Trying The Almond Butter Tonight

[PaulaO2]

Almond butter should really just be ground up almonds. There should not be any added sweetener unless it is flavored.

I did a Google search and went to a cooking website where someone had a recipe. She roasted them then put in food processor and ground until they turned to mush. Took her 13-15 minutes of solid grinding to get the butter texture. It starts as a dust then clumps then finally is a butter. She ended by saying you can add other nuts but didn't say when she added them (as in before grinding or combined the two later).

Her mix she used 4-6oz of almonds and roasted them in oven.

Another cook says all she adds is salt sometimes.

At most health food stores, they have machines that grinds and dispenses nut butters.

I don't understand the sugar thing, though. If your sugar is dropping so low at night that it is waking you up, this is definitely something to discuss with your doctor as well as a registered dietician. It would be interesting to use a meter and test your blood sugar when you go to bed and each time you wake up.

If it is just something for your body to digest as you sleep, I still don't understand why almond butter is better than any other high protein nut or food.

But then, I'm not a fan of Dr. Oz.

[zonk]

Zonk--whaddup with the peanut butter? I think weez talkin' 'bout almond butter--big difference. Almond butter is way more healthier (I think).

I think if one make own peanut/almond butter per Paula method is fine but the commercial variety of peanut butter contain hydrogenated oil (margarine) which chemically modified to make it stable which imo real butter is better and more healthy food.
I like roasted almond and almond meal cake which goes very nicely with a cup of tea but haven,t tried almond butter

[Schnauzers 5]

I doubt my blood sugar is dropping low as it is high when I finally get up for the day. Around glucose of 106 to 116 depending on night befores' food. My sister has perfect glucose ( not Diabetic, nor I yet) so who knows why. I do think food related however. I don't assimilate fat well. So next the cherry juice. Sometimes I do very well sleeping 7 hrs and would sleep longer if the pooch didn't wake me up for breakfast. The health food dept guy said you can grind your own almonds but some oil is necessary. I know peanut butter when ground up needs no oils and makes its' own. Roasted is not the one to use for bedtime as they had varieties in diffferent areas of the store. This is unsalted and costs more than honey roasted. Maybe they all work, I dunno. I chose raw unsalted cuz salt is a problem for me. I also use 5-HTP and melatonin converted to triptophan which is I think the 5 HTP. Two before bed helps some nights. Last night was a wake sleep, wake one again. I might try the banana smoothy but not milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Don't like cows'milk. I might have a frozen banana in the freezer. I just want something that really works naturally asap. BTW I do not think almonds are oily like peanuts are. Not so sure I agree w/ Oz all the time cuz he recommends PB and J sandwiches too and says good for ya. I think if not on the bad ol Wonder bread they don't taste that great. And only grape jelly will do. I also can't sleep on an empty tummy.

[PaulaO2]

116 fasting glucose is on the high side, but only slightly. The best time to test your glucose (for non diabetics) is first thing in the morning and about four hours after your biggest meal of the day.

The sites I looked at the morning, no one was adding oil to make the almond butter. I was surprised. The first lady had pics of first it was this dust that you had to keep stopping the machine and scraping off the sides. Then it was this crumbly mix, then it was butter-fied or whatever.

Fat slows down digestion which slows down the breaking down of the food into glucose which can be bad or good, depending on the food and the source of the fat. The further a food is from glucose the longer it takes to digest and the slower the glucose is released into your system. Which is probably the reasoning behind eating something like almond butter before sleeping.

Have you talked to your doc about this sleeping issue?

If food is your problem, when is your biggest meal? Ideally, it should be breakfast but most humans are backwards on this. I do best if I have a big breakfast followed by 3 small snack/meals and a "sensible" dinner. But then, my issue is going to sleep in the first place! If I can get to sleep, I last 6-12hrs in zzzzzzz land.

[Schnauzers 5]

Well low blood sugar must not be my problem because last night I got to sleep around 12:30 Am despite being sleepy at 8PM. I woke five hours later and then went back to sleep and woke around 7:30 to a barking dog. I would sleep longer if not for outside noises. I used a measuring spoon and ate just the almond butter. Two heaping TBS. It is probably full of calories too: like 120 a TBS! Also I do take glucose test upon waking but 12 hrs fasting is best. If I don't sleep 8 and it is only five, maybe 116 isn't so bad. Next the banana smoothy. And or cherry juice. When I was in my twenties I could sleep many hours in a row.

[Jenny]

I think why he suggested almond and not peanut butter, is because probably almonds have some magical sleepative (made-up word, but couldn't think of something better) property that peanuts do not--I'm sure there's something special about almonds. Also, I think the low blood sugar property is probably meant to apply to everyone in some "generic" way, according to the specific online article. I don't think he was thinking about people with serious problems with blood sugar. Also, not having sleep, in my case, rules out everything else that people might find problematic, like a food having too many calories, or, on another level, like people who complain about dental appliances causing them to drool too much (I am using a dental device in addition to the CPAP in addition to a huge, wide white chinstrap, and I probably scoop out a bucket of drool in the morning and it is nasty). I feel like I have every conceivable device strapped to my head at night right now. If I were to post a picture of myself with all these devices strapped to my head as my avatar, someone would probably need therapy. I am just one desperate woman looking for peace in body first, which will lead to peace of mind hopefully (never can tell). I think I would live in a van down by the river wearing camel skins, eating grasshoppers and honey all by my lonesome if it brought me sleep. I have experienced such horrible, major suffering the majority of my life that it's now no holds barred. These are just my stupid ramblings, not meant to appear any better than anyone else's thoughts--just my stream of thinking in Crazytown probably.:grin:

[PaulaO2]

Fasting does not equal sleeping although in terms of blood sugar (and blood pressure) readings when first awake and before you move very far is good.

That's a lot of calories to go to sleep on. Calories with nothing better to do than turn into fat.

[Schnauzers 5]

Well low blood sugar must not be my problem because last night I got to sleep around 12:30 Am despite being sleepy at 8PM. I woke five hours later and then went back to sleep and woke around 7:30 to a barking dog. I would sleep longer if not for outside noises. I used a measuring spoon and ate just the almond butter. Two heaping TBS. It is probably full of calories too: like 120 a TBS! Also I do take glucose test upon waking but 12 hrs fasting is best. If I don't sleep 8 and it is only five, maybe 116 isn't so bad. Next the banana smoothy. And or cherry juice. When I was in my twenties I could sleep many hours in a row.

When having an A1c glucose test they say fast 8-12 hrs for this blood test. I was saying to check my glucose after only 5 to seven hrs of sleep may not be a long enough fast time for accurate AM glucose test. I sure don't need more fat, so maybe I should slather the stuff on my face instead, lol. No, it is not a face cream it is a food only.

[PaulaO2]

Reminds me I need to have my A1c checked. Should've had it done the other day when I went in for something else. Silly P.

[Schnauzers 5]

Last night no almond butter or any special food. I took two 5 HTPs and slept straight thru seven hrs til my dog woke me up. I will never get more than eight if I get eight, because my dog wakes me up. It would have to stay very quiet for many hours. LOL