Barney Butter (Crunchy Almond) *Review*

The Food Guru here with another review of one of my favorite products of all time.  Surprise surprise, it's ANOTHER nut butter!  I'll tell you what, I'm completely addicted to this stuff, whether it be peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, pistachio butter, or all of the above mixed into one.  Heck, when I get the chance I usually whip up my own batch of homemade nut butter, a mixture of almonds, peanuts, and cashews.  Nuts butters are EXTREMELY good for you, especially in their natural form, and on my weight gaining journey I've been consuming a LOT of them.

Today's product is called Barney Butter, and specifically it's the crunchy almond butter variety.  I will say one thing first and foremost.  THIS STUFF IS FREAKING TASTY!  Seriously, be careful about sticking your finger in and having a little morsel, because more than likely you won't be able to stop.  I have to FORCE myself to put the lid back on sometimes, belittling myself with mental phrases like "OK Seth, come on now, what happened to all your self control?  You've had enough.  Stop eating it.  STOP."  And yet, for some reason it's like this stuff STILL jumps out the jar and into my mouth.  It is good, oh so good.

Health Factor:  As I've already mentioned, natural nut butters in general are VERY good for you.  That's because they contain a lot of healthy, unsaturated fats that help to maintain good cholesterol levels, slow digestion, and can actually be used as a good fuel source by your body on ketogenic diets.  Almonds themselves contain a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids, which when balanced properly with Omega-3 fatty acids (found in tuna, salmon, shrimp and all sorts of other fish and shellfish), can ensure your body stays in top form and is resistant to excessive inflammation.

Almonds themselves are also packed with antioxidants, which help to neutralize free radicals in your body and prevent disease.  They're also loaded with vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium.

Finally, almonds may actually help you to lose weight, despite being a high calorie, high fat food.  There have been all sorts of studies done on the consumption of raw nuts, including many tests on human subjects regarding diet and weight gain.  People who eat nuts at least twice a week were drastically less likely to gain unwanted fat when keeping their diet in check.  So what are you waiting for?  Have some almond butter, and don't you dare feel guilty.

Nutritional information:  

Here's the label from the back of the jar, which is probably easier to read than me just spewing off all the nutritional facts in the article. More efficient too, I'd say:

As you can see, this almond butter has similar caloric content to peanut butter, however much less saturated fat.  The ingredient list is short and sweet, and free of things like HFCS and hydrogenated oil.  It also has a relatively low sodium count, and low sugar as well.


But my friends, where I have to go off on this butter is the taste.  It is truly remarkable, and is without a doubt the best nut butter I've ever eaten to date.  You put a spoonful in your mouth, and it's like you took a little trip to heaven.  If the spoonful is big enough, you may close your eyes in ecstasy.  It's sweet, salty, and crunchy, and has such a beautifully strong taste that your whole mouth is enveloped in it.  Besides the perfectly sized chunks of almond, the butter is super creamy, and makes it awesomely hard to chew it.  It's like the perfect blend, and I'm not exaggerating.

Guys, this stuff is gold in a jar, NOT KIDDING.

So what are you waiting for?  Pick up some Barney Butter ASAP.  It's healthy, natural, and RIDICULOUSLY delicious.  It's a great break from peanut butter too, if you've gotten stuck in that rut.  It can fit into pretty much any diet too, whether it be weight loss, maintenance, keto, paleo, or mass gain.  Get some NOW, because these guys got it right.

......Barney Butter rules.  Good luck!


References:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909

Cinnamon: A Spice For Life!

It's not just the whole foods we consume that can have a positive (or negative) effect or our bodies, the spices we add can really introduce an entirely new spectrum of health to the foods we enjoy.  Today I'd like to discuss what may be one of my favorite spices of all time, cinnamon.  I love cinnamon!  I love it on oatmeal, with apples, in soup, and of course on some sugary sweets.  Cinnamon compliments all sorts of tastes so well, and in my neck of the woods it shows up in all sorts of year round recipes.  Boy do I love it with apple cider, or in healthy pumpkin pie my mom has gotten so good at making.  It's a flavor I never want to live without, and I'm sure most of you can agree with my affinity for the stuff.  The great news is: this spice is also quite healthy!  It's got all sorts of little nutritional nuances that in the end can really do you and your body some long term good.  But first, as always, let's look at where this stuff comes from in the first place.

Cinnamon is actually collected from the inner bark of a tree, specifically trees of the Cinnamomum genus.  It's originally native to southeast asia, but has obviously become one of the most widely used spices in the world.  That's why you'll be able to find cinnamon in basically any grocery store you happen across.  All the better for us, right?  Cinnamon is actually harvested through coppacing, which basically means chopping down many young trees that are all growing from one stump.  These trees rapidly replace themselves, and therefore the cinnamon yield is very consistent.  As with most things, there are all types of cinnamon, but we won't concern ourselves with the details at this point.  Let's just get down to the fun little nutritional facts that make cinnamon such a uniquely healthy spice!

