composition, correct balance in inflammation-regulating molecules, and proper composition and flexibility in our blood vessel walls. Researchers have determined the ability of walnuts to have a favorable impact on all of these aspects.
Seriously, I engage in zero strenuous cardio; I simply crush walnuts.
Fine, that’s silly, but just for fun, let’s discuss why it makes sense to eat walnuts and get under the bar. We will have to use our imagination, but that’s what we do here. We research and dream. Can walnuts boost your testosterone production and subsequently your dead lift? If you’re a rat, probably. Check out this study on rats from the American Journal of Ethnomedicine:
In the groups receiving walnut oil in the pre-puberty period, testosterone levels significantly increased (P <0.05). In the groups receiving walnut oil post puberty, testosterone levels significantly increased, too (P <0.01).A significant difference between pre puberty and post puberty groups was observed. (P <0.001)
Conclusion: This study showed that walnut oil had stimulating effects on the male reproductive system and could increase plasma testosterone levels by influencing the pituitary – testicular axis.
What does this mean for us humans? Not much that we can depend on. Obviously, eating one food isn’t going to directly impact your max squat. Over time, mining muscle facilitating foods like walnuts is an exercise in finding value at the margins. The devil is in the details. But walnuts may help us to at least remember to perform our workout. From the Huffington Post:
A new study suggests that eating a handful of walnuts per day — or even less — may help boost memory, concentration and the speed at which your brain processes information.
In a cross-sectional study that drew from a sampling of thousands of people in the United States aged 20 and older, those who ate more walnuts performed better on a series of six cognitive tests, according to new research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, led by Dr. Lenore Arab. And cognitive function was consistently better no matter the person’s age, gender or ethnicity.
Strong mind,
Kap
Chester says
WALNUT, GORGONZOLA / FETA, ENDIVE SALAD
1/4 cup toasted walnut oil
1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Approx 8 cups shredded leafy green lettuce. We use Butter (Boston) lettuce
2 Belgian endives, trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola or feta cheese (we prefer gorg)
1 large pear, cored and thinly sliced or ribboned
1/2 to 3/4 cup toasted walnuts
Ground black pepper, to taste
Put oil, lime juice, vinegar, honey and salt into a large bowl and whisk together to make a dressing.
Toss lettuce, endive and cheese and toss gently to coat. Top with pears, walnuts and pepper and gently toss again and serve.
bill says
Love hearing that. Walnuts are my favorite because I want salt on my almonds and cashews and peanuts, and then of course I’ll eat too many. Think I’ll go have a handful, then arm wrestle someone for a Skittle!
lien says
thanks for reminding … gotta bet back to the walnuts 🙂 … i like to have it with some raisin since it’s kinda bland compared to other nuts … i make basil pesto with it instead of pine nut
Chester says
And lest we forget the names of nuts — this will help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGmNqzbsuiY
Kelebek Beyaz says
I love having walnuts in my oatmeal and homemade oatmeal bars. I will put just about any nut in my oatmeal. It changes things up a little bit. I will also switch between walnuts and chestnuts in my salads.
kelebek
Darin says
Love this idea for the oatmeal Kelebek, I will be trying this tomorrow!
Kelebek Beyaz says
I hope you like Darin. I started adding nuts two years ago and I like the texture difference compared to the oatmeal and I like the flavor too. I also add a dash of cinnamon.
Dean says
I really enjoy walnuts..been awhile since I last had some! Thanks to this I just put it on my grocery list. Thanks dude!