India, 07 February 2022: Come February and the air is filled with love and laughter! Celebrated across the world, Valentine’s Day is marked with the grand gestures, fancy dinners and gifts to pamper and cherish the loved ones. This much awaited day is a perfect occasion to express your love and affection as well as spend some quality time with those special one in your life – it could be your friend, lover or even family.
However, with the pandemic raging it is important to keep your safety belt on, eat healthy and stay fit to maintain a healthy immune system. So, this year on Valentine’s Day share some thoughtful gifts with our loved ones if you must. One such gift can be Almonds which is full of goodness and nutrients. Almonds are a source of 15 nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium, protein, riboflavin, zinc etc., and offer a host of benefits to support heart health[1] [2], skin health[3] and weight management[4] [5] in addition to helping manage blood sugar[6] [7].
Commenting on this, leading Bollywood actress, Soha Ali Khan said, “Valentine’s Day is an emotional affair for many of us. Although I believe in nurturing near ones regularly, Valentine’s Day serves as an occasion to go the extra mile to express our love and celebrate them. This year, I plan on sharing something thoughtful such as almonds as they are known to be the gift of good health. They contain several nutrients like in Vitamin B2, Vitamin E[8], magnesium, and phosphorus that help in leading a healthy life. Besides this, almonds are known to have immunity supporting nutrients like copper, zinc, folate, iron and vitamin E, which makes them the perfect gift which add to the receivers’ overall health.”
Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant mentioned, “While exchanging gifts is customary on Valentine’s Day, we should be mindful of what we include in them. Most often than not, these gifts are accompanied by sugary treats which aren’t the best for our health. For this, my suggestion is to hand-pick gifts which are beneficial for our dear ones in the longer run and one such option is almonds. Almonds can aid in better managing lifestyle diseases like diabetes, which is becoming increasingly common in India. Research shows that almonds may help in lowering the blood sugar impact of carbohydrate foods that they are eaten with, which affects fasting insulin levels[9].”
According to well-known Fitness and Celebrity Instructor, Yasmin Karachiwala, “Valentine’s Day is a good time to celebrate your loved ones and show them the love and care they deserve. However, I feel there are many ways to do this other than going out for dinners and buying gifts. You could alternatively enroll them in an online exercise or Pilates class and even work out with them regularly. Along with a regular fitness routine, you could also gift them some healthy snacks such as almonds, as they make for a perfect pre or post workout food. Almonds are known to provide energy and also contain satiating properties which promote feelings of fullness[10], which will aid them in their journey to fitness. Committing to your loved one’s fitness is one the best gifts you could offer them this Valentine’s Day.”
Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head-Dietetics, Max Healthcare – Delhi said, “Gifting is an integral part of Valentine’s Day, and given that we are spoilt for choice it is easy to get confused. I always recommend sharing gifts which are thoughtful and contribute positively to the receiver’s good health and almonds are my top suggestion. Almonds make for a tasty and healthy snack, and they are also known to aid in better heart health. In fact, research suggests snacking on 42 grams of almonds everyday can help in reducing central adiposity (belly fat) and well-established heart disease risk factors[11].”
Kannada Actress and Celebrity, Priyanka Upendra commented, “Valentine’s Day is a special occasion for me, and I always love to make this day a little more memorable for my husband. However, due to the pandemic, I plan on staying indoors and celebrate this day keeping our health in focus. This year, along with other surprises, I will make sure to gift my husband almonds as they are known as the gift of good health. Almonds are a source of copper, zinc, folate, iron, vitamin E, all of which support immunity.”
Nisha Ganesh, Tamil Actress and Celebrity said, “Gifts are a must during Valentine’s Day, and I am someone who is mindful of the things I buy for my loved ones. I always look for things that would benefit or be useful for them in the longer run. So, this year keeping our health in mind, I am going to gift almonds to them as they are a natural source of immunity boosting nutrients such as copper, zinc, iron, folate and vitamin E.”
Integrative Nutritionist and Health Coach, Neha Ranglani mentioned, “While going out for dinner dates may not be the wisest decision during this time, you can always look for other ways to do something special for your partner at home like cooking a meal. Not just that, you can also tweak the recipes in a manner to make them more nutritious and healthier. Almonds are versatile nuts that can easily pair with any dish. For instance, you can make a paste out of soaked almonds and add it to gravies, garnish dishes with some chopped almonds or simply dip some almonds in dark chocolate to make a quick and easy dessert.”
So, let’s make this Valentine’s Day a little more special with thoughtful gifts like almonds!
[1] Musa-Veloso K, Paulionis L, Poon T, Lee H-Y. 2016. The effects of almond consumption on fasting blood lipid levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Nutritional Science. 5(e34):1-15.
[2]Kalita S, Khandelwal S, Madan J, Pandya H, Sesikeran B, Krishnaswamy K. 2018. Almonds and cardiovascular health: A Review. Nutrients. Apr;10(4).
[3] Foolad N, Vaughn AR, Rybak I, Burney WA, Chodur GM, Newman JW, Steinberg FM, Sivamani RK. 2019. Prospective randomized controlled pilot study on the effects of almond consumption on skin lipids and wrinkles. Phytotherapy Research. Dec;33(12):3212-3217.
[4] Tan, S.-Y., R.D. Mattes. 2013. Appetitive, dietary and health effects of almonds consumed with meals or as snacks. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 67:1205-1214.
[5] Hollingworth S, Dalton M, Blundell JE, Finlayson G. 2019. Evaluation of the Influence of Raw Almonds on Appetite Control: Satiation, Satiety, Hedonics and Consumer Perceptions. Nutrients. 11(9):2030.
[6] Josse AR, Kendall CW, Augustin LS, Ellis PR, Jenkins DJ. Almonds and postprandial glycemia–a dose-response study. Metabolism. 2007 Mar;56(3):400-4.
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3997530/
[7] Gulati S, Misra A, Pandey RM. Effect of Almond Supplementation on Glycemia and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Asian Indians in North India with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A 24-Week Study. Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 2017 Mar;15(2):98-105.
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3997530/
[9] Josse ARC, Kendall WC, Augustin LSA, Ellis PR, Jenkins DJA. Almonds and postprandial glycemia – a dose-response study. Metabolism, 2007:56(3):400-404.
[10] Hollingworth S, Dalton M, Blundell JE, Finlayson G. 2019. Evaluation of the Influence of Raw Almonds on Appetite Control: Satiation, Satiety, Hedonics and Consumer Perceptions. Nutrients. 11(9):2030.
[11] Berryman CE, West SG, Fleming JA, Bordi PL, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of Daily Almond Consumption on Cardiometabolic Risk and Abdominal Adiposity in Healthy Adults with Elevated LDL-Cholesterol: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association 2015; 4:e000993 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.114.000993.
