Food Worship #9: Olives

So which do you like, black or green?  Personally, I hated both until a few years ago when I basically taught myself to like them.  Now the taste of an olive, black OR green makes my mouth water.  These little guys are taaaaassty.  And they're a great addition to any sort of salad, healthy pizza, meat topping, or a great stand-alone snack!  They're a great source of important macro and micro nutrients, and I would suggest trying a few the next time you get a chance.

But honestly, what the heck's the difference between black and green olives?  Some people will swear by one, but despise the other (my mother falls into this category, but I can't remember which one she loves and which one she hates.  You like the green ones, right mom?)  In fact the only difference between black and green olives is the time at which they're picked relative to their ripeness!  Green olives are picked before they're ripe, and black olives are picked after.  Pretty simple eh?  Sure there are many more variations of olives, like all those yummy greek ones, but for now lets just focus on the commonly seen black and green ones.



Now olives are actually pretty inedible in their raw form, so they're soaked in either water, brine, oil, or some special mixture of the three.  Because the green olive isn't quite as ripe at the time of eating, they're usually firmer and more bitter than the very soft black olive.  Both olives are quite healthy, and here are the major health benefits you'll receive by consumption of these delectable little morsels:

Healthy Fats:  That's right, olives are LOADED with healthy unsaturated fats which do you tons of good.  To be specific, almost all the fat (80-85% of the calories in the olive itself) is monounsaturated, and comes from a fatty acid called oleic acid.  These fatty acids strongly decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, and also help to decrease LDL cholesterol.  I think we've learned by now that fat doesn't make you fat, and that this monounsaturated fat will do you nothing but good in the long run.  Plus it smooths out the texture of olives to a point where they seem to just melt in your mouth.  YUMMY.

Antioxidants:  Olives have so many phytonutrients and antioxidants it's pretty darn astounding.  To throw a few scientific names at you, olives are extremely rich is flavanols, terpenes, simple phenols, anthocyanidins, and many more.  All you need to know is that most of these fancy name phytonutrients help to protect your cells from oxidation damage from free radicals, which is a BIG DEAL.  Olives also have a nifty little phytonutrient called oleuropein, which is only found in olives.  Oleyropein is another very strong antioxidant, and because it doesn't come from other sources you'd do well to get some olives (or at least some olive oil) in your diet.

Vitamins:  Olives have quite a bit of vitamin E, another antioxidant that also keeps blood vessels from constricting.  They're also rich in vitamin A, which is not only ANOTHER antioxidant but helps to keep teeth and skin healthy.  Vitamins B-1 through B-6, and vitamin K can also be found in olives.


Minerals- Olives have about 25% of your daily iron, and about 17% of your daily recommended zinc, in every cup.  Copper, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium are also found in olives, all minerals vital to your long term health.

All these health benefits are available in ALL olives, black or green.

Nutritional Information:  

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 10 small serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 29 Calories 36
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 3.24g		5%
	Saturated Fat 0.429g	2%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0.277g
	Monounsaturated Fat 2.395g
Cholesterol 0mg		0%
Sodium 299mg		12%
Potassium 3mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.06g		1%
	Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
	Sugars 0g
Protein 0.3g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 3% Iron 6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18

This is for a serving of 10 small black olives.  With 10 medium to large olives, you can bet you'll get around 50 calories.  Green olive nutritional information is similar, if not identical.  The one thing to watch out for in olives (besides the relative caloric density) is the sodium content, as it can add up quickly.

Hungry for olives?  I sure am, I can't wait to have a few on my salad today.  If you want to do your body some good, make sure you get a few of these little guys in your diet ASAP.

Black or green, it doesn't matter, just pop 'em and enjoy.  Good Luck!!!


References:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=46
http://www.livestrong.com/article/370210-what-vitamins-minerals-do-olives-have/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/olives-difference-green-black/#axzz1kHR1pqHb

Food Worship #4: Natural Peanut Butter

I love peanut butter, and I'm willing to bet most of you do as well.  The good news is that the natural stuff is actually very healthy for you in small quantities.  In fact if you're looking to keep your heart healthy, put on some muscle, or even lose some body fat, natural peanut butter can definitely help you out.

