Why you eat too much peanut butter

Peanut butter -- the nostalgic food from our youth we delightfully spread on bananas, celery, apples, toast, and paired with

chocolate for a real treat. Why is it that some foods from our younger years, we give little thought to, and others have some kind of strange power over us into adulthood? Peanut butter seems to be one of those foods for a lot of people. And lamenting over having eaten a bit too much by the spoonful is surprisingly common (at least in my profession working with clients). So why peanut butter?

After working with client close to 17 years, I've tracked some recurring themes.

Why you ate too much peanut butter

1. You consider it a health food: Unless you have a peanut allergy, peanut butter offers monounsaturated fat (similar to olive oil), stabilizes blood sugar, offers a bit of plant protein (several grams per 2 TBS serving), and contains nutrients like vitamin E, magnesium, niacin, potassium, and folate. People who are health-driven often view peanut butter as "not as bad" to overeat as, say, candy or cookies.

   
   

2. It's feels "carb-like" but not a carb: Creamy peanut butter has a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture - the same sensory profile the brain associates with foods like ice cream, frosting, mashed potatoes, bread with butter...comfort foods. Some health conscious people try to be mindful of their intake of processed carbs. Though women that fearfully try and avoid carbohydrates may have cravings for carbohydrates. Instead of finding ways to mindfully incorporate carbs into thier diet and reduce their fears, they over rely on high-calorie peanut butter and overeat it.

   
   

3. It's associative: Peanut butter has roots that often stretch back into our childhood, like I'd mentioned. It can simply be a comfort food for some women. When a woman uncovers the deeper comfort she is longing for when she eats spoonfuls of peanut butter, overeating peanut butter is often reduced.

   
   

4. You're under-eating: Many, many women carry a sometimes spoken and sometimes unspoken burden around their body and body weight and are perpetually trying to lose weight. One of the most common strategies women use to try and lose weight is eating less or trying to omit foods they believe will contribute to weight gain. (These foods can oddly change from year to year, depending on a women's reliance on wellness influencers for nutritional information). Any women that is under-eating will eventually feel ravenous. I joke that its nearly a Law of the Universe. If she is still trying to be "health-conscious," she might reach for peanut butter which offers a good deal of caloric energy but isn't as triggering to her as eating a loaf of bread, but still overeat it or binge on it as her hungry body tries to make up for the deprivation of food.

   
   

5. You're unconsciously grounding yourself: Some of us have sensitive nervous systems or are going through periods of upheaval or change. Peanut butter interestingly, according to the mystical and chakra-informed, Anodea Judith, PhD, is a first chakra food, as these foods tend to be dense, earthy, comforting, sustaining, and high-calorie or slow-digesting. The nervous system can get a feeling of safety, grounding, and "having enough." You might give consideration to the times and the conditions surrounding a peanut butter bender. What was going on that week? That day? What was the state of your nervous system?

   
   

Cravings as Messengers

I encourage my clients to consider there cravings as thier body's and psyche's smart solution to SOMETHING. No unwanted eating habit is without positive intent. That's why working with our diet and be so powerfully and personally transformative. Not only do you learn how to take exceptional care of your body but you learn approach eating honestly, with love and wisdom.

Are you ready to explore?

(Reach out to Laura here to inquiry about one-on-one support and/or her 3-month Eating Psychology Case Study Program: Heal Your Eating)

With love & respect,

Laura