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!

"Naturally More" Peanut Butter *Review*

I couldn't resist, I just had to review another peanut butter.  And before you go clicking away to some other online place, let me tell you this:  This peanut butter might just be the healthiest peanut butter out there on the market today, combining everything necessary to build muscle and stay lean and fit?  Would that grab your interest?  What if I told you that this miraculous peanut butter also had some of the best taste and texture I've ever experienced in any sort of nut butter EVER?  Well if you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, let me at last relieve your curiosity.

The peanut butter of which I speak is called "Naturally More," and it proudly boasts the slogan "The way Peanut Butter Should Be."  After trying this stuff the very first time, I tend to agree.  This stuff IS the way peanut butter should be.  It's a formula of perfection, at least in my opinion.

What makes this stuff so great?  Well, they started with a natural peanut butter base (good start, healthy monounsaturated fats and nutrient dense), and added everything that PB tended to lack in terms of health factors.  Peanut butter in general isn't a very good protein source, as it's not very protein dense AND most of the protein in peanuts is incomplete (unusable by the body for muscle repair) in its natural form.  Naturally More peanut butter fixed this, and added egg whites to the butter itself.  This bumps up the protein to 10g per serving, a good 30-40% MORE protein than just plain peanut butter!  And you can bet that the protein in Naturally More is a lot more bioavailable to the body, having a more complete nature.

But Naturally More didn't stop there.  They also noticed that while peanut butter itself had a remarkable amount of monounsaturated healthy fats, great for heart health and cholesterol, it was lacking what your body really needs, which are essential fatty acids (EFA's) like omega-3 and omega-6.  They easily solved this dilemma by adding both flax seed and flax oil, two substances extremely rich in EFA's.  But they didn't stop there.  Peanut oil itself has a good amount of omega-6 in it already, and most people consume PLENTY of omega-6 already, therefore Naturally More didn't only add flax oil, they removed most of the peanut oil in favor of a more beneficial omega-3 to omega-6 EFA ratio.  This ratio is very crucial to maintaining health (and a trim figure), and it's another reason why this peanut butter RULES!

Oh, and because it's a natural peanut butter, it has no hydrogenated oils that would produce trans fat.  NO TRANS FAT!!!

Naturally More still wasn't quite done though, and realized that the final category that good ol' natural peanut butter was lacking in, was the fiber department.  Traditionally peanut butter usually has about 1 gram or less of fiber per serving.  Naturally More decided that this wasn't enough, and added wheat germ to their product to increase the fiber count to 2 grams per serving.  Now I know that doesn't sound like a huge jump, but one more gram of fiber can definitely make a difference.  The wheat germ also adds a little more protein, making the overall protein profile more varied.  Nice!

Finally, Naturally More added a little bit of honey in there to replace a good amount of added sugar with natural sugars.  As such, Naturally More only has 3 grams of sugar per serving, a very low overall simple carb count.  There is a slight bit of processed sugar added, which is my only beef with this amazing peanut butter.  At only a few grams though, I don't expect it to ruin anyone's diet.

Here are the nutritional facts for Naturally More Peanut Butter:

Now, for the taste.  I personally think this peanut butter is some of the best I've ever tasted, EVER.  It's rich, creamy, soft, powerful, aromatic, and completely satiating.  I take a tablespoon for breakfast after my whey loaded oatmeal, and always have to just sit back for a minute and just enjoy the amazing flavors coursing through my mouth.  It tastes like a cheat meal, but it's very far from that.  It's hard to believe something so good can be so healthy.

But does it taste like peanut butter?  Well, actually, not exclusively.  Don't get me wrong, the peanut taste is there (in force!) but it's strongly complimented by other flavors, especially that of the flax seed oil, with a slight crunch from the flax seed itself.  I can also taste the wheat germ to a slight degree.  Now I personally LOVE these tastes, and in my opinion they only make the stuff more enjoyable.  But I won't be surprised if this is one of those "love it or hate it" foods.  Some people would die to have another spoonful, others would rather die before forcing it in their mouths.  But that's absolutely NO reason not to try it.  I bet if you try, you'll love it.  I hope you believe me when I say that this stuff is like heaven in a jar, that for once is actually good for you.

What would I rate this peanut butter?

