I attend school at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and a lady in my class is responsible for what inspired me to create this amazing dish of popcorn. She used all natural peanut butter instead of almond butter, but since changing over to almond butter, I enjoy the taste a lot more and there is less likely of a chance of causing an allergy. Although, if you enjoy peanut butter more that is perfectly fine it will still taste great :).

Ingredients 

• Coconut oil
• Almond butter
• Popcorn
• Sea salt

Instructions

• Cook 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels in 1 tbs of coconut oil
• Cook at a medium heat, because coconut oil should not be heated at too high of a temperature since it changes the compounds in the coconut oil
• Melt 1 tbs of coconut oil and 1 tbs of almond butter together
• Drizzle the coconut oil and almond butter mixture over the popcorn
• Add sea salt for taste

I used Kirkland’s brand from Costco for both the almond butter and coconut oil. Coconut oil contains healthy saturated fats which improves the quality of LDL cholesterol, while also raising HDL cholesterol. LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins) and HDL (High-Density Lipoproteins) are the two ways cholesterol is transported throughout the body. Most of the cholesterol is carried in the body by LDL. LDL takes cholesterol from the liver and transports it back into the body which tends to form deposits in the arteries and blocking them (eg. atherosclerosis). This is known as the “bad cholesterol”. Now, although this is true, we need both LDL and HDL in our bodies to function properly. It really comes down to the size of LDL and the damage it can do on the body. The bigger the size, the less damage it does, the smaller the size, the more damage it does. Coconut oil increases the size of LDL which tends to have positive effects on our health. HDL on the other hand is known as the “good cholesterol”. HDL takes cholesterol out of the body and transports it to the liver to be excreted. By increasing HDL, it helps lower the risk of heart disease and boost heart health.

FUN FACT: HDL cholesterol is also increased through exercise!! Another reason why exercise is so important:)

Cholesterol gets a bad rep, because of all the health issues that have been tied to it, but it actually has a number of unique roles it plays and is essential for life. The liver needs cholesterol to convert into bile in order to process and digest fats efficiently. Typically, dietary intake of cholesterol only meets 25-35% of ones requirement, so the liver will actually make the rest of the cholesterol on its own. Cholesterol is required to make the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain, which is very important in sustaining a healthy nervous system. As well, when your outside in the summer soaking up all the sunshine, cholesterol is needed to be converted in Vitamin D.

Other benefits of cholesterol:

• Lowers insulin levels
• Antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral benefits
• Highly anti-inflammatory
• Key building block for hormone production (eg. testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol)
• Without it you would die

FUN FACT: I know some might also be concerned about the high calorie intake with coconut oil, but once coconut oil is digested and taken in throughout the body, the amount of calories left behind is quite minimal.

Lastly, almond butter is full of healthy fats and fiber, which improves blood cholesterol levels, provides sustained energy for the body to use and simply just tastes amazing. Sometimes I will make healthy oatmeal waffles and smear some almond butter over the waffles and then add a tiny bit of natural maple syrup for sweetener. The almond butter mimics the taste of chocolate to me.

xo

Mindful Harts.