TASTY SPIN on NUT BUTTERS

Recently, I was at the Sunday afternoon Ballard Farmer's Market enjoying all the colors of the fresh flowers and vegetables when I stumbled upon Marilyn's Nut Butters.  Marilyn has a great idea.  She adds spices to nut butter.  They are yummy!  She uses really good spices for foods cooked for folks living in cold, damp environments--like summers in Seattle!

Although I really like Marilyn's basic idea, I could not help but notice that in a couple of her nut butters, she adds sugar which throws off the carbohydrate to carbohydrate protein ratio.  (Join me on July 14th at the Greenwood Senior Center for a session on how to read labels and I will explain the importance of those ratios.)

Meanwhile, check out Marilyn's website (www.marilynsnutbutters.com/) and visit her at the Ballard Farmer's Market.  You may even want to experiment with your own favorite spices by adding them to a couple of tablespoons of nut butter.  They taste delicious as a snack on apples, carrots or just spoons. 

Recipe: Berry Compote

½-1 cup of frozen organic or low pesticide raspberries or blueberries
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 TBS of real maple syrup or honey
½ cup of almond flour* or slivered almonds*, passed through a blender/coffee grinder (*I recommend purchasing from Trader Joe’s)

Microwave the berries for about one minute until warm. Mix the rest of the ingredient in to taste.

Variations:

• Eat as is
• Eat with high protein Greek yogurt
• Use on pancakes and French toast, instead of syrup
• Mix with protein powder

Satisfying Hydration: Homemade Lemonade

When the temperature gets in the high 70s and 80s, I often find myself drinking lots of water but not really feeling my thirst become satisfied. Sometimes, I think that I am hungry but I just ate. My body is telling me that it has been sweating away water and electrolytes. This is when I make my own lemonade.

Ingredients:
· Large pitcher.
· 2 lemons, limes, or oranges.
· Water (I like to filter my water at home).
· Honey, maple syrup, or molasses (to taste).
· Sea salt or trace minerals (to taste).

Citrus: I squeeze 2 lemons into a pitcher that holds four pints of water.

Electrolytes: I add about a teaspoon of sea salt. I have low blood pressure so I need salt. I prefer sea salt because it has many electrolytes that my body is sweating out in the heat and may be causing my thirst or hunger. If you avoid salt, you can purchase at PCC, Whole Foods or Seattle Super Supplements “Trace Minerals”. This provides all the nutrients that are in sea salt without the sodium. This should not increase your blood pressure and there is some data that suggests that it will help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Sugar: I add about 2 tablespoons of honey, maple syrup, or molasses. I try to not make it too sweet since I am always trying to increase my taste buds sensitivity to sugar because then I am satisfied with less sweetness. This helps me prevent hypoglycemia, physical anxiety, weight gain, diabetes, inflammation and other high glucose mediated diseases.

Water: I fill the pitcher with water. I filter my water at home.

Enjoy the Summer!