About this blog

In other words, the Zone + Crossfit = Optimal Heath!
This blog focuses on nutrition, using the Zone Diet as the basis. However, I often eat Paleo foods in Zone proportions.
I love to investigate anything having to do with food- what we eat and why. And what happens within our bodies, our organs, our brain, when we do? My precious mother struggled with eating disorders. I want to avoid this delimma based on research, common sense, and the natural consequences on my body. The Zone shows me where the balance lies between eating too much and eating too little.
My husband runs a Crossfit gym. Exercise and choosing the right foods have become a mission for ourselves and our children. We don't want to be nerds about it, we just want to be healthy.
I have been asked by several friends what I feed our family, especially our kids. My husband and I follow the Crossfit prescription to nutrition (meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar). If you know me, you know that the sugar part of this equation will be a life long struggle given my love for chocolate! Evan adheres to the stricter version known as the Paleo-Zone diet (and I do on my good days!) which requires the same foods in a ratio of 40% protein, 30% carb, and 30% fat. Children require 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you're wondering how to figure this out, I do it on a per meal basis and I have a "block" chart from the Zone website.
It seems like a headache at first, but if you're interested, just know that it is not that bad once you practice it for a couple of weeks. All you need is a $10 scale and some determination. It really is quite simple and makes my life easier at the grocery store and when cooking dinner. Most of all, I feel great when I eat well- mentally and physically, and we all know that the physical can affect the mental and visa versa!
Evan and I are hunter/gatherer wanna-be's! This blog will track my journey of health as it should be, and the honest reality of living in a sugar fried culture. When it comes down to it, I get excited to talk about nutrition, but I am definitely not perfect at it! If you have the desire to eat well, but it is often a challenge to overcome the temptations along the way, then you are in the right company!
I hope you leave this blog feeling enlightened and encouraged as you go throughout your day!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Peanut Butter vs. Almond Butter


Creamy Salted Peanut Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted peanuts, salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 16g fat, 130mg sodium, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 1 sugar, 8g protein

Creamy with Sea Salt Almond Butter
Ingredients: Dry roasted almonds, sea salt.
2 TBSP= 190 calories, 17g fat, 60mg sodium, 6g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 8g protein

So which is the better choice?
Beside the fact that almonds are actually nuts (above ground, in trees) and peanuts are legumes (growing in the ground), my preference is almond butter if based on taste. Evidently, it takes less sea salt to do the job in the almond butter than regular salt in the peanut butter. That is a positive for the almond butter. Also, almond butter has an 8% higher calcium content, and 2% higher in iron. Other than that, everything only varies by one gram. It boils down to the good fats versus the bad fats; almond butter has a greater monounsaturated fat content, and this makes it the healthier heart choice!

WWW.eatdrinkbetter.com says this about almond butter: "Almond butter boasts ten times the Omega-3 fatty acids of peanut butter, they’re high in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats, all of which make them a terrific way to boost heart health. Almonds are particularly known for high levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein and Vitamin E. And since 715,623 tons, almost half the world’s almonds, are produced in the United States, the carbon footprint of this butter is relatively low."

Trader Joe's sells their own brand for $4.99 for a 16 oz jar! Their natural peanut butter is $1.79! It's worth the trip to stock up! However, you can order it online right here, right now from Maranatha.
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