Striving4Zen

Seed	Nutrients	Find it	Use it	Factoid
Chia	Phosphorous, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, calcium.	Supplement section; in some granolas.	Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of mild-tasting chia over salads or rice.	This tiny seed — of Chia Pet fame — comes from a Central American plant related to mint.
Flax	Fiber, omega-3s, and lignan — a phytoestrogen that may reduce breast-cancer risk.	Bulk or flour section; in some granolas, energy bars, and chips.	Must be ground to digest. Add 1-2 tablespoons nutty flaxseed to oatmeal, smoothies, or muffin batter.	Also called linseed, flaxseed hails from the same plant used to make linen.
Hemp	Protein; well balanced omega-3s and 6s, which may reduce cancer and heart-disease risk.	Refrigerated section; in some granolas.	Add 1-2 tablespoons of these rich shelled seeds to trail mix, granola, or tabbouleh.	Hemp is the only crop that is illegal to grow in the U.S. but legal to import.
Pumpkin	Phytosterols — plant compounds that help reduce cholesterol.	Bulk or flour section; in some granolas and energy bars.	Toss 1 ounce toasted seeds in salads three times per week.	Also called pepitas, seeds can be dried and roasted at home.

Labels: chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds

4-5 tbsp chia seed
2 cups almond milk
raw honey or agave syrup to taste

Combine the ingredients to your taste. Leave the chia to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming. You can also add other flavors like vanilla, cinnamon or cardamom.

Labels: chia seeds, easy recipe

• What is it? Salba is the trademarked name for the white seeds produced by a variety of Salvia hispanica L. — the same plant of Chia Pet fame.

• What are its health benefits? Gram for gram, Salba contains eight times more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon, 25% more fiber than flaxseed, and six times more calcium than whole milk. Stuffed with protein, antioxidants, and minerals, the seed has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

• How is it different from a chia seed? Although they have a similar shape and size, Salba boasts 35% more protein and 30% more omega-3s than chia seed. Salba also commands a higher price tag.

• What does it taste like? Salba has a bland taste that becomes slightly nutty when baked.

• How do you use it? Grown in Peru, Salba is sold in bags and as an ingredient in prepared foods, such as tortillas, breads, pastas, and chips. The whole seed works well sprinkled on salad or cereal, blended into smoothies, and ground into flour for baking.

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Labels: calcium, chia seeds, eating healthy, health food, nutritious, Omega-3s, Salba

The fat contained in nuts and seeds is almost exclusively unsaturated, with a good mix of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Nuts and seeds typically feature very limited amounts of saturated fat, about 5-15% or less of their total fat content. The proper balance between these types of fats is important, and many people do not get enough of certain types, especially the polyunsaturated omega-3s. Many nuts and seeds-notably walnuts, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds-are rich sources of a type of omega-3 fat called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which belongs to the same family of omega-3 fats as the heart-healthy fats-EPA and DHA-you may have heard about in cold-water fish.

The omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts and seeds may help prevent heart disease and repeat heart attacks in several ways. Omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA, EPA, and DHA are protective fats that have been found to:

• Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels (when elevated, these are both risk factors for heart disease)
• Decrease platelet aggregation, which, when excessive, can cause "sticky" blood that may form artery-blocking blood clots
• Reduce the formation of artery-clogging atherosclerotic plaque
• Reduce inflammation of the blood vessels and therefore improve blood flow
• And, lower blood pressure.

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Labels: ALA, chia seeds, DHA, EPA, healthy diet, healthy fats, hemp seeds, Nuts, Omega-3s, seeds

Seeds are densely packed with many nutrients in order to survive. For example, they are high in fat because fat is the most efficient way for energy to be stored. Seeds are not, however, metabolically active, and they wait until sprouting to begin most of their metabolic activities.

Important antioxidant nutrients, for example, are usually more concentrated at this point in the plant's development than at any other time. Vitamin C, for example, is commonly higher during this sprouting stage than at any later time in the plant's growth processes. Antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD) also become more plentiful during this time, although there remains a large debate about the value of this enzyme inside our digestive tract when raw sprouts are eaten.

