"Like Butter"

Sunday afternoon, as a guest, I sat down to a friend's lunch offering.  Lucky me, as this dear friend knows my food struggles and made sure that not only was I eating a nutritious meal, but also one of correct portion size and good taste.  Living by example, and in good conscience, she made sure there was no salt shaker on the table. But, there was one exception to her ban on condiments - butter.

When I think about butter, I reflect upon its use by that great cook who opened the television doors for every chef in America - Julia Child.  She always said, "With enough butter, anything is good."  I believe her.  And then, of course, there's Paula Deen, who also uses a lot of butter in her recipes.  One of her famous butter quotes goes like this: "... what the heck, I think I'll put a tablespoon of butter in it, just 'cause I saw the butter sitting back here!"  The argument for both Julia and Paula's "butter beliefs" is simple. We all know how much better food tastes with ... butter.

So, as I looked at my potatoes, corn, broccoli, peas and carrots, I knew the only thing I wanted to add to that delicious combination was, of course, butter.  And, that's when the internal argument started.  It was not about "Yes," or "No," but, in fact, "How much?"   As that burning question literally melted in my pea-sized brain, I began to weigh everything I'd ever heard about the health benefits of butter.

And now, I'll share some of those same reminders with you.  Did you know that butter contributes less fat to blood composition than olive oil, flaxseed oil, or canola oil?  Now, mind you, I'm talking about real-old-fashioned-honest-to-goodness butter - not margarine.  Cholesterol levels are raised by elevated blood fat levels - leading to the increased risk for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart attack.  Twenty per cent of the fat in butter consists of short and medium levels of fatty acids which are converted directly to energy - and are used in a relatively short period of time.  Here are a few other butter facts that also might interest you:   When butter is raw - not pasteurized - it protects your body against cataracts, hardening of the arteries, and arthritis - through an anti-stiffness property called the Wulzen factor.

Butter also contains conjugated linoleic acids (a/k/a CLA) , which help to protect the body against cancer and strengthen the immune system. In addition to this,  it's also rich in Iodine, Vitamins  A and E, anti-oxidants, and Selenium - which is essential to healthy thyroid function.   There are several benefits of this wonderful condiment, but

here's one I like in particular:  Butter is known to give a feeling of satiety which is pretty important in the world of over-eating, night-eating, and binge-eating.  In short, it gives us the feeling that we've eaten enough to be "full."

So, in answer to the question of "How much?" I'll give you this little tidbit of information:  One tablespoon of butter contains 100 calories.  Now that you have all of this information, it's up to you to find the balance of enjoying the benefits and pleasing taste of butter vs. how much longer you'll need to stay on the treadmill, increase the intensity of your exercise routine, or just how much of it you want to include in your diet.

For me, the process of making this decision could best be described as well, ... "like butter."  How about you?
Copyright © 1/1/2015 -      , CB, Bed Warrior