5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Peanut Butter

January 24, 2017 By Bridget 8 Comments

Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

True confession. I love PB. I eat it almost every day, making every day peanut butter day! In fact, I’m eating a spoonful right now with a banana. It’s the perfect desktop snack.

I hope to turn you into a PB lover too!.

Peanut butter. Those two words probably bring up lots of memories. School lunches? Making (or eating) homemade peanut butter cookies? Or maybe you’re thinking about how controversial eating peanuts and peanut butter has been over the last 20 years, especially for moms-to-be and their young children.

The good news is that peanut butter and peanuts have risen to the top of the “Foods to Eat Now” List!

And here’s why:

Peanut butter can cut the risk of allergy.

Peanut butter used to be the food to avoid the first year of life to avoid peanut allergy. NOT ANYMORE! In January 2017 an expert panel sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) issued guidelines that recommend early introduction of peanut-containing foods to infants. The reason? To prevent the development of peanut allergy. What?! Yes, the expert panel actually recommends that infants at high risk of developing peanut allergies have peanut-containing foods introduced into their diets as early as 4 to 6 months of age to reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy. (Parents and caregivers should check with their infant’s health care provider before feeding their infant peanut-containing foods.) Find the guidelines written for parents and caregivers here.

Also, eating peanut products during pregnancy cuts the risk of peanut allergy in childhood. Rising peanut allergies pushed us to think that avoiding common allergens during pregnancy could cut the risk of allergies. But he opposite is actually true. One study looking at 1200 moms and their kids found that eating more peanuts in the first trimester was associated with a 47% reduction in peanut allergy reaction at age 8. In fact, consuming milk and wheat during pregnancy had similar results regarding those food allergies. Read the study here.

#DYK #peanuts can help prevent #peanutallergy? Get facts & #recipes here: bit.ly/2jZrYxQ #infantnutrition #pregnancy #RDchat Share on X

Peanut products can help kids control their weight.

Overweight children given a daily peanut snack had a lower BMI than kids who ate peanuts once a week or less. Both groups received the same 12 week program of nutrition education and physical activity. Read the study in the Journal of Applied Research in Children.

It can help control blood sugar throughout the day when eaten at breakfast.

You’ve heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even more important? What you eat for breakfast. Eggs and peanut butter keep you satisfied. See the study from the British Journal of Nutrition.

It’s super healthy.

Eating peanuts and peanut butter regularly has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Also, when substituted for animal protein, cuts the risk of diabetes. Read more here.

It’s vegan and relatively cheap!

And it’s not just for sandwiches and cookies! PB is very versatile. From smoothies to Asian sauces, from healthy snacks to coatings for chicken and fish peanuts can add healthy nutrition to just about anything! Check out these recipes that are perfect for Breakfast or Snacking!

Peanut butter Recipes

Smoothies & Such

These smoothies work for breakfast or for post-workout recovery with their potassium and protein-rich goodness!

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal smoothie from The Foodie Dietitian Kara features coconut milk, peanut butter, banana, cocoa and oats. Yummy!

Next is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie by Lauren, a dietitian specializing in weight management. It features almond milk. This is her go-to breakfast after the gym.

This recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is from the PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook, written by Angela Grassi, an RD specializing in PCOS.

PBJ Smoothie Bowl? Yes! This one from dietitian Lauren features grape juice and peanut butter powder to give you that Peanut Butter & Jelly flavor we love so much!

This Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Bowl from the Liz’s Healthy Table has got a lot of crunch along with soymilk and cocoa for a delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack.

Not into smoothies? Not to worry! Here’s a recipe featuring Greek yogurt, PB and cocoa–Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt from dietitian Lindsey at Tasty Balance Nutrition.

Breakfast Bites

Need something you can bite into? Check out these healthy recipes you can sink your teeth into!

Granolas and Breakfast Cookies!

Of course you can buy your granola, but making it means you don’t have to spend an hour reading all the fine print on those granola labels!

This Homemade Peanut Butter Granola includes honey, flaxseed and raisins from Carolina at Once Again Nut Butter.

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Thinking About New Year Goals

January 16, 2024 By Bridget Leave a Comment

When you rang in the new year a few weeks ago, did you look back on the past year and make a mental list of things you accomplished…and didn’t? And then, you probably made some new goals, otherwise called “New Year’s Resolutions.”

Making new goals for the year? Make them smart goals.

Sound familiar?

Resolutions can be grand things–like Bucket List trips, huge weight loss or fitness goals. They can be broad and unmeasurable like “get healthy” or “be kinder”. But, the best kind of goals are ones you are likely to achieve and ones that can be measured.

Examples of these are:

Do something every day to make someone else’s day brighter.
Exercise three times each week for at least 40 minutes.
Eat two vegetables every day.
Organize one drawer or one shelf each week.

While goals for the whole year are doable, especially if it’s a big goal broken down into smaller goals, those goals are also easier to lose track of. “Right –I did make a resolution ito learn to play pickleball, but I never bought a racket, so that one’s a lost cause.” Or “oops, I forgot about that resolution to start eating five fruits and veggies every day…I still only eat a few a week.” See what I mean about doable and measurable?

Businesses may make lofty goals for the year, like “increase sales by 20%” Or “gain 10 new clients by year’s end”. However, those types of goals are followed by tiny ones that incrementally move the needle towards achieving the big target. Make your personal goals just as detailed.

