MaraNatha Almond Butter *Review*

Time for another review, and surprise surprise, it's another nut butter!  This one's a little different than my previous favorites, and that's mainly because it isn't made with peanuts!  That's right, we're going with something a little more exotic.....Almond Butter!  Ever heard of it?  I'm sure quite a few of you have, and I'm pleased to say that it's available at most grocery and health stores.  One brand which easily stands above the rest, at least as far as almond butters go, is MaraNatha, and their no-stir natural almond butter.  I love this stuff, and please allow me to explain why.

First of all, did you know that almonds themselves actually have a slightly better health profile than peanuts?  That's right, and unlike peanuts, they're actually a nut (peanuts are classified as legumes).  Per serving, almonds generally have more unsaturated fat than peanuts, less saturated fat, and more fiber.  Not to mention they're probably one of the best tasting nuts on the market (especially when they're smoked...yummy.)  All that means natural almond butter has the potential to be even healthier than natural peanut butter, at least to a small degree.

A word to the wise, don't dig into a jar of almond butter believing it will taste like peanut butter, it DOESN'T.  It's a unique taste, but an INCREDIBLY delicious one.  And boy does MaraNatha hit it on the spot, their blend is perfect for just the right amount of taste while keeping good consistency AND all the natural benefits of almonds.  Honestly, when you first try this stuff, make sure you've built up some good self control, because I honestly doubt you'll find it too easy to stop spooning that creamy goodness into your mouth after just one bite.

What if you're a chunky person?  Well I'd suggest the treadmill, and then the dumbbells.....oh god I'm hilarious. But all jokes aside, don't fear, I was extremely pleased to find that MaraNatha has both creamy and chunky varieties of their almond butter, so whichever you prefer you're guaranteed to be quite satisfied.  I have to lean toward the chunky stuff myself, it's nice to have a soft texture, but even better when it's interrupted by that beautiful crunch of a little piece of almond.

Because I'm never one to just blindly tell people to buy a product, let's look at the nutritional profile of MaraNatha's almond butter just to make sure what we're buying is as good as they say.

If that picture's slightly hard to read, I'll spell out the nutrition facts for you:

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
Calories:190 (150 from fat)
Total Fat: 17 g (2.5 g saturated, ZERO TRANS FAT)
No Cholesterol
Sodium: 65 mg
Total Carbs: 7 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 6 g


Ingredients: Dry roasted almonds, palm oil, organic unrefined cane sugar, sea salt

In general, that's a FANTASTIC nutritional profile.  And because it's natural, it has no hydrogenated oils which could cause trans fats to pop up.  Because this butter is a "no-stir" variety, it has a slight bit of palm oil added in an attempt to keep the almond oil from separating from the butter itself, but this is nothing to worry about compared to its hydrogenated counterparts.  It also has a slight bit of sugar added, which normally would be a turn-off for me, however at only 3 grams per two tablespoons, the amount must be miniscule, and therefore I'm willing to look past this little addition.  The ingredient list is still quite short and sweet, a MUST HAVE for any nut butter I'll buy, as well as any nut butter that's respectively healthy.

So where can you use this stuff?  ANYWHERE YOU WANT!  But seriously, wherever you use peanut butter, you can use almond butter instead.  Spread it on a slice of whole wheat  toast or WW bagel, or maybe put it in a nice warm bowl of oatmeal, or have a tablespoon in your post workout shake for some extra calories.  I actually always have a tablespoon of this stuff before bed to get a few more calories in and slow down my digestion in hopes to prevent overnight catabolism.  It's an extremely versatile food, and hey, nobody's going to yell at you for eating it plain either (as long as you do so in a somewhat sneaky way).


My overall rating:

Taste: 10/10 (THIS STUFF IS DELICIOUS)
Versatility: 10/10 (Use it anywhere and everywhere)
Nutritional profile: 9/10 (I like everything but that tiny bit of sugar)
Price:  7/10 (at $4.68 a jar, it may be in the cheaper range of almond butters, but peanut butter is still much cheaper)

There it is, a look at one of my favorite health products of all time, a tasty, savory sweet treat that can be used throughout your day to supply your body with healthy fats, a little protein, and a whole bunch of nutrients.  I STRONGLY suggest you try almond butter.  There are hundreds of almond butter addicts, some having converted from peanut butter (though you can't go wrong with either choice.)  Pick up some MaraNatha almond butter and enjoy, and don't be surprised if that glass jar is empty before you know it!

Food Worship #10: Avocado

For my tenth article praising the miracle that is healthy food, I'd like to bring to mind one of my favorite fruits of all time: Avocado.  This green, creamy, delicious food is truly loaded with health benefits.  It's nutrient dense, heart healthy, and goes great with all sorts of recipes (Guacamole, anyone?)  Let's explore further what makes these little alligator skin fruits so darn good for you (and so darn tasty!)

