Often customers ask me what nut butter is best? It depends on taste of course, but it also has a lot to do with what is better for you. I personally like cashew and macadamian butter. Almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, etc. are all beneficial. Did you know why you get a craving for peanut butter, it is usually a sign that you are lacking B vitamins. Remember don’t overindulge , have a tablespoon instead of a third of a cup, which yields over 200 calories.
You might want to invest in a Vita Mixer to make your own butters from nuts. It’s a good idea to include walnuts because they are high in fiber and polyphenols (proanthocyanidins), which makes these nuts beneficial in fighting breast cancer,ACE inhibitor (angiotensin-converting enzyme) – decreases blood pressure and improves cardiac output, etc. NOW certified organic nuts are a good choice.
Unsalted not salted
Also choose sesame or sunflower seed butter. They are very beneficial, in fact, one alternative doctor claims we could survive on seeds alone. Let’s talk about sesame/tahini butter first. Sesame butter per tablespoon has about 7 grams of fat –but keep in mind this is good fat loaded with Omega 3&6 and lignans as well. Therefore, this is an excellent source for heart health. It’s high in amino acids, minerals and folate as well. We already know that folate benefits the heart and is vital for woman during pregnancy as well as post-menopausal women.
Recently one of my clients was told by her MD to increase her folate because her homocysteine and CRP (C-Reactive Protein) were both elevated. Folate because of its anti-inflammatory benefits also helps those with arthritis, especially RA (which I’ve mentioned before in previous blogs).
Amino acids, we know are essential for every function in our bodies. Without amino acids we can’t utilize our vitamins properly; we can’t make the proper hormones; we can’t repair our tissues/muscles properly and we lose firmness. Amino acids are also neurotransmitters — making serotonin, dopamine, melatonin, enorepinephrine, etc.
Let’s face it — we really are what we eat. The more good fats we eat — will make us radiate on the outside.
