Tahini is MY new Peanut-butter!

About a month and a half ago, after the girls started their diets, I started a protein shake regiment. Christine uses Herbalife and Kat uses Body by Vi. I purchased a generic chocolate whey protein powder which I actually found to have more protein per serving than both of those other two products and is cheaper. I love cheap stuff. In the beginning I used one scoop of powder, 6-8 oz. of water and 1 frozen banana. There are people who use peanut butter for added protein and of course flavor but I saw that as a lot of unnecessary fat. Christine found out that bodybuilders and weights enthusiasts use a dehydrated form of peanut butter that is somewhere around 70% less fat (might be higher) and has all the benefits of protein and flavor. I looked for dehydrated peanut butter and the only place that carried it that I could drive to was GNC, I'm assuming it's a specialty product, and it was way tooo expensive for "peanut butter."

I found a solution in substitution and that came in the form of "Tahini." Tahini is sesame seed paste most commonly used in "Hummus." It has many wonderful health benefits and a great nutty flavor. I use a brand that roasts the seeds before they are ground down which has shown to boost the level of calcium per serving and has been proven to be the type of calcium most easily absorbed by the body. There is also a huge difference in "hulled" and "unhulled" sesame seeds. Unhulled sesame seeds are still in the casing and the most healthy of the two. Hulled sesame is obviously seeds no longer in the casing which has been proven to show a major decrease in calcium levels. So to recap use unhulled, roasted or toasted for the highest serving of calcium. Sesame seeds is also a great source of magnesium, copper, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. (reference and information found on http://saveourbones.com/the-power-of-the-sesame-seed/)

Now for added vitamins, overall health and flavor I use 1 Tbs. of roasted Tahini paste in my protein shake every morning. The flavor is great and although it is not peanut butter, it isn't really a comparison, and just tastes awesome! LASTLY, but not least it's GLUTEN FREE.

TRY IT!