First, a little background about the avocado.  The name "avocado" actually refers to the tree that this fruit is grown on, though the fruit itself has adopted the name.  It's also called the "alligator pear," for obvious reasons. Technically, the avocado is actually a berry because it only contains one large seed (I honestly thought it was a vegetable for the longest time, so don't feel bad if this comes as a surprise to you.)  Want to know something reeealllyyy weird though?  The name avocado comes from the ancient Nahuatl word ahuácatl which actually means......get ready......testicle.  Yeah, try looking at an avocado the same way again, I bet it'll be hard (thanks Wikipedia!)  These things are grown all over the world in warm climates and are therefore readily available in the USA, which is great because these things can do your body more good than you'd realize.  Let's talk about some of the health benefits of avocado, and why you should try some diced ones on your next salad.

Healthy Fats:  Avocados, like most nuts, are loaded with some of the healthiest fats you can find.  Each fruit contains about 30 grams of monounsaturated fat.  Now I know you're saying "thirty grams...THAT'S A LOT OF FAT!"  Well, honestly it is.  But you know what?  It's all heart healthy fat that will lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  In fact, avocados and heart health kind of go hand in hand.  Remember that fat doesn't make you fat, excess calories make you fat.  Plus, all that healthy unsaturated fat makes avocados extremely delectable, and anyone who's had a few bites will tell you that the fruit basically melts into your mouth, turning into a buttery texture that's absolutely heavenly (the avocado is also called the "butter pear" for this reason).  It also makes these things easy to mash up and make into guacamole, a dip that when prepared in a calorie conscious manner is quite good for you, not to mention ridiculously tasty.  Don't fear the fat, many people eat multiple avocados a day and still remain lean and fit.

Added Heart Health: Avocados also contain another equally potent heart healthy nutrient: folate.  Diets high in folate are conducive to healthy hearts and reduced rates of heart disease.  Avocados actually contain between 20-25% of your daily recommended folate, so eat up and keep that heart beating strongly and consistently!  The risk of stroke is also reduced by consuming avacados on a regular basis.

Vitamins/Minerals:  The alligator pear is also quite dense with other vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin E, which amazingly is ALSO conducive to a healthy heart, as well as normal neurological activity. Vitamin E also acts as a powerful anti-oxidant, protecting your cells from free radical oxidation (a very damaging process that can cause disease as people age.)  Avocados also contain about 20% of your daily recommended vitamin B6 and vitamin C, as well as many other helpful nutrients like copper and manganese.

Cartenoids:  Avocados have an unusually HIGH amount of cartenoids, and this combined with their high fat content make them an excellent anti-inflammatory food.  Foods like this will allow your body to heal faster by preventing the swelling of tissues around damaged areas, so that blood may refresh at a faster rate and bring nutrients and oxygen to the source of distress.  This will speed up the healing process, sometimes drastically.

Better nutrient absorbtion:  Now this one is quite cool, if I don't say so myself.  Avocados have actually been shown to increase our ability to absorb certain nutrients from other fruits and vegetables!  That's right, when avocados are consumed along with other vegetables, we'll get more out of the entire meal, ON TOP of the already nutrient dense avocado.  Cool!  Here's a little clip from an article I read on the subject that discusses an interesting test regarding this subject:

"Researchers at Iowa State University and Ohio State University conducted a study to find out more about this unique benefit. Six males and five females ate 300 grams of tomato salsa. About half of the group was given salsa that contained 150 grams of avocado (about five tablespoons), and the others ate salsa without avocado. After a period, the test was repeated but the subjects were given the opposite type of salsa they were given in the first phase.

In the second part of the study, the subjects ate a salad of carrots, spinach and lettuce. Half the group enjoyed their salad with 150 grams of avocado, and the other half without. The process was then repeated after some time and they ate the opposite type of salad.

Blood was drawn from each subject several times after each meal to determine changes in nutrient levels for up to nine and a half hours after the meals. The results were:

* Subjects who ate avocado with salsa absorbed nearly 4.5 times more lycopene than those who didn't eat avocado.

* Subjects who ate avocado with salad absorbed 8.3 times more alpha-carotene and 13.6 times more beta-carotene than those who didn't eat avocado.

* More than four times as much lutein was absorbed by subjects who ate avocado with salad compared to those who ate only salad."

Pretty neat huh?  Another reason to put this rough skinned little guy in your diet a bit more often.  And if any of you are interested, I'll add the nutritional facts for an avocado right here for your viewing pleasure:

(?)Nutrition Facts
Calories 322	(1344 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	29.5g	45%
Sat. Fat	4.3g	21%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	14mg	< 1%
Total Carbs.	17.1g	6%
Dietary Fiber	13.5g	54%
Sugars	1.3g
Protein	4g
Calcium	24.1mg
Potassium	974.9mg

Yeah, I know what you're thinking, that's quite a few calories for just one fruit.  But you're going to have to believe me that every single one of those calories is extremely good for you.  Sometimes calories don't matter quite as much as the health factor of the food (I hate when people skip out on a healthy addition to a meal just because it's a few extra calories).