Taste: 9.5/10 


Nutritional profile 9.999/10 (if only there wasn't that tiny bit of added sugar)

Cost value 8/10 (this stuff is pretty cheap, but there are cheaper varieties)

All in all I would definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY recommend trying some Naturally More.  It's got all the right ingredients, an incredible fresh taste, and huge potential to keep you healthy and strong for a long time.  Give it a try!

Seriously, flax-oil, egg whites, and peanut butter?  That seems too good to be true.  GOOD LUCK!

Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt

Greek Yogurt has become much more popular these days, shoving its way onto the most visible of grocery shelves and obviously getting cozy in your fridge as well.  But what exactly is this stuff?  Why's it so "Greek"?  Most people have been eating regular yogurt for years, and it may represent a staple in their diet.  Many are wondering how this new, alternative yogurt might fit into their diet, and does it really live up to all the health claims?  Let's find out.  Here's how Greek yogurt compares to the traditional stuff, in a nutshell of course.

First of all, what is Greek yogurt?  Well, it doesn't start out any differently than regular yogurt.  It's made by fermenting milk with bacteria cultures (hey, you wanted to know).  Greek yogurt, unlike regular yogurt, is then strained to remove the liquid whey and much of the sugary lactose.  This makes Greek yogurt much thicker, with a more cheese-like texture.  Because so much is strained off the final product, it takes much more milk initially to create the same amount of yogurt.  That's why Greek yogurt is usually so expensive.

But how does this process make Greek yogurt the supposedly healthier option?  Well, here's the deal.  When they strain off all the bad stuff, they make the good stuff have much greater density in the final product.  That means you get way more protein, and far more vitamins and minerals from Greek yogurt than you would from its traditional counterpart.  Because the whey and lactose is strained off, you get a lot fewer carbs as well, perfect for someone on a low carb diet.  Let's compare numbers, shall we?

Protein:  In 6oz of non-fat Greek yogurt, you get a whopping 18 grams of dense, usable protein.  WOW!!!  I love Greek yogurt for its protein content, and it's a food I definitely come back for a post workout snack.  In normal yogurt, you get about 10 grams per 6oz.  That's just about half.  It's still not a bad figure, but can't quite hold a candle to the protein density in the Greek.

Calories:  6 oz of non-fat Greek yogurt contains 100 calories.  Definitely not bad, considering 6 oz is a normal container size you might buy at your local grocery store.  6 oz of plain, non fat yogurt is about the same, at 96 calories for 6 oz.  Not a huge difference, but again, I like foods with great nutritional density for their calorie figures, and Greek yogurt definitely wins in that category.

Carbohydrates:  Again, we'll use our 6 oz figure here for both yogurts.  In Greek, you get about 7 grams.  In regular?  12 grams.  That's a big difference, Greek yogurt representing about half the carbs you'd get in the same amount of plain, regular yogurt.  All those carbs in both yogurts are sugar carbs (lactose), so the more you can decrease that figure, the better off you'll be.

Fat:  Here we have to change our test subjects slightly, considering I've been using non-fat varieties of each yogurt for the nutritional facts.  We'll switch to full fat for each in order to really compare.  In 6 oz of regular, plain, whole yogurt, you consume about 5.4 grams of fat total, 3.6 grams of which is saturated fat.  That's a pretty low figure, for a whole food.  In 6 oz of whole Greek yogurt, you get about 17 grams of fat, 11 grams of which are saturated.  This I believe is Greek yogurt's main downfall.  Because it is much more dense, you're getting a LOT more of that milkfat per serving size.  I'd definitely suggest limiting intake of full fat Greek yogurt, however, as I've said many times before, this fat is not inherently bad for you.  Your body does need both saturated and unsaturated fats. You just want to watch your overall daily consumption of each.

Sodium:  Much of the salt is strained off of Greek yogurt in the creation process, and therefore you'll get a lot less per serving.  This is another huge benefit for Greek yogurt, as modern foods generally are packed with sodium, and your daily dosage of it can add up quite quickly.  It's great to have a low sodium snack you can always go back to.  You get 12 mg of sodium per ounce of Greek yogurt, and 22 mg per ounce of regular (both plain and fat free.)  Another number that's nearly double, and another reason to try Greek ASAP.

Vitamins/Minerals:  You're getting a good heaping of these in each variation of yogurt.  In Greek, as with most things mentioned, your dosage is a little more-so just because of the density.  If you have more of the raw materials in the final product, then obviously you'll get more of the nutrients.  In both Greek and regular yogurt, you get a large serving of calcium, vitamin B2, and vitamin D.

