2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

I

nthe16thcentury,a harebrained

healththeorycirculatedwidely

amongdoctorsinEurope:foods

thatresembledbodyparts,theybe-

lieved,wereespeciallybeneficial

forthehealthofthoseparts.Afire-

f lyfornightvision,redcoraltohelp

withyourblood,andlittleoldmefor

themostimportantorganofall,the

powerfulhumanbrain.

It’struethateventhemostun-

observantofhumanscouldn’t

misstheresemblance,withmy

meatyfolded hemispheres

tuckedintoa protective,

skull-likeshell.Andinthe

end, misguidedastheir

theoryprovedtobe,those

scientistsgotluckyabout

me. My plentiful poly-

andmonounsaturatedfats,

alongwithmyenviablyhigh

levelofomega-3s(I’mtheonly

nutwithsignificantamountsof

them),reallyareessentialforcog-

nitivehealth.

Fortherecord,I’malsoa starwhen

it comestoyourdigestion,giventhat

I’mhighinfibre.Buthumansfellin

lovewithmebeforesciencegaveme

suchserioushealth-foodcred.My

sweet,quintessentiallynuttyfla-

vouranddelicatetexturelongago

foundmea placeamongyourmost

deliciouscomfortfoods,dottingyour

biscuitsandcakes,strewnatopsun-

daes,nestledinbrittleorchocolate,

andtoastedinbutterandcoatedwith

sugarandspices.I’mnostrangerto

I Amthe

FOOD

ON YOUR

PLATE

I Am

Walnuts ...

A Great Food

for Thought

BY Kate Lowenstein

AND Daniel Gritzer

READER’S DIGEST

PHOTO: SPAXIAX/SHUTTERSTOCK

52 april 2020