I hope you have been enjoying my posts on all of these foods and what health benefits they all have. Have you guys been trying to implement some of these food items into your life? Today the super foods I wanted to talk about are different kinds of seeds that you should consume and what health benefits they have. They are perfect to sprinkle on your salads, or to make a healthy trail mix out of. They give you a ton of energy without packing on calories, and they are loaded with healthy fats. Let’s begin!
Chia Seeds – These seeds don’t really have a lot of taste to them, and yes if you are wondering, they are the seeds you use to grow your chia pet! Who would have thought these little guys would grow in popularity like they have. These guys are loaded with protein, and full of Omega-3 fatty acids. There is an abundance of minerals as well such as calcium, manganese, and phosphorus. One serving of this seed is an ounce (28.34 grams) and is loaded with a third of your daily intake of fibre. Chia seeds also aid in treating some symptoms of type 2 diabetes and can help increase levels of healthy cholesterol. Throwing these little guys in a protein shake is a popular use, as well as mixing into salads.
Pumpkin Seeds – When choosing to buy these guys, I prefer the unsalted version in bulk. One of my favorite things to do is season them with
olive oil and high quality Himalayan salt and baking them in the oven a perfect snack. Mixing them with dried cranberries makes for a great homemade trail mix! Did you know that most North Americans are severely deficient in Magnesium? This mineral helps to regulate several processes in your body, and just a half cup of pumpkin seeds helps to provide a complete days worth of the stuff! Pumpkin seeds are high in Zinc, which can help with improving your skin, as well as help to fight osteoporosis. These seeds can also help with your prostate, bladder, cholesterol levels and even depression. This delicious seed is a win, so start eating more now!
Sunflower Seeds – These guys are also high in zinc as well as vitamin E, so eat them often to help bring out the natural glow of your skin! Sunflower seeds contain everything from B vitamins, to magnesium, manganese, copper, and even selenium. Having a deficiency in selenium can potentially lead to breast or prostate cancer. Sunflowers were once of the first flowers cultivated in the United States. Make sure to add these seeds into your diet with a salad, healthy granola, or even blended and used as a replacement for flour when breading chicken!
Fennel Seeds – I love using fennel with fish. The licorice smell makes for a great broth for a bouillabaisse, or crust for ahi tuna. There is so
much flavor and you don’t need to add much else to a dish once you have added this seed. It’s health benefits are not unlike other seeds in this list. You should be trying a variety of these seeds on a regular basis, and you don’t even have to consume that much to get the benefits. Fennel seed contains anti-oxidants, and is rich in minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Fennel can also help to ease an upset stomach, as well help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Now don’t go getting all crazy and go consume mass amounts of these guys. When consumed in large enough amounts, fennel could actually be a neuro-toxin, as well as cause complications with pregnancy. A few seeds here or these are fine with your fish or vegetables, but too much of a good thing can be bad. Be careful!
Try out some of these seeds on dishes you create to get the added health benefits your body deserves. If not it could eventually wither away. You don’t want that.
Keep it Fresh!