So, the bottom line?  I'd wholeheartedly recommend Greek yogurt as a staple in a healthy diet.  It's packed with tons of nutritional benefit, and it's such an amazing protein source.  The texture is nice and creamy, the flavor isn't too sweet, and it provides a refreshing alternative to the same old yogurt that's been sitting in your fridge forever.  Try it as a snack, try it in a few recipes, or do both!  Whatever floats your boat, or should I say trireme?  (Greek humor...If you got it, I'm impressed.) 


Have a spoonful, or two.  Good Luck!

Pumpkin Seeds, Fall's Overlooked Delicacy

How many of you have had pumpkin seeds?  I bet there's a good number of those who have, and an equally significant number of those who haven't.  Today I'm here to convince the ones who haven't to try these little delicacies while they're still "in season"

What am I talking about exactly?  I'm talking about dried, baked, and spiced pumpkin seeds, right out of that squash you like to carve faces on.  While Halloween is already past, you can definitely still pick up a good sized left-over pumpkin without too much trouble, and with all the recipes you can get out of that thing I can tell you right now it'll be worth it, big time.

Harvesting the seeds can be a pretty messy ordeal, but can be quite a fun process.  The guts of the pumpkin have a distinct aroma that's both natural and delicious at the same time, and whenever I smell it fond memories of dark spooky nights with my family immediately pop into my head.  Try to scoop all the seeds out into a bowl, and don't worry if you get some of the guts with them, as it can be pretty hard to separate.  If you've ever carved a pumpkin before you know exactly what I'm talking about.

After you scrape the inside of the pumpkin as cleanly as you can, try to remove as much orange gunk off the seeds as possible.  Then, place them in a colander and wash them off, removing the last little bits of stringy pumpkin glop with careful fingers.  You want the seeds to be clean and shiny, each one a perfect little morsel waiting to be prepared and eaten.  After the seeds are thoroughly cleaned, set them on a tea towel try to remove as much of the moisture as you can (don't use paper towels, as the seeds can stick to the paper and rip off little bits of it when you go to transfer them to the final cooking pan.  I'm guessing you don't want paper in your perfect little seeds).  It isn't crucial that you get them bone dry, but you want to at least remove visible droplets.

Now comes the fun part.  Spicing them up!  The most traditional way to cook pumpkin seeds is with salt and pepper, however I usually choose to forgo the salt and instead like to give them a little kick with cayenne chili powder.  Garlic powder tastes great as well.  Lay the dried seeds on a pan and sprinkle a nice even coat of your favorite spices over each batch of seeds, and make sure the powder is evenly distributed.  Now all that's left is to cook them!

Pop them in the oven for about 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring them once or twice during the cooking process.  When they're ready, take them out, let them cool, bag them up into snack sized portions, and enjoy!

Not only are these seeds delicious, but they also are packed with nutrients!  They can be most closely compared to most nuts, and carry many of the same benefits:

Fiber:  Pumpkin seeds are very high in fiber, containing about 2 grams per 1 oz.  This will help promote good metabolizing of food, and will also help you digestive tract to remain healthy and regular.  Believe me, you want that.

Dense Calories:  Pumpkin seeds, like other nuts, can be easily used as a bulk up food for those looking to pack on a little muscle.  They are dense with quality calories, about 285 per cup.  And every one of those calories is packed with nutrients and protein to help you maintain lean mass.  But don't let that high calorie figure scare you, pumpkin seeds can be just as easily packed into smaller snack portions and consumed on a cutting diet as well.  They're an extremely versatile little food.

Protein:  These little guys are packed with protein!  They contain more than most other nuts, at around 12g per 1 cup, or 6g per half cup.  That's not bad, considering not many people think "protein packed" when they see those little seeds inside that big orange squash.  But I'm telling you, if you want muscle, pumpkin seeds can help.

Healthy fats:  Pumpkin seeds are loaded with healthy, unsaturated fats that will decrease your LDL (bad) cholesterol and serve to make your heart as healthy as it can be by promoting an optimal blood lipid level.  Remember, FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY.  Here it's your friend, all 12.4g of it (per cup).


Vitamins/other nutrients:  Pumpkin seeds have all sorts of other nutritional benefits as well.  They're very dense in potassium (that other crucial electrolyte) at around 600mg per cup.  They also have a wide array of vitamins nestled in each serving, such as a good dose of vitamins A, B6, B12, and K.  And they provide a whopping 50% of your daily doses of Manganese and Magnesium (yes those are different things.)  Without salt added, they are also very low in sodium.