What's so great about "natural" peanut butter?  Well, normal peanut butter may be a delicious gift from heaven, however it's filled to the brim with chemicals that will help to keep the peanut oil and the peanut paste from separating.  These include hydrogenated oils as well as high fructose corn syrup.  Those ingredients spell trouble, because in reality they mean something much more sinister: TRANS FAT. That nasty fat will surely fight your heart in every way possible, and will most likely contribute to a soft middle as well.

But wait, on the nutrition label it says there's zero trans fat for peanut butter, is it lying?

Not exactly, but that label may be a little misleading.  See, in reality, the FDA doesn't require trans fat to be posted on the label if it contains less than .5g of the stuff.  So it's there, it's just very minuscule.  But good ol' skippy definitely does NOT have 0 trans fat.  And while a tiny little bit such as this may not seem to mean too much, over a whole jar's worth it can add up (although I hope most of you don't eat an entire jar in one serving).

Natural peanut butter however doesn't have trans fat, because if you compare ingredients, you'll see that a good brand of natural peanut butter (I suggest either Teddy Bear or Smucker's natural) has "roasted peanuts" as the only ingredient.  No added sugars, no hydrogenated oils, only healthy fats and proteins.  Because it doesn't have these extra additives, the peanut oil in natural peanut butter will separate out over time.  Simply stir before using, or flip the jar when you're putting it away so the oil can absorb back up into the ground peanuts.

So how can natural peanut butter improve your diet?  I'll list a few ways, and give you an excuse to have a spoonful today:

Healthy Fats- Natural peanut butter is loaded with healthy, poly and mono unsaturated fats which will do you all sorts of good. They'll increase cardiovascular health if consumed in decent quantities in your diet, and will help to raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol.

These fats will also give you clean, usable energy throughout your day, which is why I'd definitely suggest having a tablespoon or two of natural peanut butter for breakfast on a slice of whole wheat toast.

Finally, these fats will help you to absorb what are called "fat soluble vitamins."  These essential vitamins are wasted and unusable by your body if they are not absorbed into a good source of unsaturated fat.  Examples of fat soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Protein/Bulking- While natural peanut butter does contain around 6g of protein per serving, considering that one serving has around 190-200 calories it doesn't end up being that protein dense.  What peanut butter is EXTREMELY good for though is those looking to bulk up, and pack on some muscle mass.  Because peanut butter is very calorie dense, it can assist hard-gainers to finally be in a caloric excess for the day so that they might use some of those extra quality calories to build some new muscle (note that muscle building required WORK, and existing in a caloric excess without working out is definitely NOT recommended.)

Fiber- Natural peanut butter has a good amount of fiber that will keep your digestive system healthy and will help to metabolize other food by slowing digestion.  This can help people to maintain or lose weight, and will also help them to feel fuller, longer.  Natural Peanut butter is very satiating.


Extended Feed Time- My personal favorite usage of natural peanut butter is to keep my muscles fed while I sleep.  After I lift, my muscles will be repairing themselves all the rest of that day and through the night, and they need raw food material in order to build those muscles up bigger and stronger than they were before.  I take a tablespoon of natural peanut butter before I go to bed to ensure that the healthy fats in peanut butter will slow down nutrient absorption into my muscles so they can be "drip fed" all night while I sleep, and won't ever enter a catabolic state.

It's a cheat meal, that's not a cheat meal!- Peanut butter tastes freakin' amazing! Sure the natural stuff may not be quite as sweet, but I guarantee that if you give it a couple tries, you'll learn to appreciate its rich, nutty flavor and its amazingly smooth texture.  It feels like you're eating dessert when really you're consuming a very healthy meal.  Remember to keep it in controlled quantities, but enjoy those quantities to their fullest extent.

It's cheap!- For all those great nutrients and healthy fats, natural peanut butter is pretty darn cheap.  Pick some up today, don't worry it won't break your food budget.

So there you go, I just gave you six great reasons to eat some peanut butter.  Do you need any more?  I bet you didn't need more than one....ha.  Seriously though, go out and pick some up, and try a little for breakfast, or as a between meal or pre-bedtime snack.  Natural peanut butter is an amazing diet tool and consuming it will result in a healthier, happier you.

Creamy or Chunky, it doesn't matter, I like either one.

Good Luck!