Weight Loss Success: “I Lost 217 lbs Using This Everyday Snack to Turn Off Cravings”
Top doc reveals why just 15 of these nuts can have a big impact on your blood sugar
We’ve heard there’s no magic pill to make us slim. But what about a nut? Quite possibly! According to the latest findings, almonds control blood sugar better than some diabetes meds — and as sugar improves, fat burns more readily. It has led a growing number of experts to recommend almonds for weight loss. “Getting blood sugar down brings down levels of insulin, a hormone that drives hunger, accelerates fat storage and blocks fat burning,” notes women’s health expert Emi Hosoda, MD, who shed 100 pounds herself. “For many of us, excess insulin can play a bigger role in weight gain than excess calories.” No wonder Arizona social worker Amy Sather says snacking on almonds was the most effective trick she used to get off diabetes meds and melt 217 pounds. Read on for more of her inspiring story — and to learn how to harness the power of almonds for weight loss yourself.
How Amy learned about almonds for weight loss
Amy, a former foster kid, was raising one daughter when she married her husband, Todd. The couple planned to grow their little family by fostering or adopting — and their dreams came true in a flash. They agreed to take sibling groups, and within two years, Amy found herself a mom of nine.
Amy felt beyond blessed. Yet at 389 lbs, she could barely keep up with the demands of her new life. “I needed to change, but I’d already tried every diet. If it was out there, I’d been on it,” she recalls. So instead of starting another plan like ones that had already failed, she decided to visit both a therapist and a nutritionist. The therapist began teaching her to cope with stress without bingeing; meanwhile, the nutritionist offered practical strategies to nourish and heal her body. For example, “I learned that protein and veggies keep me full longer and make me feel better, so I make better choices,” she shares. “I also learned to always carry almonds in my purse.”
Why experts recommend almonds
To help Amy break her fast-food habit, “I needed a snack I could carry with me, something I enjoyed and that filled me up enough to keep me from the drive-thru,” she says. “The nutritionist said almonds were perfect for someone with diabetes, which I’d had for 20 years.” (See more healthy snacks for diabetes and healthy eating hacks.)
Turns out, scientists recently tested almonds to see if the nuts might be a natural antidote for high blood sugar. They gave prediabetic test subjects regular “doses” of almonds and monitored the impact on sugar and insulin. The result? Almonds proved as effective as the diabetes drug acarbose. On top of that, the almond group “dropped over four times more weight than a group not given almonds,” notes Dr. Hosoda. The explanation? Dr. Hosoda says almonds help trigger very slimming biochemical changes inside us.
4 reasons to eat almonds for weight loss
1. Almonds downsize appetite
Dr. Hosoda explains that the mix of good fat, protein, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients in almonds “helps slow and flatten the spike in blood sugar after a meal.” And when blood sugar is well controlled, hunger and unhealthy cravings typically are too, says Dr. Hosoda. (Click through to learn about more slimming nutrients in almonds.)
On top of that, Australian researchers found that nutrients in almonds trigger the release of special peptides that make us feel ultra-satisfied and less interested in processed food. They say the effect is so potent, on days we eat almonds, we’ll automatically reduce intake of junk by about 371 calories.
Anytime hunger hit when Amy was out and about, she’d eat almonds and drink some water. “I found that 15 almonds really does hold me over.” But there was more to it than that: By the time Amy sat down to lunch or dinner after an almond snack, she noticed it became easier to make healthy choices and stick to healthy portions. “I didn’t need so much willpower anymore.”
Here’s a bonus for anyone feeling frazzled: One study found 4 weekly servings almonds provides enough brain-boosting good fat and antioxidants to improve mental sharpness by up to 52%.
2. Comfort cravings vanish
Of course, hunger isn’t the only reason we overeat. We often snack to distract ourselves from negative feelings. Can almonds help with that? Yes! A study in Nutrients found the nuts significantly reduce depression — likely because they “feed” bacteria in our digestive tract that release feel-good chemicals linked to happier moods.
For Amy’s part, she has made great strides with overcoming emotional eating. And while therapy played the biggest role, that was a big commitment. Eating almonds was an easy little thing she could do to help keep her progress on track.
3. ‘Sugar bellies’ flatten
Turns out, fat cells in our midsection have extra receptors that make it easy for insulin to store excess blood sugar as abdominal fat. The good news: When we eat almonds, and blood sugar and insulin drop, we’re not constantly storing sugar as belly fat anymore. And as insulin normalizes, it “unlocks” abdominal fat cells, allowing their contents to be burned off. In one study, almond eaters shrunk their waist 330% more than healthy eaters who skipped almonds.
Amy went from a size 32 to an 8 or 10, which means her waistbands are now about 23 inches smaller than they once were.
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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