There has recently been considerable media coverage on the benefits of broccoli sprouts. According to Dr. Paul Talalay, M.D., J.J. Abel Distinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology at John Hopkins University, three-day-old broccoli sprouts consistently contain 20 to 50 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds found in mature broccoli heads, and may offer a simple, dietary means of chemically reducing cancer risk.

However, not all sprouts are such nutritional superstars. In fact, according to the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter (School of Public Health) V 12, N 1, 10/95:

"Bean sprouts are a good low-calorie way to liven up your salad or sandwich but they're no nutritional giants, particularly since portions are typically small. Even if you eat half a cup of mung bean sprouts, you'll get only 7 mg of Vit C, about one-tenth the daily RDA, plus small amounts of iron and B vitamins. Alfalfa sprouts are the least nutritious."

One benefit of sprouts is that they may be easier to digest. This may be because of some of the conversion of some starch into simple sugars that occurs with the sprouting process.

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Labels: cancer, chia seeds, eating healthy, sprouts

These healthful, edible seeds are a better source of omega-3 fatty acids than flaxseed (the fats protect against inflammation and heart disease). Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family that grows in southern Mexico.

In pre-Columbian times, chia seeds were a component of the Aztec and Mayan diets and the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors; they even played a role in religious ceremonies. Supposedly, 1 tablespoon of the seeds could sustain a person for 24 hours. The Aztecs also used chia medicinally to relieve joint pain and skin conditions.

Unlike flaxseed, chia seeds can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid and don't require grinding (whole flaxseed is tough to digest). Chia provides fiber (about 2 tablespoons--25 g--give you 7 g of fiber) as well as other important nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin, and zinc.

Very few formal studies have looked at chia's benefits, although I expect that more will soon. In a preliminary study from the University of Toronto, researchers fed 21 diabetics either a supplement made from chia or grains with similar fiber content. After 3 months, blood pressure in patients taking chia dropped (10 points diastolic, 5 points systolic) while the grain group's BP remained steady.

You can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, yogurt, or salads; eat a handful of whole seeds as a snack; or grind them up and mix with flour when making muffins or other baked goods.

Or make your own "chia fresca," a drink popular in Mexico and Central America: Stir 2 teaspoons of the seeds into 8 to 10 ounces of water (you'll end up with a slightly gelatinous liquid). Add lime or lemon juice and sugar to taste, and enjoy.

Source

Labels: chia seeds, health food, Omega-3s

We recommend that you vary your choice of seeds in the morning and include types of seeds in your overall meal plan. Both flaxseeds and chia seeds are nutrient rich. They are both known as concentrated sources of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's SR19 Nutrient Database, one ounce of flaxseeds contains about 6.5 grams of ALA while one ounce of chia seeds contains about 5 grams. They are also both rich in dietary fiber: one ounce of flaxseeds contains 7.7 grams while the same amount of chia seeds contains 10.7 grams. Like all seeds, both chia and flax contain significant amounts of minerals, and they also both contain a variety of vitamins as well. Because they are very small seeds that we typically don't eat in large amounts, chia and flax do not provide us with large amounts of protein, even though they do contain a good bit of protein in comparison to their size.
At this point in time, researchers have looked more closely at the nutritional profile of flaxseeds than the profile of chia seeds. For this reason, we know that flaxseeds are concentrated sources of lignan phytonutrients, which have antioxidant and other properties. There have also been a number of animal studies showing clear benefits of flaxseeds (or lignans obtained from flaxseeds) on the health of the prostate gland in male animals and the cardiovascular systems of both males and females. However, the extent of these benefits in humans has been a matter of some debate and some mixed research findings remain in both of these health areas. (It's the extent of the seed benefits that appears unclear in these studies-not the nature of the flaxseeds as a beneficial food). There has not been the same level of research with chia seeds, but we would expect researchers to find unique benefits for these seeds as well.

Labels: ALA, chia seeds, flaxseeds, health food, Omega-3s