Chia Seeds - What they are and how to incorporate them into your life

Superfood seeds are a big buzz right now, but what are they and what are we supposed to do with them? 
Here's some information on Chia Seed - one of the healthiest for you... and how to incorporate them into your diet (and even your kid's). I'll post more about Hemp and Flax soon so stay tuned! 


Chia Seed
Chia, literally means "strength" in Mayan and can be traced back over 3,000 years to Central America where the Aztecs utilized it as one of their primary plant sources of food, notably their third most important crop next to corn and beans. Chia was considered more valuable than gold and was often used to pay taxes and tribute to the Aztec nobility.

• Very high concentration of essential fatty acids (EFAs) - up to 4x the concentration of other grains. These are important for organ function. The body doesn't make this itself and therefore you must obtain EFAs from your diet.
• Very high Omega-3 content. Contains 64% of ALA (Alpha linolenic acid)
• 5 times the calcium of milk! 
• High in complete protein - 23% per seed. Contains all essential amino acids - making it a complete protein. 
• Packed with essential vitamins and trace minerals
• High in antioxidents - contains chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and flavanol glycosides. Protects against cancer and heart disease, and helps slow the aging process
• High in fiber. Eating a high fiber diet (accompanied with lots of water) helps eliminate toxins, lose weight, regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol and feel less bloated. 
• Long shelf life - store at room temp.

You can buy Chia Seeds at most grocery stores, including Whole Foods. You can also order online from Bob's Red Mill or Amazon.com

Wondering how to incorporate them into your diet? Try sprinkling in your smoothies, yogurt, salads and baked goods. It can also be used as an egg replacer.

Check out these complete meal smoothies with oatmeal and chia seed from The Yummy Life.

Or these Chia Seed pancakes from Shape Magazine.

Here's a chocolate Chia pudding! (vegan)

I'd love to hear from you if you eat Chia regularly and have experienced the benefits! 
Happy health!







Learn more about Chia here at Natural News.com 

Omega 3's - More Important Than You Think.

Most people are deficient in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. This is a problem because they are essential for brain and nervous system function, and they also prevent disease. 


Here's a short run down on why you should consider taking Omega 3 Fatty Acids.


Omega 3's help fight, prevent and even reverse inflammation in the body.

• Inflammation has been shown to be at the root of chronic disease including asthma, autoimmune disease, allergies, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's. 
• Classic inflammation is that which you can see - redness, soreness, etc. Silent inflammation can be deadly.

What is silent inflammation? 

• Inflammation at the cellular level 
• Inflammation without pain
• Origin of chronic disease

Nutrition plays a major part in how the body reacts to disease, stressors and inflammation.


What foods increase inflammation?
- refined, processed carbs (including excess sugar)
- decreased Omega 3's
- increase in vegetable oil intake

High doses of highly refined Omega 3 fatty acids, coupled with a low inflammation diet (clean whole foods diet, or Zone Diet), have been shown to reverse the symptoms of ADHD and Alzheimer's, according to Dr. Barry Sears.
Check out this article about fish oils and ADHD.


It's important to take a highly refined Omega 3 fatty acid.
Certain manufacturers highly refine the fish oil to make sure it is free from toxins including mercury. You can check out this website to cross check your brand of Omega's. www.ifosprogram.com. 


*Nordic Naturals is a trusted, highly refined brand. You can buy them at most health food stores, or online at Vitacost or Amazon. 


Dr. Sears advises those who take other medications such as Synthroid and insulin, that their dosages may change (meaning, the Omega's are helping!), and to work with your doctor to adjust them.


If you have any questions about the effects of Omega 3's with your medications, please contact your doctor.
Here's another great article on disease and inflammation from Dr. Mark Hyman.


Happy health!


For more information about Omegas or to set up a free health consultation, please email me at theplantbasedhealthcoach@gmail.com




Sources:
Dr. Barry Sears, Zone Diet
Dr. Mark Hyman

Dr. Mark Hyman Shares Information on Nutrition, Toxins and Vitamins

Very interesting interview with natural MD, Dr. Mark Hyman. Definitely worth reading.
Click here to read: Dr. Mark Hyman Shares Information on Nutrition, Toxins and Vitamins

Dr. Hyman heals thousands of people with integrative medicine, using nutrition as a major modality to do so. He recommends eating a 90% plant based diet.
He tells us that most are a vitamin deficient society - largely in magnesium, omega 3 and B vitamins.

*Reminder: Hemp seeds contain 48% of your daily intake of magnesium plus 3 grams of Omega 3's. Hemp is an easy way to get in two of these nutrients. Hemp also has 23% of your daily intake of zinc (crucial for male fertility) and 11 grams of protein. It's an amazing super food.

Order Hemp Seeds at Amazon.com here

For more info on Dr. Hyman visit his page at http://drhyman.com/

Happy health!

Here's the beginning of the article, but please click on the above link for its entirety.

_______________________

(NaturalNews) This interview is an excerpt from Kevin Gianni's The Healthiest Year of Your Life Program which can be found at (http://www.thehealthiestyearofyourlife.com) . In this excerpt, Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. weighs in on nutrition, toxins and finding the right vitamins.

The Healthiest Year of Your Life Excerpt with Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D., a best-selling author, a respected medical consultant and a leader in the field of functional medicine.

Kevin:Let's talk a little bit about the raw food and vegan diet and how it fits into this type of functional medicine.

Mark:Sure. I think everybody is different and I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all diet. Some people thrive on a vegetarian diet. Other people are extraordinarily sick on a vegan or vegetarian diet. I've had many patients on raw foods and vegan diets who are extraordinarily malnourished. Then I've seen people who manage it quite well.

I think you have to look at what's right for each person. So I don't think that any general recommendations are helpful. I also think it depends on where you live. If you're living in Manitoba, a raw food diet is probably not the best thing. If you're living on the island in Fiji, you probably could thrive on a raw food diet. It's also "think locally, eat locally". I think it's a very important thing. What's local? What's native to your area? What's going on with your own biology and genetics and body. I think you have to be careful if you're doing a raw food, or vegan diet. It's easy to become malnourished and you have to supplement, I believe, with nutrients and really be smart about it.

Kevin:Anything specific?

Mark:What I would say is that probably 90% of your diet should be a plant-based diet. Whether it's cooked or uncooked, I think Michael Pollan said, "Eat food, meaning real food." Not too much and mostly plants. Plant foods have all the phytochemicals and nutrients and things that your body needs to thrive and without them you don't. The phytochemicals that are from colorful fruits and vegetables in plant foods that are essential for life.

Kevin:What are some of the most potent toxins that you encounter?

Mark:I would say probably without a doubt, the most serious threat to our health in terms of toxins is mercury. It's something I see and treat every day that affects, I would say, the majority of my patients in one way or another. It's important to identify. It's mostly ignored and it's relatively easy and safe to treat.


Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/023392_food_diet_health.html#ixzz1t43zJgPn