Peanut Butter a Friend to athletes

The other day I was in Chinatown, where you not only find the most unusual food supplies in the universe, but also those elements that have yet to become popular in Argentina. In-between the aisle lay the peanut butter.

For anyone who has, at some point, visited the United States, it is common knowledge that North Americans, from an early age feed on this bottle sweet. In the same way that an Argentine recognizes “ el dulce de leche” as a constant companion... the Yankees have the same respect for the Peanut Butter ... going from the creation of their legendary Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, and venturing onto the King’s (Elvis Presley) diet which n turn was based on his famous: fried banana sandwich with peanut butter.

Now, why is peanut butter so popular? Why is it considered, in many countries as a key for growth and empowerment of youth? Why do doctors recommend it to athletes, children growing and anyone who needs help to form muscles?

Easy ... peanut butter ... a good batch, with little refinement and without so many chemicals ... are pure, pure calories. 74% comes from the fat that it has, while the rest is divided between your carbs and proteins. But these particular fats are good fats. Known as: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ....

Now for those who do not care for science and truly only require the facts ... How can Peanut Butter help you?

First a tidbit about appearance’s, you can find it both forms smooth and chunky… secondly: it fights cholesterol, it creates a satisfied feeling and destroys states of anxiety, even in small doses, it can count for all the days worth of minerals and vitamins, it combats stress and is one of the few foods that contain resveratrol (a substance, that not only aids digestion but kills fungi and bacteria in the body) ... and finally after 20 years of studies, it was concluded that it helps in the prevention of neurological problems including Alzheimer.

As an added bonus for runners, athletes or people with a hectic life, peanut butter they can provide a lot of energy ... the main marathon runners and competitive sprinters swear by this substance.

Nancy Clark author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook and authority on these issues exclaimed the following:

"When it comes to food choices that a runner may have, there is nothing better than peanut butter."

It creates a sense of complete filling, which may be kept during the day. Unlike sugar, that only triggers your insulin levels, gives you that well sought out burst of energy and then plummets halfway through your... Peanut butter gives you protein, fiber, good fats and carbohydrates, and their properties will slowly be incorporate into your bloodstream, keeping you energy and strength throughout the race.

A word of caution: for ordinary people with a normal regime of 2000 or so calories a day, this substance can be counterproductive… after all it is pure calories and Fats… so a word of warning, “handle with care”.

But for people who burn energy like hummingbirds, or people who have very tight schedules with little or no time to eat: Peanut Butter is a rich, healthy and highly recommended food source, far better that any protein bar in kiosk.

Omega 3: The Fat Cannibals.

From today on, I will start giving tips and ideas on how to lose weight ... for those who do not know, 5 years ago I weighed 105kilos, now I have managed to slim down to 55kilos ...

Or more to the point the whole range of the Omegas from 3 and 6. Sounds like a kind of biological weapon, right? Something created by a villain from James Bond movie to dominate the world.

"Now Mister Bond you will experience the Power of the

Omega factor and Die "...

But in reality the explanation is far stranger…

The Omegas are nothing more and nothing less than ...Good fats. What? Did we pass the looking class? Lets put it another way ... They are cannibalistic fats. The Omegas are fats that not only help you but eat and destroy fat deposits in our body.

They are completely natural and come in a wide variety of foods. They are found in high concentration in fish and to a lesser extent in walnuts, soybeans, flax and pumpkin... And finally in meats that have been raised on grass and grains (usually game animals: such as deer, rabbit, lamb, etc)

One must be cautious when handling this miracle food ... for instance, now a days, because of pollution throughout the world, the mercury level has grown in fish (mercury in large amounts, can be poisonous ... Red tuna has a high level of this element and must be treated with respect) .... Also eating many grains, may increase insulin in the blood stream.

Among its many benefits, we find: fights high blood pressure, polishes the hair and nails, reduces temper and increases the natural creation of endorphins, combats the triglycerides, as well as strengthened: the heart, memory and vision. Lowers cholesterol and ultimately helps prevent many cancers (breast, cervical, prostate, liver).

As a final benefit, we have the fact that it decreases hunger and increases energy.

For those who find fish disgusting, or are just not used to eating it, I have some good news: There are pills of Omega 3, also known as "Fish Oil" or “Cot Liver Oil”, that can be purchased at any pharmacy in the country and natural store. In the leaflet you will find dosage information… since the concentration may change from Brand to brand.

P.S: Eat well. What does this mean? Easy, if you grab the fish and fry it in a pan… well I have some bad news, no matter how much Omega 3, it may have none of it will work for you. ... Also you serve a ration of pumpkin or any of these foods in sizes, that to put it boldly WOULD PUT A COW TO SHAME, ... you can imagine the results.

Tuesday will discuss the benefits of peanut butter for runners and people who need a little energy before starting any exercise or their daily rutine.