In my opinion, pumpkin seeds are like heavenly little healthy snacks.  They're crunchy, nutritious, and have that sweet flavor of fall (probably my favorite season.)  They not only help my body perform at its best, they bring back great childhood memories.  But enough sappy stuff.  Get some of these in your diet ASAP, you won't regret it.

Spice em' up, crunch em' down, and enjoy them wholeheartedly.  Good Luck!

Bring on the Beef Jerky!

I absolutely love beef jerky.  It's chewy, tasty, and an extremely rich source of lean protein.  It's smokey taste is just plain heavenly, and it still represents a large portion of my in-between meal snacks along with fish and other lean meat sources.  It's great to snack on when you're on a trip of any kind, whether it be a hike, a road trip, a day on the water, or pretty much anywhere else honestly.  It's packed with plenty of nutritional benefits too, enough for me to strongly suggest trying some in your diet.

But what exactly is jerky?  Well, it's basically meat with all the moisture and fat removed, leaving the lean protein as the only real substance left.  It's usually dried through a marination and smoking process, where there are a few preservatives added to increase shelf life even more.  This is my only "beef" with jerky, which is that a lot of it has a high sodium content due to the required preservation.  Most jerky you find at the supermarket will have between 500-700mg per serving, which is manageable, but should be watched. You can find low sodium beef jerky though, and if you like it as much as I do this is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

So what are the health benefits of beef jerky, or actually, pretty much every jerky out there?

Low Fat/Fat Free:  Almost all the fat in the meat is removed during the curing/drying/smoking process, and therefore you don't have to worry about taking in fat with your protein like you might with a less lean source of protein such as steak, or a burger patty.  To confirm this I just pulled out a pack of Jack Links Steakhouse Beef Jerky and indeed, it only has 1g of fat per serving, only half of which is saturated.  That's plenty low in my book.

High Protein Content:  Jerky usually contains between 12g and 15g of protein PER SERVING (1 oz).  That's a verrryyy dense protein source, and the main reason why I love this food so much.  To put things in perspective, even the leanest chicken breast only has about 9g of protein per 1 oz.  That's a big difference, and is a definite reason why anyone looking to build/maintain muscle should love jerky for its protein punch.

Low Carb:  Beef Jerky (and other jerky) tends to be very low in carbohydrates, which is great if you're trying to cut back on carbs a bit and lose a little body fat.  Looking again on my beef jerky package I'm seeing 4 net carbs per 1 oz of jerky.  And those are sugar carbs. That's not much at all, and definitely won't make much of a dent in your macros.  I'd suggest trying to find a jerky with even less sugar than this package, and you should be able to cut those carbs down to almost nothing.  Beef jerky can be quite the diet food!

It's tough:  Here's an interesting little tidbit.  Tougher foods (or foods that just in general require you to chew more) tend to fill you up faster, because your body has more time to absorb chemicals in the food that tell your brain you've eaten enough.  Beef jerky makes you work hard, and believe me after one serving of the stuff you're ready to rest that jaw.  For this reason it's quite possible that beef jerky can be much more satiating for it's size than you might have originally thought.  Try some out, see how quickly you fill up!

Vitamins and Minerals:  Beef Jerky isn't a particularly amazing vitamin source, however I have to give some credit where credit is due, and beef jerky does have a wide array of vitamins, even if it's not very dense with any one of them.  Vitamins and minerals in jerky include vitamin K, B-6, B-12, riboflavin, folic acid, phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium.  Not bad for dried meat.

And while the title of this article is in regards to the most popular kind of jerky, beef jerky, there are MANY other kinds of jerky on the market, some of which I bet you'd never even considered.  Jerky.com sells beef jerky, buffalo jerky, alligator jerky, ostrich jerky, venison jerky, and turkey jerky.  Check them out, and pick up a bag or two.  They sell low sodium, low carb, and low calorie jerky, and I'd definitely recommend trying their product.

http://www.jerky.com/jerky/products.html

BTW, that first picture was actually of ostrich jerky, not beef.  Bet I fooled you!

Chew Vigorously, enjoy the flavor, and as always, good luck!

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!