Stabilizes Blood Sugar:  Cinnamon is actually quite effective at mimicking insulin in our body, and therefore has been shown to decrease/stabilize blood sugar levels.  This is not only great news for diabetics, but also those looking to lose weight more quickly, as your body will be less likely to store fat when blood sugar levels are stable.  So sprinkle some cinnamon on your morning cereal, oatmeal, toast, waffle, etc. and you'll be more likely to keep your weight loss on track (as long as that cereal/toast/waffle is full of whole wheat, fiber, and low sugar of course!)

Lowers Bad Cholesterol:  There was a study done a while ago that showed cinnamon may have an effect on lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol.  Unfortunately more recent studies have shown that cinnamon may have no real effect on cholesterol levels, but hey, adding a little here and there to the healthy foods you love definitely won't hurt you!  I always say that if there's at least a chance something's healthy for you, you might as well give it a shot, right?  Many Americans would love to have a lower level of bad cholesterol, and a sprinkle of cinnamon is just one more little step you can take!

Anti-Clotting:  Your blood works much more effectively if it's flowing smoothly.  In your blood, there are little cells called platelets, which are meant to clump together under "emergency" circumstances like a cut or gash in which a vein/artery is punctured.  The platelets clot up and stop the leak, and in turn keep you alive.  That's all fine and dandy, but unless you really need the clotting action, platelets can inhibit smooth bloodflow if they clot together when they're not supposed to.  Cinnamon actually helps reduce unnecessary clotting (without affecting clotting when it's needed, don't worry), and therefore can help your blood flow more smoothly, taking a load off your heart and circulatory system.

Brain Booster:  Surprisingly, cinnamon has been shown to have a positive effect on cognitive function!  Even smelling the spice increases brain activity, and several studies have shown that cinnamon flavored gum or even just the scent of cinnamon can help students score marginally better on tests.  Cool stuff, right?

Other Nutrients:  Cinnamon can also give you a little bit more of the stuff your body really needs right along with your whole foods, like critical vitamins and minerals.  Courtesy of WHfoods.com, here's a nutritional profile for cinnamon:

Cinnamon 2.00 tsp 5.20 grams 12.84 calories
Nutrient	Amount	DV (%)	Nutrient Density	World's Healthiest Foods Rating
manganese	0.91 mg	45.5	63.8	excellent
fiber	2.76 g	11.0	15.5	excellent
calcium	52.10 mg	5.2	7.3	very good

I for one love cinnamon over almost any other spice.  It's easy to fit into my diet, adds so much flavor and character to food, and is just plain healthy!  You really can't go wrong.  I hope some of you learn to enjoy it as much as I do, and try it with a few of your favorite foods.  Seriously, oatmeal and cinnamon go together like bread and butter.  Apples too =].  What are you waiting for, start sprinkling!

Good Luck!


References:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68#nutritionalprofile
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon

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

Cook Those Eggs!

I for one am a HUGE fan of eggs, and all the amazing health benefits associated with them.  They're loaded with vitamins, healthy fats, and most importantly, PROTEIN!  Yes, being a weightlifter I need all the protein I can get for the fewest calories I can find.  My two favorite foods that fit this bill perfectly are fish, and EGGS.  You can get 8 grams of readily absorbed protein from each egg, and the egg itself is only around 74 calories.  The egg white contains a lot of protein by itself, around 6 grams, and there are only about 20 calories worth in every egg.  But hey, if you're only going to eat one to three eggs a day, keep the yoke in.  I won't delve into much detail, but the cholesterol issues so commonly referred to in the same sentence as eggs are drastically overstated.  The yoke has a plethora of health benefits, and the dietary cholesterol it contains should NOT be a deterrent for this tasty yellow center.

But I'm not here just to go off on how eggs are so amazing (which they are), I'm writing this article to drop an interesting little knowledge bomb on all of you.  Eggs have the potential to be one of the most biologically available protein sources in the entire food universe.  What do I mean by this?  Well you see, though you can easily find out how much protein there is in any quantity of any type of food, the body can only absorb a certain percentage of that protein because of the chemical composition of the food itself.  The absorbed percentage is known as the "bioavailibilty" of the protein.  Beef protein is about 80% bioavailable to the body.  Fish protein?  ~83%.  The protein in eggs, remarkably, is upward of 95% bioavailable to the body!  That's impressive!

But wait, hold the phone.  

Egg protein is only 95% bioavailable to the body when the egg is COOKED.  That's right, fried, poached, boiled, you name it, that's what gets all that good protein to the forefront of your nutrient absorption.

