Ever asked yourself this question, “Why am I Craving nut butter?”  Then here is the science behind it!

Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of an almond butter jar, scraping out the sides like it was the last food left on planet Earth then suddenly think “What the hell just happened? I bought that jar three days ago.”

I speak from a place of experience. As a self-professed nut-butter addict (give me fats or give me death), I always felt guilty about why I could exhibit a sense of control around every other food except nut (and seed) butters. Like seriously? Why are ground-up nuts so addicting?!

Through Instagram, I learned I was not the only one whose blood was actually almond butter.

I decided to do some research about WHY this sticky-sweet concoction was so universally craved by nearly everyone who crossed its path (show me someone that doesn’t like almond, peanut, sunflower seed, or coconut butter and you’re showing me a crazy person.)

Turns out, our brain WANTS us eating this stuff!

The big man up there is made up of 70% fat and needs it as a constant source for fuel. That’s why when we get a little taste of the creamy stuff our brain says “Oh hold up. That shit’s nice.. I need more of dat.” (in that exact voice.. at least my brain.)

Instead of being mad at our brain for tricking us into thinking a jar of tahini was totally necessary for that salad, we should actually thank it. You see, our brain has our back. It knows that healthy fats (such as nuts, seeds and plant-based oils), contain lots of good stuff—omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids (which are essential to life) and vitamins A, E and K (which are essential for energy).

Fats get your juices flowing- by that, I mean they help your body produce hormones so you can get freaky on the dance floor (and have babies, a balanced thyroid, and metabolism.) Fats hold you together. They are literally the glue that holds the body in-place by strengthening cell membranes and protecting myelin sheaths that surround your nerve endings.

So basically nut-butter is the glue that holds your body together, which is why you can’t stop eating it (ain’t no shame!)

You see, it all stems down to evolution (like dating, psychology, beauty and everything else in life.) Our bodies were hard-wired to crave fats because they give us energy for much longer than measly carbs, which we burn right through. You may think a piece of bread will fill you up, but it’s actually going to leave you hungry in about two hours. The body takes way longer to burn the calories found in fats (think 4-6 hours, instead of 2), keeping us satiated for longer. Fats also stabilize our blood sugar levels, keeping us from wanting to punch someone in the face when lunch is late because we are so hangry (hi Pittas!)

I’m gonna make a statement that you probably agree with if you are reading this fat but FATS get us HIGH… off our own supply! Have you ever eaten an almond-butter cup and literally had a “Praise to Jesus hallelujah!” moment. It’s because fats contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid the brain needs to produce serotonin, the feel-good hormone.

So yes, you are totally right when you say nut-butter is crack because it’s kind of doing the same thing to your brain, except you won’t look like Lindsay Lohan in a few years. Think J.Lo instead. (and she’s known to follow a high-fat, low-carb diet.)

In a nut-shell (no pun intended), fats are our life support. They help us survive on these mean streets called planet Earth where donuts and bagels try to get in our faces. Fats help us keep it together. Without them, we’d basically break up into little particles and disintegrate (lol but not jk.. you’ve seen people who look like they need more fats in their lives and you know exactly what I mean.)

It isn’t just nut-butter that’s chock full of that good ish. In fact, there are LOTS of healthy sources of plant-based fats out there, from seeds to oils.

 

Sahara’s Phat Sources of Fat Include:

• Flax, hemp and chia seeds
• Coconut oil, butter, meat and yogurt
• Olive, avocado, grapeseed, flax oil
• Sunflower, pumpkin, sesame seeds and their buttahs
• Almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistacchios and their buttahs
• Cacao and coconut butter
• Fish
• Marine collagen and beauty waters from Vital Proteins

Fats help our bodies go into ketosis, which is when it runs off fat instead of glucose (sugar.) When you are in ketosis, you can tap into the ample energy reserves you already have on your body (most of us are carrying a little too much energy on us) and our brains absolutely love it because they’re being fed an all-you-can-eat-buffet of fuel.

Ketosis has been found to heal epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, hormonal imbalance, diabetes, and even cancer tumors. This is why it’s really important to make sure you are getting your fats in because it’s actually crucial for your long-term health.

 

Signs that you are low in healthy fats:

• Your brain is foggy
• You crave sugar all the time
• You have Candida overgrowth (too much yeast in your system causing digestive issues, lethargy, infections and more)
• Your skin looks dull
• You have bags under your eyes
• Your body stores extra fat, especially around the mid-section, which you can’t get rid of
• You need caffeine just to function
• Facing trouble sleeping soundly
• You are dependent on food for energy

 

If this sounds like I’m reading your resume, then you need more FAT in yo life!

 

A high-fat, low-carb diet is called a Ketogenic Diet. Our brain and bodies operate more efficiently when they are fed ketones, which is why you feel so good eating fats and actually crave them. While following a vegan diet with lots of grains and starchy vegetables, I began gaining weight and experiencing digestive issues because I was essentially just running off sugar.

 

Benefits of switching to a high-fat, low-carb diet

I have experienced many benefits By switching to a high-fat, low-carb diet and including a Ketogenic Supplement called Keto-OS into my diet. It has:

• Increased my energy levels
• Helped me reduce body fat in my mid-section (something I have struggled with for years)
• Helped me increase my muscle mass without lifting heavy weights (I do barre, pilates, and dance)
• Totally eliminate any sugar cravings (even natural sugars like honey, maple, agave, and high-sugar fruits like banana, mangoes, and dates.. and I’m around them making raw vegan desserts ALL day)
• Reduced my risks for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, inflammatory-related diseases, among others

I’m hosting a special Five Day Experience Pack with them so you can try it for yourself before you buy it and see how it feels on your mind and body. It comes in chocolate and maui punch flavors and is vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free.  I recommend taking the uncaffeinated one so your body is running off ketones instead of caffeine, so all of the packs are decaffeinated.

If you choose to get the product through me (eatfeelfresh), I’m offering a free vegan ketogenic meal-plan to help you make the most of your ketosis.

All recipes will be super simple to make with ingredients readily available in your supermarket (or Amazon), allowing you to transition to a low-carb, high-fat diet without any issue.

And of course, nut-butter crack is totally acceptable. I’m even going to teach you to make cookies out of it with no added flour, sugar or dairy (yes dreams really do come true.)

 

Have questions and want to read more about the research and ingredients of the product?

Read About My Experience on a Plant-Based Ketogenic Diet

Learn More About The Product Here

Listen to Dr. D’Agastino’s Interviews about the Benefits of Ketosis on BulletProof Here and Tim Ferris Here

Read about Research on Exogenous Ketones Here