JAMES SURRELL

As I have discussed previously, one of my very favorite healthy foods is peanut butter. Peanut butter can be eaten as a snack, perhaps as a spoonful out of your jar of peanut butter, on a sandwich, or as a healthy food item added to numerous recipes. Be aware that two tablespoons of peanut butter, a typical serving size, contains only 3 grams of sugar, has 2 grams of healthy dietary fiber, and has about 7 grams of healthy protein.

Of course, fiber is a very healthy dietary item that helps with our digestion of the foods we consume. Peanut butter contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which can help with our overall heath, including heart health, management of diabetes, and our ability to properly digest our foods. Soluble fiber in peanut butter helps lower blood sugar and our cholesterol levels. Our dietary fiber also helps us to keep our bowel movements regular, and decreases our risk of frequent constipation and/or diarrhea.

Peanut butter is also a good source of healthy fats, and it does not contain cholesterol. Our professional dietitians also report that peanut butter has a healthy ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats, and this also makes peanut butter a heart-healthy food. It is further reported that peanut butter may also help us to have improved blood cholesterol levels, may lower inflammation, and help us to maintain a stable heart rhythm.

Further, peanut butter is also reported to have a very healthy mix of vitamins and minerals that we all need to maintain good health. Peanut butter contains various amounts of these healthy vitamins and minerals that we all need to consume in our diet, including copper, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin B-6, vitamin E, and zinc. Of course, if a person has any kind of a peanut allergy, you must absolutely avoid any and all peanut butter as well.

As you know, there are many brands of peanut butter to choose from, and it is usually offered as creamy or as crunchy peanut butter. My personal favorite is creamy peanut butter and I will often consume a few teaspoons of peanut butter every day, and especially if I feel that I have not consumed enough protein in my diet that day. Recall that peanut butter is an excellent source of protein, with just two tablespoons containing 7 grams of healthy protein.

Of course, we can all choose what brand of peanut butter we prefer to have in our diet. It is reported that the three most popular brands selling in the USA are (1) Jif, (2) Skippy, and (3) Peter Pan, followed by numerous other popular brands of peanut butter. I find all these brands and others to be very delicious and very healthy. Many various healthy brands of peanut butter are readily available in nearly all food stores. Again, in the absence of any peanut allergies, I highly recommend peanut butter as a very healthy source of protein that is low in sugar, and also contains some healthy dietary fiber.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Jim Surrell is the author of the best-selling SOS (Stop Only Sugar) Diet book and his new Joke Book, entitled “Laughter Is Good Medicine”. Dr. Jim’s website is sosdietbook.com.