What's the bioavailibility of raw egg protein?  about 50%.

That, my friends, is a HUGE difference!

Why is this the case?  Well, it's a funny chemical process that occurs when the egg is cooked which allows the protein to become more readily absorbed by your body.  And while I could delve into a complicated description of exactly how this chemical process works, I happened across a marvelous little webpage that explains the whole situation much better than I could.  Here's what it says:

"Heat ’em

When you apply heat, you agitate those placidly drifting egg-white proteins, bouncing them around. They slam into the surrounding water molecules; they bash into each other. All this bashing about breaks the weak bonds that kept the protein curled up. The egg proteins uncurl and bump into other proteins that have also uncurled. New chemical bonds form—but rather than binding the protein to itself, these bonds connect one protein to another. 

After enough of this bashing and bonding, the solitary egg proteins are solitary no longer. They’ve formed a network of interconnected proteins. The water in which the proteins once floated is captured and held in the protein web. If you leave the eggs at a high temperature too long, too many bonds form and the egg white becomes rubbery."

Check my references to see the rest of this page.  It's a great read.

Want another reason to cook your eggs?  One word:  Salmonella.  It's not something you want, believe me. Without going into too much detail, it's a bacteria that will make you VERY sick VERY quickly, and causes about 140 US deaths per year.  Sure, the risk of death sounds relatively low, but it also infects over a million people every year, and you do NOT want to be infected.  What's one of the biggest causes of salmonella infection?

Chicken eggs.  Yeah, bummer, I know.

Salmonella usually rests on the shell of the egg, but can also penetrate to the yoke.  It's said that 1 in every 20,000 eggs is infected with salmonella.  Sure, the risk is low, but I eat between 1-3 eggs a day, and I know people who eat upward of nine eggs daily.  If someone eats between 3 and 9 eggs daily, they'll eat between 1095 and 3285 eggs per year.  So at the bare minimum, in twenty years it's VERY likely you'll run across an egg that's salmonella infected.  Something to think about.

So what's the good news?  Cooking eggs thoroughly can eliminate salmonella bacteria within the yoke.  Wash your hands thoroughly after handling eggs though, as it can still reside on the shell.  Easy enough, right?

So what's the bottom line?  Sorry you wanna-be Rocky Balboas, downing your eggs raw is not only exposing you to an unnecessary salmonella risk, but you're wasting a heaping ton of some otherwise EXTREMELY BIOAVAILABLE protein.  Why deprive yourself of what your body needs?

Build some muscle, lose some fat, cook those eggs.  Good Luck!


References:


http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/eggs/eggscience.html
http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/egg-safety/eggs-and-food-safety
http://www.about-salmonella.com/

Kim's Best Pumpkin Bread

Today's the start of Thanksgiving Break!  I plan to write a whole bunch of T-giving related articles, but today I'm pretty darn busy with packing up in order to drive from Potsdam to Vermont right after classes end, and as a result I don't have time to post an in depth article.

That doesn't mean I'm going to let you guys suffer though, in fact I'll reveal to you a little gem of a recipe that I absolutely LOVE.  It goes by the name of "Kim's Best Pumpkin Bread" and is the moistest, tastiest, and overall best flavored bread I've had in a long time.  It's pretty darn healthy for what it is, and can be made even healthier through the replacement of oil with applesauce and a portion of the sugar with a zero calorie sweetener like Truvia.  At some point I plan to post a modified version of this very recipe where the changes have been made, so you know exactly what to put in.  Have fun with this one though, I bet you'll love it!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup fat-free milk 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 large egg whites 
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup sugar 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup raisins 
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans 
• Cooking spray 

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in raisins and pecans.
• Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on rack.
• Note: To freeze individual slices, place in heavy-duty zip-top plastic bags. Remove excess air from bags; seal and freeze up to 4 months. To thaw, let stand at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 53.6g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  119 Calories from Fat  27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  3.0g 5%

Saturated Fat  0.5g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  18mg 6%

Sodium  88mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates  20.7g 7%

Dietary Fiber  1.3g 5%

Sugars  9.2g

Protein  2.8g

Vitamin A 56% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 3% • Iron 6%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

Legend

 Fat
 Protein
 Carbs
 Alcohol
 Other

Calorie Breakdown (?)

Daily Values (?)

Read more:http://caloriecount.about.com/kims-best-pumpkin-bread-recipe-r73638#ixzz1eL66vCua

THIS BREAD IS DELICIOUS!  I've been eating a slice with breakfast every now and then, just because it's a great simple carb source that will wake you up quickly.  Also, foods high in sugar should be consumed earlier in the day so that the body actually has time to make use of them instead of storing all that sugar as unwanted fat.  

Again, I hope you guys enjoy, and stay tuned for the modified recipe!