Nutritionist to the Stars Dr. Oz Garcia 'Goes Green With Pistachios' By Joining TheGreenNut.org as Its Newest Ambassador

FRESNO, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- As a popular resource for health-focused consumers, TheGreenNut.org announced today that Dr. Oz Garcia, PhD – widely known as the "nutritionist to the stars" for his work with high-profile celebrities such as Hilary Swank, Kim Cattrall and Heidi Klum – has signed on as the newest Green Nut Ambassador. Dr. Garcia will join other well-known nutrition professionals in helping share the great benefits of consuming pistachios, the only Green Nut, as part of a healthy daily diet.  Each month, Dr. Garcia will contribute his expert health and nutrition advice on the popular nutrition-focused Web site through video podcasts, guest blog entries and by answering questions from health-conscious pistachio fans.  

Dr. Garcia is known for his customized approach to nutrition and anti-aging techniques and will provide helpful tips on incorporating nutrient-packed pistachios into the busy and often unhealthy lifestyles of millions of Americans. Dr. Garcia's philosophy, also known as OZ Wellness, is to make clients their own best asset in pursuing, maintaining and elevating their overall well-being. He believes not just in living longer, but in living better – encouraging clients to keep their body and brain in the best possible shape at any age. A large part of his philosophy for living better is by simply eating better, one of the many reasons he suggests his clients eat pistachios.

"As a big supporter of clinical nutrition research, I'm thrilled to be a part of The Green Nut campaign," says Dr. Garcia. "Pistachios are packed with more than 20 vitamins and minerals and contain lots of health-boosting antioxidants, all very important dietary elements in keeping young and healthy. I have recommended my clients eat pistachios for many years, and groundbreaking research continues to support that eating pistachios is a smart choice."

Experts have always agreed that the real key to healthy living is to strike a balance of eating right and exercising regularly, matching Dr. Garcia's philosophy. Including pistachios in a daily diet has been shown to have a positive impact on improving cardiovascular health and contributing to overall health and wellness. A study done through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Fulgoni et al 2010(1)) shows the association between snacking on nuts, including pistachios, with higher overall diet quality, improved nutrient intakes, and lower prevalence of health risks in adults.

On October 5, Dr. Garcia will release his latest book: The Food Cure for Kids: A Nutritional Approach to Your Child's Wellness, and he is the best-selling author of The Balance, Look and Feel Fabulous Forever and Redesigning 50: The No-Plastic-Surgery Guide to 21st-Century Age Defiance (HarperCollins).

As a new Green Nut Ambassador, Dr. Garcia will share his extensive knowledge via regular podcasts on TheGreenNut.org. To further interact with pistachio consumers, he also will answer questions from Web site visitors relating to smart eating, lifestyle balance, nutritional advice and more on TheGreenNut.org's Q&A.  Additionally, his health tips and nutritional advice will be featured in his own blog posts.

TheGreenNut.org

Dr. Garcia joins fellow Green Nut Ambassadors Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN - expert on antioxidants and author of The O2 Diet; Alyse Levine, MS, RD - nutrition advisor for Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG.com; and Constance Geiger, PhD, RD, CD - one of the country's leading food labeling experts and active member of the International Tree Nut Council's Nutrition Research and Education Foundation. All ambassadors contribute expert health and nutrition tips for pistachio consumers at TheGreenNut.org.

Launched in October 2009, TheGreenNut.org is a consumer-friendly Web site sponsored by the U.S. pistachio growers offering visitors expert nutritional advice, healthy recipes and the latest news on the health benefits of pistachios, the only Green Nut. Pistachios are a naturally cholesterol-free snack that contains just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 13 grams of fat, the majority of which comes from monounsaturated fat. One serving of pistachios (49 nuts) has as much potassium (300mg, 8 percent) as an orange (250mg, 7 percent), making it a nutritious snack choice or ingredient to incorporate into daily diets.

About The Green Nut

The Green Nut ™ and TheGreenNut.org is a nutrition awareness campaign sponsored by the Western Pistachio Association (WPA). Based in Fresno, Calif., the WPA is a voluntary association representing pistachio growers throughout the country. Founded in 1980, it is the only voluntary organization representing U.S. pistachio growers' interests.  It is governed by an 18-member board elected from a variety of states with the shared goal of increasing national awareness about the nutritional benefits of U.S. grown pistachios.  For more healthy tips, visit www.thegreennut.org, follow The Green Nut on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thegreennut or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheGreenNut.

(1) Fulgoni III VL, O'Neil CE, Keast DR, Nicklas TA.  Improved diet quality, nutrient intake, and health associated with out-of-hand tree nut consumption in U.S. Adults: NHANES 1999-2004.FASEB J. 2010;24:324.4

SOURCE TheGreenNut.org