Little did I know that way back when I was at school and the other children would call me fruit and nut how much it would impact my life. With a surname like Raison you expect a little teasing, now I have become nuts about nuts and their benefits.

Anyway, I'm much older now and know that nuts are too good to be avoided even if I do still get the odd laugh now and then and I love them. In fact, if you haven't got any in your cupboards or anywhere in your house then, shame on you. Go and get some right now...hold on, read the rest of the article and see whats best for you first.

Let me introduce you to my Bank of Good Health which started as a way for my clients to help remember some of the great ways to stay on top of your nutritional benefits. So why the Bank of Good Health?

Well, I've chosen some of the best nuts, seeds and oils combined to make an all round improvement to your health in days and its so easy to remember. For simplicity I've called it the HSBC diet. Hemp seeds, Sesame seeds, Brazil nuts and Coconut oil.

H- Hemp seeds are packed with the perfect ratio of omega 3 & 6s at a ratio of 1:1. With quite easily most of the population taking in closer to 1:10 or even 1:20, the very reason why the humble hemp should be in our diet. The humble hemp also contains essential amino acids, a great source of zinc, calcium, iron and vitamin A. If you have any concern about any toxicating effects of the hemp seed, there's no need. You won't get high.

S- Sesame seeds help to protect the body from free radicals. They are a key source of phytic acid, (Phytic acid could inhibit cancer, specifically of the colon) magnesium and calcium but, also have a good source of Iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1 and zinc. Now the real quality that comes from the sesame seed is it's cholesterol lowering benefits thanks to a fibre called lignan taken from the sesamolin.

B- Brazil nuts have an incredible selenium content which has been proven to increase cancer resistance. What's even more interesting is the supplement didn't actually prove anymore powerful than the nuts. So if you want the anti-cancer properties and a great source of selenium, then add a small handful of nuts to your list of foods. Just make sure you choose the nuts without the chocolate coatings.

C- Coconuts and coconut oil have a real hard time due to them being not only a saturated fat but one of the highest saturates around! So you'll probably think me mad that I'm advising you to make it your new cooking oil. Let me explain, coconut oil is actually lower in calories than any other fat and can actually stimulate your metabolism, help you lose weight, boost your immune system and give you immediate energy, just like that! At only 6.8 calories per gram of fat (most fat contains 9 calories per gram of fat) this fat has a high content of MCFA (medium chain fatty acids) that are broken down immediately and used as fuel.

So there you have a quick and easy way to remember a selection of foods that should be part of our daily diet. The great thing is, 3 out of 4 can be used as a snack to carry around with you.

This really hasn't even got close to scratching the surface so start off with the basics here and we'll get to work on the rest in future articles.

Copyright (c) 2007 Kevin Raison