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I just received a report from the ARS (Agricultural Research Service), which is the USDA’s chief scientific research agency, that it’s true, one of the foods that I just love to indulge in is actually good for me.</p>
<p>In this <a title=”brief report” href=”http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2008/081017.htm” target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#0000ff”>brief report</font>
</a>, scientists funded by the ARS and the <a title=”Almond Board of California” href=”http://www.almondboard.com/” target=”_blank”>
</a> discovered that making almonds a regular part of the diet significantly reduced levels of a couple of blood and urine compounds that indicate an individual is under oxidative stress. That’s a complicated way of saying that the almonds are powerful anti-oxidants, and we all know that anti-oxidants are good for us, right?</p>
<p>This news makes me feel so much better about eating the bulk of a carton of almond butter that Kate brought home from a trek to Lawrence or Kansas City, in search of really good things to eat. She also brought home some cashew butter … I can’t wait to learn how good it is for me to eat that stuff by the spoonful.</p>
<p>I have been nuts for nuts since I was a youngster. Peanuts and peanut butter were never my favorites, but it is good to know that in spite of their fat calories, nuts can do you a hull lot of good … rules of moderation probably still apply though. And when the almonds or cashews come home in the form of butter … well, it’s pretty hard for me to behave in a moderate way.</p>
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<a href=”http://www.grit.com/biographies/oscar-h-will” target=_self>Hank Will</a>
<em> raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper’s Farmer magazines. Connect with him on </em>
<a title=Google+ href=”https://plus.google.com/u/0/117459637128204205101/posts” target=_blank rel=author>Google+</a>.</p>