Still a little wary?  How about this.  Cut the thing in half, add half to your salad today, the other half to your salad tomorrow.  Or better yet, make some guacamole with the other half!  See? problem solved.

I personally LOVE avocados, and I really hope you can learn to love them as well.  They're such a unique fruit, both in appearance and in nutritional profile.  They have so much to offer, and definitely deserve a reserved spot in your diet.  I can almost guarantee you'll love the taste (and the texture....smooooth), and finding the big pit in the middle of it is kind of a novelty in itself.  So what are you waiting for?  Go out to your local store and grab one!

Love the avocado, enjoy the incredible flavor, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

References:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-avocados.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/023035.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

Food Worship #7: The Cashew

For some reason, nuts get a bad rap.  People stay away from all sorts of nuts just because of their caloric density and high fat content.  While I'm sure I've gone over this in previous articles, I might as well say it again.

NUTS ARE ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST FOODS YOU CAN EAT!

Why is this?  Well first of all, sure they're high in calories, but nearly every single one of those calories is derived from some of the greatest stuff around: Heart healthy unsaturated fat, and protein.  In their raw form, nuts are extremely low sodium, low carb, and therefore also very low in sugar.  And it'd do you well to remember this mantra:  Fat doesn't make you fat.  The unsaturated fat in nuts is actually shown to reduce the risk of obesity.  Many people eat handfulls of nuts, hundreds of calories, and continue to shed weight.  So let's get over our fear, shall we?

Now, let's discuss my favorite nut of all time:  The cashew.  I love almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, and just about any other nut you can think of, but for some reason I always come back to the cashew for its rich, powerful flavor and chewy, yet somehow creamy texture.  Even the smell of cashews is enough to drive me bonkers.  They're just so good!

Here's the nutritional information for cashews:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 oz (28.3 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 156 Calories from Fat 112

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12.4g 19%

Saturated Fat 2.2g 11%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 6.7g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 3mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 8.5g 3%

Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4%

Sugars 1.7g

Protein 5.2g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 1% • Iron 11%

But obviously, being a health food and fitness blog, let's explore a little further as to why exactly the cashew is so good for you, and why you should definitely make some room in your diet for a few of these little pieces of heaven:

Healthy Fat Content:  All right, we just went over this.  Cashews, like most nuts, have an extremely desirable composition of healthy fats.  In fact, cashews have one of the greatest "fat ratios" of all nuts in existence.  This means the ratio of the different types of fats that exist in cashews is the most optimal for health and weight loss. Read here:

Diet and Weight Management

Cashew nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat), but it is considered “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively, which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health.

In fact, people who eat more cashews (and other nuts in general) are actually at a lower risk of weight gain/obesity because they maintain a better dietary fat ratio, and in turn crave less of the nasty processed stuff.  In fact, good, healthy, unsaturated fats can keep you full for longer, and subdue those cravings for the food you really shouldn't be eating.

Zero Cholesterol:  That's right, this little nut is as heart healthy as can be!  It tastes so good it's amazing that it has zero cholesterol, and that the unsaturated fats it contains actually help support HDL cholesterol (commonly referred to as "good" cholesterol.)  Have a few cashews and keep that heart beating strong!

Protein Content:  I won't lie, nuts aren't the greatest protein source.  But they're definitely not bad!  Especially cashews.  As you can see by the nutritional facts, cashews have about 5 grams of dense protein per ounce, which can definitely help support muscle mass.  On a side note, not only will the protein in cashews help to rebuild those muscles after a hard workout, but the fat content in the nut will slow the digestion of ingested protein in order to feed your muscles for a longer period of time.  This means a handful of cashews is a great pre-bedtime snack, especially for those looking to pack on some serious lean muscle mass.

Vitamins/Minerals/Antioxidants:  Cashews are absolutely PACKED with all the other little good things your body needs, like magnesium and manganese for bone strength, copper for your immune system.  Cashews are also rich in phosphorus, biotin, and vitamin K.  These things are power packed for such a small little package.

Low Sodium:  That's right, when you don't get salted nuts, they're actually one of the lowest sodium snacks you could ever munch on.  Only 3 mg of sodium per ounce!  That's insanely low!  And believe me, you don't need that added salt to love cashews, their flavor is perfectly delicious when eaten just roasted.  Try a few!

So there you have it.  You can decrease your risk of obesity, increase your vitamin intake, help your heart to beat nice and strong, and rebuild those tired muscles all with one little EXTREMELY tasty snack.  Instead of those Tostitos, try a handful of cashews.  Your body and taste buds will thank you; that I can guarantee.

Embrace the nut, love the cashew, and as always, good luck!


References:


http://organiccashewnuts.com/health/


http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98