Move Over, Almond Butter
16. Jan, 2010 
8 Comments
Dear Almond Butter,
You are delicious. You make apples taste like a dessert from paleo heaven. We have had some great times.
But sometimes you are too delicious, and I eat too much. My stomach feels yucky and puffy. And so it’s time for a break.
It’s not you, it’s me. I just need to see what else is out there. I hope that one day we can be friends again, but for now, I think it’s best that we spend some time apart.
Yours truly,
Lisa
I have a new favorite fat. It is rich, slightly sweet, and oh-so-good for you. Say hello to coconut butter.
Hopefully you are all cooking with coconut oil. If you are not, give it a try. I love scrambled eggs and veggies cooked in coconut oil. I’ve also had great results with shrimp, salmon, and mahi mahi. Coconut oil is great to cook with because it keeps its nutritional value, unlike many oils, including EVOO.
But coconut oil is not so tasty to eat plain. So it was no replacement for my beloved almond butter. Enter coconut butter,which is really coconut oil with some of the coconut meat blended in. I first tried it out in the paleo buttercream frosting for Lyssa’s whoopie pies (which, by the way, amazing!). Then Ryon encouraged me to try it on it’s own (exact words were spoon –> mouth). I was a little unsure at first, because the flavor and texture are so rich. But, it turns out that just a spoonful is perfect to satisfy hunger and soothe a desire for dessert.
Benefits of coconut oil/butter:
- Comprised of medium chain fatty acids, which the body prefers to burn as fuel rather than storing as fat.
- Supports immune function: Coconut oil is 50% lauric acid, which has great antiviral and antibacterial properties
- Lowered risk of heart disease: Numerous population studies show that groups who consume coconuts on a regular basis have a lower incidence of heart disease (and are slimmer!)
- Raises HDL, good cholesterol, which contributes to overall heart health.
- Improves blood sugar and insulin control
- Improves skin and hair (I’ve read this several times, and I can tell you that my hairdresser told me at least 3 times on Wednesday how much healthier my hair has gotten over the last few months!)
On a more anecdotal note, today marks my first week of the I AM CROSSFIT challenge put on by CrossFit Central. This means that I am back to strict paleo eating as well as taking on more workouts on my own. In addition to going strict paleo, I have made a few other adjustments to my diet- namely, that my carbs are coming almost entirely from vegetables (so, much lower overall intake) and higher fat. I’m also changing up my fat sources- for this first week, I avoided nuts altogether, so all of my fat has come from coconut oil, coconut milk, avocadoes, or unheated olive oil. I am feeling great- feeling full between meals, having energy and stamina during workouts, and no irritability like I experienced during our original 30 day challenge. I’m resisting temptation to weigh myself but I definitely feel leaner already. I’m keeping a detailed food and workout log, so I will definitely share my experiences along the way.
Author Info
Wonderful information Lisa! If you’d like more information on coconut oil, check out this link below from Dr. Mercola. I enjoy following Dr. Mercola’s blog, and he provides some thorough written information on coconut oil here:
http://products.mercola.com/coconut-oil/
There’s even a video if you’re too lazy to read!
The primary reason that you want to cook with coconut oil instead of olive oil is that olive oil oxidizes at a much lower temperature, destroying its healthy antioxidants and also generating toxic substances (fumes included).
Great post Lisa …. I discovered Artisana Coconut Butter by chance following the same (Spoon -> Mouth) twitter exchange between our fellow TLSP’ers. As you indicated a teaspoon of the slightly sweet Coconut butter is enough to satisfy me. I’ve also started having a tsp of it in the mornings before my CF classes for an added energy boost.
Veronica, thanks for that link! Dr. Mercola is a great resource.
Arun, that’s a great idea to take it before a morning workout. I generally don’t eat anything before my early workouts, but I might try that the next time I wake up feeling hungry.
Now off to cook some eggs in coconut oil!
Where have you found the coconut butter? I looked at Sprouts today but couldn’t find it.
Thanks!
Alexis
Central Market and Whole Foods both carry Artisana coconut butter in a 16 oz jar for $9.99. In Whole Foods, you find it in the raw foods section. If anyone finds a better deal on this, please post to comments!
Alrighty…this post makes me realize how much I rely on nuts and nut butter! I’ll check out the coconut butter, Great post!
B
Lisa – thanks for the post, so true. We’re starting a 30 Day Paleo Challenge in Stamford so I’m linking this on my site!