The health nut
The Macadamia Story
A true Australian native, the Macadamia first evolved in the sub-tropical rainforests on the eastern coast of Australia at least 60 million years ago.
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As a local, the macadamia tree has a phenomenal innate ability to thrive in the harsh Australian conditions. It’s even been called a ‘sustainability giant’ of the plant world, because it can optimise its use of water, and capture and store carbon from the atmosphere around it.
While the macadamia tree is ancient, the Macadamia growing industry is very young.
Macadamia trees were progressively planted along the Noosa River from the 1870s and the first commercial orchard was planted in Northern NSW in the 1880s.
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Commercial macadamia production really fully began in Australia in the 1960s and has now grown into an exciting and bustling industry, with trees grown along much of the central east coast, from Nambucca Heads in the south to Mackay in the north.
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Antioxidants can help to protect your body against cell damage and cognitive decline
Macadamia nuts are rich in phytochemicals which are compounds found in plants that show anti-inflammatory behaviour. In fact, research shows that Macadamias boast some of the highest levels of antioxidants of all tree-grown nuts.
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Analysis of Macadamias also shows that they contain these antioxidant minerals; manganese, magnesium and copper. These three minerals have important roles in our body to help keep us and our immune systems healthy.
Keep you feeling fuller for longer
Macadamias are a nutrient-dense, energy rich food full of healthy fats, protein & dietary fibre which help to fill you up without filling you full of sugar.
The special blend of healthy fats and dietary fibre mean Macadamias are a food that is digested slowly with low levels of impact on blood glucose levels.
Healthy gut, healthy body, healthy mind
It’s a well-established fact that the health of your gut directly impacts your overall health and mental well-being.
A diet rich in multiple types of dietary fibre is really important for gut health and bowel regularity.
Just one handful of Macadamia nuts contains 2g of dietary fibre which is the equivalent of a slice of wholemeal bread.
Good fats really are essential & good for you
We now know that there are some fats that are essential in a balanced diet. Fat helps with the absorption of some critical nutrients and also helps to keep us feeling fuller for longer, meaning we eat less.
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Monounsaturated fats are one of the real goodies which should be consumed daily, and Macadamia nuts are the richest nut source of this good fat.
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And did you know, the percentage of the good monounsaturated fats in Macadamias is nearly double that of almonds?
Your heart looks after you all day, so you need to give it some love back
There is strong scientific evidence that regular nut consumption as part of a balanced diet is linked to reduced risk of death from heart disease, plus a lowering of risk factors for both cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.
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Eating a handful of nuts like macadamias as a regular part of your diet has been shown to improve the ratio of ‘good’ (HDL) and ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol.
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Macadamia nuts can even help with achieving healthy blood pressure which will help to make your heart happy.
A wonderful option for a diabetes-friendly snack
Packed with monounsaturated fats and low GI, Macadamia nuts are ideal as a snack eaten on their own.
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Macadamias also contain nutrients, fat, fibre and polyphenols that can help improve insulin function, meaning blood glucose levels don’t rise as much after eating them – as long as you choose the raw or plain roasted variety that is!