20 replies to this topic

[EntropyModel]

There's alot of studies showing benefits of nuts. I only mention it because I had my old Dad visiting me recently and he is trying to lose weight. He was not aware of benefits of nuts, and infact was still of the mindset that 'eating fat is bad', nuts being a 'fatty food'. I also talk to alot of elite athlete's, and many of the young ones 'won't touch fat', but after some 're-education' have added peanut butter and noticed improvements in their recovery from training. I've being doing very intense training recently and as i've gotten older (39 now) have noticed my recovery times are longer, but adding two tablespoons a day of peanut butter seems anecdotally to have helped me.


http://www.peanut-in.../111303_PR.html


November 26, 2002, Albany, GA -- Harvard School of Public Health researchers report that consuming a half serving (one tablespoon) of peanut butter or a full serving of peanuts or other nuts (an ounce), five or more times a week is associated with a 21% and 27% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively. This ground-breaking study is published in the November 27, 2002, Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study shows women who eat five tablespoons of peanut butter each week can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by over 20%. Further, the relationship between consuming peanut butter, peanuts and other nuts and type 2 diabetes is linear -- higher consumption provided a greater protective effect. The group of women consuming a half serving of peanut butter or a full serving of peanuts and other nuts one to four times per week had a 16% reduced risk of developing the disease. This large population study includes over 83,000 female nurses who were followed for an average of 16 years in the Brigham and Women's Hospital-based Nurses' Health Study. The women in the study completed food frequency questionnaires approximately every four years between 1980 and 1996, and had no history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.

.....
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of type 2 diabetes have tripled in the last 30 years. Over 17 million people in the United States alone have diabetes, while 16 million more are at high risk of developing the disease

....
Other large population studies, such as the Adventists Health Study, the Iowa Women's Health Study and the Physicians Heath Study, all show a linear relationship between cardioprotective benefits and peanut butter, nut and peanut consumption. (3-5) These studies examined the eating patterns of both men and women and found that small, frequent servings of peanut butter, nuts, and peanuts can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25-50 percent. A growing database of clinical studies indicates that part of the beneficial effect of peanut butter, nuts, and peanuts may be due to their fatty acid composition, particularly when they replace food sources of saturated fatty acids, as well as refined carbohydrates, in the diet.


....

In addition to unsaturated fat, other components of peanut butter, nuts and peanuts such as fiber and magnesium decrease insulin resistance and have been inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Peanuts have more plant protein than any other nut. They are also rich in vitamin E, folate, potassium, zinc, phytosterols and antioxidants, which are thought to be important to health.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Edited by entropy, 17 March 2007 - 11:29 AM.

[mss]

In addition to unsaturated fat, other components of peanut butter, nuts and peanuts such as fiber and magnesium decrease insulin resistance and have been inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Peanuts have more plant protein than any other nut. They are also rich in vitamin E, folate, potassium, zinc, phytosterols and antioxidants, which are thought to be important to health.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

"maineman" will go NUTS when he reads this.
mss

Edited by mss, 17 March 2007 - 02:37 PM.

[Rogerdodger]

I ate 1/2 a jar of the recently recalled peanut butter and I had another one waiting on the shelves! Thank goodness it didn't kill me... yet. I gave my 14 year old grandson a bagful of roasted peanuts last week and after he ate a couple, his breathing began to close up. He's OK but you can add him to the list of those allergic to peanuts.

[spielchekr]

MSS ain't really suthun' 'less he eats 'em boiled.

[mss]

MSS ain't really suthun' 'less he eats 'em boiled.

Only two ways, raw and burooled. Ya'll pllaaaay niicce now ya hear'
And it's sirthun' - biess yo' little 'ol heart.

[maineman]

At the risk of being everyone's favorite punching bag, I'll add a few thoughts....



A well-rounded, healthy diet, plenty of vigorous aerobic exercise, no cigarettes, and the avoidance of known toxins (like excess alcohol) will prevent or at least delay/minimize the most common effects of genetic decay. Old age is inevitable. That includes graying of the hair, declining pancreatic, ovarian and other organ function, loss of cartilage, etc. etc.



