Peanuts....Get Your Peanuts.....Peanut Butter Healthy Benefits

I love Peanut Butter.   I love to just dig my spoon in my creamy Jiff and eat it right off the spoon.   You can give me peanut butter on a banana, apples, vanilla wafers, crackers, and the list just goes on and on.

I generally add Peanut Butter to my favorite homemade granola recipes.  I love a good soft peanut butter cookie.  Who doesn't love Peanut Butter?  I guess those who have the nut allergy.  I have a terrible strawberry allergy.   That is bad enough, I can't imagine having a peanut allergy.   

Did you know that eating Peanut Butter has a whole lot of benefits towards your health?  

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, peanut butter, is a healthy food that is full of nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, monounsaturated fatty acids, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A,  sodium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, copper, iron, and zinc. Peanuts contain no saturated fats and can be consumed on a regular basis. They only contain unsaturated fats. This is good news for people who fear to gain weight by consuming peanuts. Peanuts actually help you to lose weight!   Other great benefits include:

Suppresses Hunger For Weight Loss
Eating peanuts and peanut butter helps control hunger without leading to weight gain.  #winwin
Heart Health - Your heart loves Peanuts
Studies found peanuts lowered the risk of cardiovascular and coronary heart disease.
Lowers Colon Cancer
Eating peanuts and peanut butter may reduce colon cancer in women.
Helps Protect Against Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Impairment
Boy, I really need to eat more peanut butter for this.  Peanuts are one of the highest foods that is rich in niacin.  Studies found that those getting the most niacin from foods were 70 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.   #winwin
Valuable Nutrition
Peanut butter has protein as well as potassium — which lowers the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. It also contains fiber for your bowel health, healthy fats, magnesium to fortify your bones and muscles, Vitamin E and antioxidants.
Healthy Fat
It's about time someone said fat and healthy at the same time!  All of the fat in peanut butter is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. A study found that insulin-resistant adults who ate a diet high in mono-saturated fat had less belly fat than people who ate more carbohydrates or saturated fat.  Therefore, eating peanuts can reduce the risk of diabetes according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lowers Cholesterol Levels
A 2016 research paper published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology has revealed that peanuts are an excellent source of compounds like resveratrol, phenolic acids, flavonoids and phytosterols that completely stop the absorption of cholesterol from the diet. The fat content in peanut butter is almost equal to that of the fats found in olive oil. It contains both polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. As these fats are not saturated, they are good to consume without putting the heart at any risk. The unsaturated fats in peanut butter help to lower bad cholesterol levels (low-density lipoprotein) and promote the circulation of good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein).

A Perfect Bedtime Snack!
Eating peanut butter before sleeping helps to build muscles and helps to give you a good night sleep. Peanut butter has tryptophan amino acid that helps to release serotonin hormones in the body. Serotonin helps to keep the brain healthy and provides better sleep.   This alone should make you go stick that big spoon inside that peanut butter jar!

Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Balls --- A great source of Peanut Butter and lots of nutrients

These peanut butter no bake energy balls require only one bowl, eight ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on preparation
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INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

TO MAKE:

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together well to combine.
2. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so it can set up.
3. Take out of the fridge and roll into balls about 1 Tablespoon in size.
4. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

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