I noticed Yogananda recommended eating nuts many times. Was there a particular amount he suggested? Thank you, om
—anupam krishna das, United States
Dear Anupam,
Yogananda did indeed recommend eating nuts as an excellent source of protein. He suggests eating the nuts raw and either ground or thoroughly masticated or freshly made into raw nut butter. He suggests that nuts cannot be digested well if even small pieces are injested whole because the digestive juices will not penetrate the pieces and they will pass through the digestive tract whole. He cautions against commercial nut butters and overly roasted or salted nuts. The heating of nuts develops free fatty acids which are not wholesome because they overtax the kidneys and liver and unduly increase the acidity in the blood. He recommends a great variety of nuts as good protein sources including pine nuts, cashews, pecans, almonds, brazil nuts, pistachios, peanuts, walnuts and coconut. He suggests eating a ‘handful’ of nuts or 1 tablespoon of ground nuts (or more) mixed into a glass of orange juice. He suggests eating 3 ounces of nuts at lunch. The quantity of nuts he recommends varies depending on the person’s nutritional needs. Nuts are a dense source of nutrition so those who are thin or in a weakened condition may require much more than those who are not in need of gaining weight. I hope this is helpful.
Many blessings,
Nayaswami Mukti
