Nuts have gotten a bad rap because of their high fat content. But

“Nuts have gotten a bad rap because of their high fat content. But their protein, heart-healthy fats, high fibre, and antioxidant content earn them a place in your daily diet. I often say, ‘less is more, and portion control is key to healthfully enjoying nuts.’” — thus spoke David Kirsch, a teacher of health and balance, reminding us that truth often hides behind misunderstanding, and that moderation is the secret law that governs both the body and the soul. His words are not merely about food; they are about wisdom itself — for every good thing in life, if taken without restraint, may become its opposite. And every blessing, if approached with awareness, becomes a source of strength and harmony.

For ages uncounted, men have feared what they did not fully understand. So it was with the nut, a food once shunned by those who saw only its fat, not its virtue. They forgot that nature’s richest treasures are often dense with power — and that true nourishment lies not in fear of richness, but in the wisdom to use it well. The nut is small, yet within it is the memory of the tree, the energy of the earth, and the fire of the sun. It is not the enemy of health, but its ally — when approached with measure and respect.

When Kirsch speaks of portion control, he echoes an ancient principle known to the sages of every civilization: the doctrine of the Golden Mean. Aristotle taught that virtue lies between excess and deficiency — courage between rashness and cowardice, generosity between greed and waste. So too does health dwell not in deprivation nor indulgence, but in balance. To eat too much, even of what is good, is to burden the body; to eat too little is to starve its flame. Thus, the wise learn that less is more, not because they despise abundance, but because they understand the rhythm of restraint.

There is an old story of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who once advised a wealthy nobleman complaining of fatigue. The nobleman expected a potion or elaborate cure, but Hippocrates simply said, “Eat half of what you do now, and walk twice as far.” In those few words was the same truth that David Kirsch speaks today — that health is not found in extremes, but in the harmony of discipline, awareness, and simplicity. For the greatest healing often comes not from addition, but from reduction; not from excess, but from mindful sufficiency.

To understand Kirsch’s teaching is to see that food is both matter and metaphor. The nut, with its shell and its core, is a symbol of the self: within a hard exterior lies a wealth of goodness, waiting to be revealed by patience. Yet even such gifts must be taken in measure. For too much richness dulls the senses, just as too much comfort weakens the will. The path to health — and indeed to life — lies not in indulgence nor in denial, but in mastery. Moderation is the discipline through which pleasure becomes sustainable, and nourishment becomes sacred.

The origin of this wisdom reaches back to the natural order itself. The earth gives its fruits in season; the river swells and ebbs; the heart beats in rhythm — never constant, never still, always balanced between giving and rest. To eat with this same awareness is to live in accord with creation. The nut, then, is a teacher: compact, powerful, sufficient. It shows us that greatness is not measured by size, but by essence — and that power, when contained, becomes strength.

Let this be your lesson, O seeker of health and harmony: do not fear richness, but learn restraint. Embrace the gifts of the earth — the protein, the fibre, the healthy fats — but honor them with gratitude and mindfulness. Eat slowly. Listen to your body. Know when you are full. For the one who learns to be satisfied with enough will never be enslaved by excess.

So live as the ancients lived — not in denial of joy, but in mastery of it. Let every meal be a meditation, every bite a balance between need and delight. In this way, you shall find not only health of the body, but peace of the spirit. Remember always the wisdom of David Kirsch: less is more, and in the quiet strength of moderation, the true feast of life is found.