I look forward to the day when science is able to show that a dose of a certain vitamin, a glass of carrot juice, or a spoonful of peanut butter will help me avoid disease and/or live long and prosper. Until then, I'll stick with the slow-and-steady-wins-the-race approach, based in knowledge and reason. And common sense.



But I love peanuts! Used to eat 'em by the bagful fresh boiled when I lived down south.... great with a few scuppernongs and a cold beer.



One very interesting fact about peanuts (and almonds, walnuts and pecans) is that they may actually raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol a little bit, Of course, this would be in combination with the above-mentioned overall healthy lifestyle that we encourage our patients to lead.



Here's a quote from the New England Journal of Medicine: Volume 353:1252-1260

"A diet rich in n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids — sources include oils (olive, canola, soy, flaxseed), nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans), cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel), and shellfish — with limited carbohydrates that contribute a high glycemic load (such as those found in ready-to-eat cereals, potatoes, white bread, and snack foods) can be recommended to increase serum HDL cholesterol levels. "



Sadly, Roger is right, though. Peanut allergy is really real and scary problem... so be careful.



mm

.

[esther231]

I'm rooting for peanut butter. Love the stuff. I cycle a fair amount (50 - 120 miles a week). Like Mark said, it's a great food for recovery. Milk is my recovery drink. Milk and peanut butter, what more could you want? On the bike, I drink a ton of water. If I need energy - on the longer rides - I eat fig newtons. Eat pretzels if my legs are getting tight. The salt helps me not get leg cramps. Someone suggested I add 1/8 tsp of salt to my water bottle instead - I might try it. Just haven't yet.

[EntropyModel]

I'm rooting for peanut butter. Love the stuff.

I cycle a fair amount (50 - 120 miles a week). Like Mark said, it's a great food for recovery. Milk is my recovery drink. Milk and peanut butter, what more could you want?
On the bike, I drink a ton of water. If I need energy - on the longer rides - I eat fig newtons. Eat pretzels if my legs are getting tight. The salt helps me not get leg cramps. Someone suggested I add 1/8 tsp of salt to my water bottle instead - I might try it. Just haven't yet.

Esther231 that sounds like a great new diet - the Peanut, Pretzel and Fig Zone or something, I bet it would catch on ...except with the peanut haters of course, who knew?

Have you tried any supplements for performance enhancement or faster recovery, and if so did any seem to help?

I've tried a few over the year and most did nothing for me, the only one that helped a little is L-Glutamine, slighly improved recovery but nothing much. The main thing seems to be to eat enough, especially like you said during training and then get quality sleep, but that's just boring compared to the spaceage supplements.


Mark

Edited by entropy, 18 March 2007 - 07:49 PM.

[esther231]

I haven't noticed any difference between supplements and eating the stuff I mentioned. Sad, eh? I like fig newtons more than gel packs so I'm happy I didn't notice a difference. I agree with you on eating enough. When I first started riding, I didn't know anything about how to eat for a ride. Before, during and after. It was such a struggle to get any distance. I felt exhausted quickly. People on the cycling boards do talk alot about eating during a ride. But they don't talk as much about recovery food. Or eating before a ride. So, it took time for me to learn those things. I eat before a ride, during a ride and after ride now and it's helped a ton. Not heavy food but I need fuel to do the work I want to do. You clearly are involved in serious training. What are you working on?

[OEXCHAOS]

Hey, guys. Do you eat steel-cut oats? I've recently been buying them for both fiber and food (I love the flavor and will eat them raw in a pinch). I've been amazed at how they "stick with me" for hours. Lots of energy without any bonking. Would that be a good "pre-ride" food? I'll tell you, for a day of physical work, a bit of goetta (pin oats and lean ground pork and beef--google it) has got to be the best food ever. I doubt it would be good for a ride--too much protein, but for less cardio oriented activity, it's pretty darned yummy. Mark