The Peanut Butter Conundrum
This past weekend I had the honor to see a dear friend of mine perform.
LISTEN TO AUDIO VERSION OF THIS BLOG POST HERE
She was a bright shining star and it was an event I will never forget.
After as we ventured to the after-party, I got to finally chat with her dad and spend some time with her mom who is like a sister to me.
One of the very first things her dad said to me, after some kind and heart-warming words, was, "Peanut butter, is peanut butter okay to eat?"
I said, "Of course it is, AND the kind that only has two ingredients, peanuts and salt!" and then her mom chimes in with, "But not Jiffy!"
"Oh no, I said... not Jiffy."
He looked sad... LOL
It was his favorite brand of peanut butter, and according to his wife, he had been eating it for a very long time.
I could tell this was sad news to him.
His wife had been preaching this news to him for who knows how long, yet he wasn't able to accept it.
He loves his Jiffy peanut butter.
Then I asked him, "does Jiffy bring you joy?"
He beamed, "YES!"
I said well, then be in joy when you eat it!
I walked up to his wife and she told me how she had been telling him that Jiffy was horrible FOREVER and she wished he wouldn't eat it!
I put my arm around her and said, "I get it! My husband consumes things I would NEVER approve of, but it's not my body so we just let it go."
She smiled and we continued on in the night.
Peanut butter.
You may already know this, but it's a very controversial food.
I'm not sure about you but I was raised consuming this nutty spread my whole life.
Sometimes before bed, when I was little I'd be SO hungry my dad would make me peanut butter toast. It was so yummy and brings me a comforting feeling of home.
In this email, I hope to help inform you on this controversial food and help you source clean peanut butter.
I'm also going to share some things about it that I've just recently learned.
Let's first talk about it's nutrition content.
Since it is one of my youngest favorite foods, and he demands to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich EVERY day for lunch (I know, so annoying), so I'm determined to provide him the best option available.
Just two tablespoons of this nut butter contains 8 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat.
It is rich in micronutrients like manganese, magnesium, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folate, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium.
The high fat and protein content helps us feel fuller faster and longer.
One of my favorite snacks is apple slices with peanut butter, as it's easy to make and yummy to eat.
However, there are some major downsides with it.
1. Peanuts are high in Omega 6's and low in Omega 3's.
We actually need a perfect balance of these two kinds of fats, because too much Omega 6's can lead to major issues like asthma, type 2 diabetes, obesity and a whole array of other health problems.
So in order to combat this unideal ratio in peanut butter, it's important to consume it with Omega-3 foods like flaxseed oil or a fish oil supplement.
I always add chia, hemp, and freshly ground flaxseeds to my youngest's PB&J's. He is also given a fish oil supplement daily.
2. Mold
Unfortunately the majority of peanuts are grown on the ground in humid environments.
Due to this environment it is very common for peanuts to contain mycotoxins or mold.
A easy way around this is sourcing peanut butter from Valencia or Jungle peanuts, as these varietals are grown in dryer climates and less prone to the growth of this dangerous mold.
3. The majority of peanut butter brands are loaded with shit ingredients!
From TONS of sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are SO bad for us), it always confuses me why companies can't just make them with the two ingredients that matter, peanuts and salt?!
ALWAYS read the labels when you buy peanut butter.
EVEN the brands that look clean! You will almost always find some sort of highly processed vegetable oils lurking in what seems like a green-washed and healthy option.
The next one may blow your mind...
4. Peanut butter sold and stored in plastic jars may just be one of the most toxic foods out there.
Tamara Rubin, known as Lead Safe Mama has won tons of awards for her lead-poisoning prevention advocacy work.
Here is a quote from Tamara in the book by Lee Hitchcox ‘Long Life Now: Strategies for Staying Alive.’ Explaining the reasons behind why she believed no-one should eat the popular consumer product, Tamara says: ‘Most of the peanut butter on the grocery store shelves (even in many “natural foods” stores) already contains pesticide and/or fungicide residues, tons of sugar and a host of other additives. ‘Peanut butter must also be heated to flow through the machinery for it to be quickly, easily and consistently poured into jars (plastic jars are also often then heat-sealed – the sealing of the combination foil-type/plastic barrier that is usually found under the lid for food safety reasons.) ‘The concern is that the now hot oils/fats in the peanut butter help the plasticizers (in the plastic jars and lids) leach into the food, and along with all the other chemical residues and additives, make for an incredibly toxic product. ‘The plasticizers bond to the oil in the peanut butter as a result of the packaging process. The consumer is then eating plastic… which is why peanut butter packed in plastic is one of the most toxic foods you can purchase.’ As a result, Tamara says she only buys peanut butter in glass jars - and implores others to do the same.
UGH, I KNOW!
I've been eating the Costco brand peanut butter for YEARS and I thought it was better since it is made with Valencia peanuts!
Ideally finding peanut butter with only two ingredients, Valencia peanuts & salt, in a glass container is ideal, but I have yet to find a brand that offers this combination!
SO what to do...
- ALWAYS buy organic - avoid pesticides, fungicides, and other toxins commonly sprayed on peanuts.
- Consume with Omega-3 foods like cold-pressed flaxseed oil, chia and/or hemp seeds, and other foods high in this healing fat.
- Buy in glass containers - skip the plasticizers and other chemicals leaching into your favorite spread and buy in glass containers if you can!
- Make your own! You can easily buy organic Valencia or Jungle Peanuts on www.nuts.com and process them yourself! All you need is a food processor, peanuts, salt, and a little time. Of course, store your homemade nut butter in a glass container!
- Don't stress! The stress you create around your peanut butter is worse than the peanut butter itself!
Just make the changes you can and if you or someone you love just won't get off their favorite brand of unclean peanut butter, let it go!
We can only do so much and this lifestyle is NOT about perfection, it's about progress.
So keep grounded and stay the course.
In love and light,
Becky Wells
The Hippie Moms, LLC
www.thehippiemoms.com
The Hippie Moms Podcast
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