Some recipes have it all, and this week, we have a recipe for you: Keto Zone Triple-Superfood Sweet Spiced Nuts. It’s a mouthful to say, and even more to taste. It’s got:

• Superfoods? Check.
• Amazing nutrition? Check.
• Delicious taste? Double-check.

And best of all, it’s quick and easy to make. Here’s why you should make it, and all the ways it will nourish your body.

(93% fat) 

 

Benefits of our Triple Superfoods Sweet Spiced Nuts Recipe

Our Keto Zone recipe packs a punch of nutrients and health benefits. The superfood stars? Pecans, cinnamon, and black peppercorn. These common, simple ingredients are packed with antioxidants, phytochemicals and more. They really make a difference in your health. Here’s a sample of what they can do:

1. Improve Insulin Sensitivity and Support Healthy Blood Sugars 

Studies have shown a pecan-rich diet can improve blood sugars, beta-cell health and insulin sensitivity when compared to other high-fat diets (1,  2).

Cinnamon is also a potent blood-sugar protector.

By boosting insulin sensitivity, as mentioned above, cinnamon has also been shown to:

• Increases insulin response by around 20%
• Decreases blood sugar levels after eating
• Lower fasting blood sugar levels by 18-29% (3)

2. Improve Weight Loss by Increasing Satiety and Boosting Metabolism

Pecans and other high-fat foods stretch the stomach to signal fullness and directly affect ghrelin, or “hunger hormones,” in the brain. When pecans reduce ghrelin, you feel fuller for longer. Simple carbohydrates, on the other hand, can increase ghrelin levels (4).

What’s more, black peppercorns cause our bodies to burn slightly more calories, because they contain a  mechanism for controlling the “heat.” It’s only a small shift, but it can add up. In addition, spicy foods work to help you control portions.

In studies, eating spicy foods leads to less consumption overall.

3. Promote High-Energy

Pecans offer minerals to support energy production, and copper is one of the most important. Copper is required in more than 50 different energy-producing reactions in the body. Specifically, it supports the creation of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the body’s source of energy and a key to human metabolism.

4. Deliver Loads of Antioxidants

Pecans are full of antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress in the body including vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin, ellagic acid, magnesium, and copper. These antioxidants help prevent carcinogenic compounds from binding to DNA and growing. In research, the antioxidant-increase is measurable 24 hours after pecans consumption (5).

Black peppercorns are extremely high-antioxidant food that can reduce oxidation of plaques. In fact, black peppers have an Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score (ORAC) of 34,053 μ mol TE/100g… which is above chili powder, raspberries, walnuts, and blueberries.

Last but not least, cinnamon is one of the highest antioxidant capacity spices, along with cloves and oregano, when compared with 25 other spices (6). Having two tablespoons of an antioxidant-rich spice, like cinnamon, has been found to increase antioxidant activity by 13%!

5. Reduce Inflammation and Pain

Piperine, the most important nutrient in black peppercorns, is a strong anti-arthritis nutrient. Study after study has shown reduced pain, increased healing, and decreased pathology in arthritic animals and humans (7).

What’s more, piperine increases the absorption of another pain-fighting food, turmeric, by up to 10 times. Which piperine does by stimulating “transporters” in our intestines that are responsible for absorbing nutrients.

Some studies have shown cinnamon has strong anti-inflammatory activity, due to its antioxidant content (8, 9). Adding some cinnamon to an already healthy dish is a great one-two punch to inflammation in the body.