Small Steps for Smart Goals

The big target might be “get more organized”. But, this will get lost in the shuffle if you don’t break it down to smaller steps that are timely and measurable. This is also called “SMART Goals”. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Week 2-4: First make a task list of each room or area that needs organization
Week 5: Next, purchase what you need to organize the first area. Find inspiration you might need–reality show, book or blog.
Week 6: Plan what days and times you’ll organize.
Week 7-8: Lastly, get it done! You could even break this down into smaller steps like: Empty half of the closet. Decide what to keep and what to donate. Drop it off at the donation center.

You get the idea!

Health Goals

Despite knowing how to eat healthy, most people don’t take the steps to get there so they fail. Imagine your goal is to take your lunch to work more often. The steps to get there might be:

First, analyze what you need to inspire you to take your lunch. Do you need divided microwave dishes perfect for the task? Perhaps a big thermos to take breakfast smoothie in? (Even better if they’re cute:)
Plan out two weeks of possible menus. Decide on a “start” day.
Make a grocery list and purchase the items.
Need more motivation? Start calculating how much you save by taking your lunch instead of going out, and what you can do with that money!

I wish you a year full of good health, fun, reachable goals! What are mine for the year? Research some volunteer opportunities and begin volunteering by mid year and learn to play pickleball and start playing by May 1st. Oh yes, those steps above for getting organized? Those are mine!

Want some more New Year inspiration? Check out this out:

New Year, New You in 5 Easy Steps!

Cheers!

Cut Cravings without Semaglutide Drugs

November 16, 2023 By Bridget Leave a Comment

If you watch TV, you know that Semaglutide drugs, also called GLP-1 agonists, are all the rage. And with good reason, they work. But more on that in a bit.

As a dietitian, I’ve always been big on telling people to eat more fiber-rich foods Not only does fiber improve digestion–making food move smoothly through your digestive tract. But it’s also been shown to help you feel full, cut cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure and reduce the risk of certain cancers. The benefits go on and on. One being, when you feel full, it helps keep cravings away. When you eat fiber, it keeps you full!

Can you cut cravings without semaglutide drugs? Find out how food can increase GLP-1.

But now scientists are learning that specific types of foods and fibers stimulate the production of certain gut hormones (like Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 or GLP-1).

GLP-1 is a hormone secreted in your intestine in response to food. Different types of macronutrients, probiotics and even some minerals like calcium stimulate the release of GLP-1 differently.

What does GLP-1 Do?

Stimulates insulin secretion to lower blood glucose.
Promotes satiety, which can help with cravings and “food noise.”
Delays gastric emptying, thus decreasing after-meal blood glucose.
Reduces appetite, which gradually leads to weight loss.

Many factors affect GLP-1 Levels:

Types of nutrients eaten.
Diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic liver disease and polycystic ovary syndrome.
Drugs like insulin and metformin.
Bariatric surgery like gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy and duodenal-jejunal bypass. (increases secretion.)
Probiotic bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.
Resveratrol, found in foods like grapes, grape juice, red wine, boiled peanuts, blueberries, bilberries and cranberries.

GLP-1 mimicking Semaglutide drugs like Ozembic and Mounjaro (for type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (for weight loss) have become so popular, they are on the FDA Drug Shortage List. Even if you can find some, insurance coverage is limited and they are very expensive!

Back to Fiber

While the Semaglutide drugs do work very well, there can be side effects–sometimes drastic. The good news is that research is starting to show that certain types of fibers may increase the amount of GLP-1 your body naturally makes. Fibers that are fermented by bacteria in your colon are the ones that stimulate GLP-1 as well as another hormone-PPY. Here are some examples of the fibers and where you can get them:

Beta Glucan Fiber

Barley
Oats
Rye

Oligosaccharides

Beans
Peas
Lentils

Pectin

Apples
Pears
Citrus Fruit
Green bananas
Carrots
Tomatoes
Potatoes

Other GLP-1 Stimulating Nutrients

Research about what nutrients increase GLP-1 and other gut hormones are still in their infancy. However, it appears that long chain fatty acids (olive oil for example) certain proteins (whey, some fish proteins and genistein in soy) and antioxidants (like curcumin and resveratrol) all appear to increase GLP-1 secretion.

Bottom Line

It all goes back to the foundation of healthy eating: a variety of foods, including vegetarian sources of protein like soy, nuts and beans, plenty of vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains, herbs and spices. Curcumin is found in curry and also by itself. Resveratrol is found in peanuts, grapes, red wine and blueberries. And guess what–this type of eating closely resembles the Mediterranean Diet!

The other important foundation you need is a healthy gut. Getting probiotics, either through foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods, or through a supplement is a good idea. (Find my post on Good for the Gut recipes here. Eating fiber-rich foods, especially those listed, will give you prebiotics that also foster a healthy gut, help you feel full, and cut cravings.

Happy Eating!

References

Columbia University

Resveratrol

Glucagon Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1)

Food Factors Influencing GLP-1

Peanut butter and cocoa are the secret ingredients here! More PB recipes here: bit.ly/2jZrYxQ

5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Peanut Butter

January 24, 2017 By Bridget 8 Comments

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! True confession. I love PB. I eat it almost every day, making every day peanut butter day! In fact, I’m eating a spoonful right now with a banana. It’s the perfect desktop snack. I hope to turn you into a PB lover too!. Peanut butter. Those two words probably bring…

Cut Cravings without Semaglutide Drugs

November 16, 2023 By Bridget Leave a Comment

If you watch TV, you know that Semaglutide drugs, also called GLP-1 agonists, are all the rage. And with good reason, they work. But more on that in a bit. As a dietitian, I’ve always been big on telling people to eat more fiber-rich foods Not only does fiber improve digestion–making food move smoothly through…

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