Peanut Butter
Have you tried peanut butter as your pre-workout snack? Peanut butter gives you much needed energy for your workouts. Plus, peanut butter provides protein for your muscles. Moreover, peanut butter has vitamins, minerals, and a ton of science behind it. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of peanut butter. Then, eat a spoonful of peanut butter before your next workout.
Protein
First of all, peanut butter has a significant amount of protein. This is important because athletes require more protein than sedentary Americans. If you're working out, and you are NOT seeing the results you are expecting, then maybe your nutrition is all wrong.
Therefore, adding peanut butter to your diet will help add protein to your macros! One of my favorite pre- and post-workout snacks is a peanut butter and banana sandwich. My sandwich has good fats, good carbs, and muscle building protein.
Speaking of macros, click the image below for an easy method to estimate YOUR macros.
Weight Loss
If you're trying to lose weight, then eating peanut butter can help you shed a few pounds. We all know we need to eat less calories but how can we accomplish that if we're always so hungry? One way to accomplish this is to find foods that may suppress your appetite. Foods with protein, fiber, and unsaturated fats, like peanut butter, can help suppress your appetite so you won't have the urge to snack.
Need more weight loss tips? We've written another article on 10 tips to losing weight. Click on the image below for more info.
Vitamins and Minerals
Many athletes don't get enough vitamins and minerals because they consume too many processed foods. However, Griel et al. (2004) was able to show a huge improvement in vitamin and mineral profiles for those athletes who consumed peanuts or peanut butter. Levels of vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber were higher in the subjects who consumed peanuts versus those who did NOT eat peanuts.
Do you need help putting together a proper diet to follow along with your exercise routine? Click the image below to contact a PFTA Certified Personal Trainer.
Type 2 Diabetes
In addition, eating more peanut butter may help prevent or control type 2 diabetes. Jiang et al. (2002) showed that subjects who ate peanuts or peanut butter, reduced their risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Because peanut butter is low on the glycemic index, it doesn't spike your blood sugar. In addition, we already talked about the satiation feeling you may get from eating peanut butter. This satiation feeling may help you skip the junk food and stick to your healthy diet.
Another way to control blood sugar is to exercise your large muscles. Hip extension exercises burn up a lot of sugar and a lot of fat. Click the image below to watch exercise demos for hip extension.
Heart Healthy
Moreover, peanut butter contains the anti-oxidants vitamin A and vitamin E. These antioxidants fight against high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. In the same study by Griel et al. (2004), the subjects who consumed peanut butter also lowered the intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Even though peanuts are high in fat, the study showed that the intake of peanuts did NOT contribute to an increase in body mass index. That goes to show that the good fat in peanut butter, can help with type 2 diabetes AND heart disease.
We cover a lot of exercise and nutrition info at PFTA Schools. Click the image below to get more info on our exercise and nutrition classes..
Regular or Reduced Fat Peanut Butter?
This is a no-brainer. Peanut butter is full of the GOOD FATS our bodies need. And most of us know by now that when a manufacturer tries to make something low fat, they have to put in more sugar to make it taste good. Of the two things you should be choosing as a snack, GOOD FATS is way better than sugar for most dietary needs. The only time you would need more carbs is after a hard workout! But don't worry, we've written an article on that too. If you have a sweet tooth and peanut butter isn't quite cutting it today, you're welcome to grab a handful of jelly beans. It turns out candy is OK with your workouts but ONLY with your workouts. Click the image below to read more about eating candy with your workouts.
Knowledge is Power
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Summary
Peanuts or peanut butter would be a great inclusion into your daily routine. Peanut butter has been proven to control your blood sugar while giving you the protein your muscles desire. Peanut butter also provides you with good fats, vitamins, and minerals. So the next time you're craving peanut butter, add a spoonful to your sandwich or your smoothie. Happy health and happy training!
Written By
R.A. Escobar, PFTA Instructor and Personal Trainer
Sources:
Griel, A. E., et al. “Improved Diet Quality with Peanut Consumption.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition, vol. 23, no. 6, Dec. 2004, pp. 660–668.
Jiang, Rui, et al. “Nut and Peanut Butter Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women.” JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 288, no. 20, Nov. 2002, p. 2554.