 

More Benefits:

• Pecans help treat osteoporosis, especially in women, with manganese, copper, and zinc (10).
• Pecans support brain health with thiamine, a mineral used especially in those who are seeking treatment after alcohol abuse (11).
• Pecans improve brain dopamine and galactose pathways while reducing free radical damage and brain degradation, like that associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• Pecans help decrease high blood pressure (12) and improve cholesterol levels with plant sterols and healthy fats (13).
• Cinnamon fights harmful bacteria in the digestive tract.
• Peppercorns improve digestion and reduce bloating and fluid retention
• Peppercorns fight cancer cells and reduce overall risk (14)

 

Bottom Line

It’s an amazing thing when delicious flavors and health-changing nutrients come together in one recipe. Our Keto Zone Triple-Superfood Sweet Spiced Nuts are a great example. From heart health to blood sugars to weight loss and more, it’s nutrients will benefit your health and keep you coming back.

 

One of the simplest ingredients in your kitchen could have a big impact on your body.

It’s inexpensive, versatile, and simple. In fact, you likely already use it on a daily basis.

And this year, I recommend using it even more.

What is it?

The Master Spice: Black Peppercorns.

This spice is an amazing food.

It supplies flavor and a lot of nutrition.

To get yours, try our easy slow cooker recipe, and receive 7 Proven Benefits of Peppercorn.

7 Proven Benefits of Peppercorn

In every black peppercorn, there lies within a compound called piperine, potent antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory components. When you eat a black peppercorn, you get:

1. Reduced Sensation of Pain, Arthritis and Joint Inflammation

Piperine is a strong anti-arthritis nutrient.

In fact, study after study has shown reduced pain, increased healing, and decreased pathology in arthritic animals and humans (1).

What’s more, piperine increases the absorption of another pain-fighting food, turmeric, by up to 10x. It does this by stimulating “transporters” in our intestines that are responsible for absorbing nutrients.

2. Protection in Arteries against LDL Oxidation and Plaque Formation

LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) required oxidation before it can form harmful plaques and blockages. High antioxidant foods reduce oxidation. And, black peppercorns are one such food.

In fact, black peppers have an ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of 34,053 μ mol TE/100g…above chili powder, raspberries, walnuts, and blueberries.

3. Healthy Digestion

Black pepper stimulates the release of hydrochloric acid in our stomachs, which promotes timely and healthy digestion.

Without adequate amounts, or with high acid levels at the wrong times, many folks suffer from food setting in their stomachs too long, heartburn, and indigestion.

4. Reduced Bloating and Fluid Retention

This is a great advantage after any situation that causes your body to retain fluid. These include:

• Sickness
• Kidney or liver impairment
• Overconsumption of salty and/or sugary foods
• Hot weather
• Injury
• Walking, standing, or working on feet

How? Similar to the nutrients in celery, black pepper’s antioxidants work as a gentle diuretic that reduces extra water held in our intestines.

5. Improved Metabolism

Like other peppers, black peppercorns cause our bodies to burn slightly more calories as a mechanism for controlling the “heat” in them. It’s only a small shift, but it can add up. In addition, spicy foods work to help you control portions.

In studies, eating spicy foods leads to less consumption overall.

6. Fight Against Cancer Cells and Reduced Overall Risk

Most peppercorns vs. cancer studies have been lab studies, either on animals or in Petri dishes.

However, they have shown promising results.

What’s more, a 2017 study from Thailand revealed that two phytochemicals in peppercorn had potent anti-cancer effects on three types of cancer cells (2).

Additionally, another 2017 study showed that piperine suppressed cancer stem cell renewal and stopped cancer cells from growing, invading and spreading (3).

 7. Better Heart Health

Piperine provides many heart-healthy benefits.

In lab studies, these include reduced fibrosis pathology, reduced LDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular cell protection from oxidative stress (4).

 Whole Foods Are Best

Remember, whole foods are almost always better. With black pepper, it’s best to buy the whole peppercorns and eat them whole when cooked or grind them just before eating or cooking with them. Powdered and pre-ground pepper has often lost many of its benefits, and the taste just doesn’t compare.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for more ways to improve your health in 2019, look no further than the simple black peppercorn. It enhances most any food, so grind it onto sandwiches, salads, dinners, and smoothies. It’s not called The Master Spice for nothing.