Don't Destroy your Salad

I love salads.  All my friends will vouch for me on that one.  There's nothing like finishing up a delicious entree then finishing off the meal with some greens.  I bet many of you will agree that salads are delicious.  And they're healthy too, right?  I mean all those vegetables in one place, it's like the holy grail of bodily nutrients.  But hold on.  I'm here to tell you that your salad might not be as healthy as you think.  You may be accidentally creating a meal that's got a lot of unseen unhealthy elements to it.  Here's a few tips to make sure that your salad is liberated and can do your body the good it deserves.

No Dressing:  Ah!  Madness!  No dressing on a salad?  That doesn't sound too good, does it?  Hold on a minute.  I eat my salads plain every single day, and I can promise you not one of them is ever dry, bland, or distasteful in any way, shape or form.  What's my secret?  I use very juicy vegetables!  Every one of my salads is piled high with juicy yellow peppers, red beans and chickpeas, cucumbers, and my favorite, tomatoes.  Mix those around a little bit and your salad will take on a natural dressing that is actually quite tasty.  And once you pop a bite into your mouth and crunch into a fresh and juicy grape tomato, you'd never know there was no dressing.  I suggest you guys give it a try!

But why do I prefer not to dress my salad?  Well I'll tell you a little something.  That pile of ranch on top of your salad probably has at least twice the calories as the actual salad itself, along with a lot of artificial ingredients, sugars, saturated fats, and things of the like.  In my opinion it's a LOT of calories you don't need.  In fact only two tablespoons of traditional ranch has about 150 calories, and I see lots of people put on two to three times that amount.  That's just ridiculous.  The natural flavors of the vegetables are masked, and any sort of nutrient benefit from the salad is being overshadowed by the shear caloric weight of the ranch.  This goes with all sorts of dressings, just read the nutrition labels.  Thousand Island, italian, you name it, a lot of it will most likely be more than you bargained for.

But don't despair you dressing addicts.  Salad dressing is not inherently bad, and there are a lot of very healthy alternatives.  Let's discuss a few, and how they can make your salad absolutely delicious without adding many calories or other undesirables.

Salsa:  Yes, that spicy, chunky, juicy, delicious tomato paste with peppers and beans.  Salsa is VERY low in calories (10-20 calories for two tablespoons) and VERY flavorful.  It can add a lot of character to any salad, and there are hundreds of varieties to choose from.  In fact you can usually have your salad as spicy or sweet as you like with salsa.  It's a great alternative that I highly suggest.  Just watch out for the sodium, it tends to be pretty high in salsa, but 1-2 servings won't kill you.

Mustard:  Same deal here, high amounts of flavor for low caloric density.  Dijon and yellow mustard both can really give those greens a big kick, and will only add a few extra calories to the dish.  It's all about amount of flavor for very little cost.  Try it out!

Healthy oils:  There's been studies that have proven that many nutrients in salad are FAT SOLUABLE.  So you can kiss those low fat, high fructose corn syrup dressings goodbye.  In fact low fat dressings can actually be worse for you than their traditional counterparts.  But if you want great flavor and a lot of healthy, unsaturated fats to fully absorb nutrients from your bowl of veggies, I suggest either olive oil, or balsamic vinaigrette.  Both are delcious and high in healthy fats which will do nothing but good for your body.  Don't go overboard on the olive oil though, it's still high in caloric density, so measure out your portions.

Meats:  I love me some salmon.  And chicken.  And shrimp.  And anything of the like.  And what an amazing way to make your salad more enjoyable!  Stick some lean protein in there, make sure it's fresh and moist, and I guarantee you will NOT miss dressing for one second.  That is if you decide to have it plain.  I would also suggest trying any of the above dressing styles with meat, especially if you're looking to get some more protein in your diet.  Again though, don't go overboard, and make sure that the meat is lean, fresh, and juicy.  My all time favorite is a salmon salad, though shrimp and chicken are close seconds.

Portioned Traditional Dressing:  Like I said before, the salad dressings you're used to aren't inherently bad!  The shear amount of them is sometimes what kills you.  If you want that ranch, go for it!  Absolutely!  But take the time to measure out the serving size.  Heck, try half the serving size, and see if you can get by on it.  Sometimes if you just take a little more time to appreciate the flavors of the food, you'll realize you didn't need so much dressing to begin with.

It's up to you, but I'd suggest experimenting.  Try it plain, like me, and load it up with some juicy veggies.  Then try some salsa, see if you like the kick.  Then try the mustard, then some healthy oil.  The same old thing gets boring anyway, right?

Dress lightly, love those greens, and good luck!