super food saturday - chia seeds

here are ten benefits to using chia seed in your life.  chia seeds are:

1. nutritious.  chia seed provides ample calcium and protein to your tissues.  the seeds are also rich in boron, which helps the body assimilate and use calcium.  the nutrients also support proper brain functioning.

2. water loving.  the seed can soak up ten times its weight in water.  do this fun experiment.  put one tablespoon of chia seed in a cup of water and stir.  wait a few hours and see what happens.  when inside your body, the seeds help you stay hydrated longer, and retain electrolytes in your bodily fluids.

3.  easily digestible.  the shells are easily broken down, even when swallowed whole.  this is an improvement over flax seed, which have to be ground up to be digested properly.  if you eat flax seed whole, it will just pass through.

4.  Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet.  Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.

great comparisons for chia seeds

5. mild tasting.  unlike some seeds, the flavor is very mild.  the mild taste makes it easy to put in sauces, smoothies, breads, puddings, and whatever you want.  they won't really change the taste, but will add to your nutrition!

6. energy enhancing.  the health pioneer paul bragg did an experiment an endurance hike with friends.  they divided up into a chia-eating group and another group, who ate whatever they wanted.  the group eating only chia seeds finished the hike four hours, twenty seven minutes before the others, most of whom didn't even finish at all.

7. versatile.  the seeds can be used to replace less-healthy fat in just about any recipe.  you can use them uncooked in salad dressings, spreads, fruit shakes, ice cream, and just about anything you want.  you can also add them to cookies, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods.  i usually just mix in a couple of teaspoons to my juice or water and drink them down!

8. slimming and trimming.  yes, the seeds will help you lose weight, for two reasons.  the first reason is that they are so filling that you will eat less of other foods.  the second reason is that they actually bulk up and cleanse your body of old "junk" in your intestines. 

9. endurance enhancing.  chia seeds are known as the "indian running food".  also, the ancient aztec warriors used chia seed during their conquests.  i'm a runner, and i've used chia seed to enhance stamina and endurance on my mountain runs, some of which are several hours long!

10. regenerating.  after eating, the nutrients travel to the cells very quickly due to the ease in digestion and assimilation.  use them when you want to build or regenerate healthy body tissue.

we all know if we eat a better diet we will be healthier.  the problem with this statement is most of us can not find the time and or resources to buy and prepare all of these good foods and add them into our diet everyday.  high quality chia seeds are a complete raw food that can be used as a meal replacement and or added for it’s chia nutritional value to our diet.  see the chart above for great comparisons.

i also incorporate chia seeds into my cooking, and in the morning to my smoothies.  It is a great thickening agent as well, a lot of vegan chefs use chia seeds in place of eggs.

why not give chia a try.  you can pick up a small bag from your local supermarket (ie. coles and woolies)

hope your having a healthy saturday!

NK xx

super food saturday - noni juice the magical elixir

i'm pretty sure that we have all heard super model miranda kerr talking about how much she loves using this powerful juice in her daily life, from putting it on problem areas on her skin to drinking a small amount daily.

i found that i can purchase noni juice from my local health food store, and i'm definitely intrigued and want to know more about this juice from Asia before i head out and buy some, as it is quite expensive.  can the juice from one fruit really have all theses healing benefits, lets find out.


here are some of noni juice benefits that are backed up by recent researches and studies:
(you know that i haven't come up with this stuff on my own, check out the full article at http://www.nonijuicebenefits.com/)

reduces cholesterol and triglycerides

a research by university of illinois college published in the aha journal revealed that cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced when the smokers were asked to drink noni juice for a month. an improvement in the blood lipid profiles were observed specifically reduced cholesterol by as much as 22%, triglycerides by as much as 54%, and hdl increased by as much as 16%.

boosts energy

there has been a conclusive research that noni has improved the ability of the body to perform physical activities and has increased the energy level of people using them. this may be attributed to the fact that polynesians used noni to energized themselves and prevent fatigue. research conducted on 40 athletes by the moscow scientific and practical center of sports medicine and published in journal of medicinal plants research found an increased endurance by 21% and increased antioxidant activity by 25% after testing them for three weeks.

prevents parasitic infections

the leaves and roots of noni fruit revealed in a study can suppress the growth of infections caused by parasites. the use of noni fruit can be traced to traditional folk medicines and folk people used them to cure parasitic infections.

relieves pain and provides sedative effects

extracts from the noni roots have shown sedative effects in a study with mice. a 1990 study, according to university of pittsburgh medical center has found out that it has analgesic and sedative component damnacanthal. thus it is recommended for use to treat menstrual cramps and other pains.in addition, noni fruit juices were found to increase joint health and mobility. the juice can help prevent bone problems like arthritis and other skeletal disorders. noni has xeronine and kb-c ingredients which aid in minimizing pain and swelling, relieving inflammatory conditions, and fortifying weak bones and ligaments.

prevents serious illnesses

in the june 2008 journal of plant foods for human nutrition, a study on noni and liver damage revealed that rats treated with noni juice have showed lesser possibility of liver damage. other studies that were conducted in this light showed that noni has protective quality to people who have healthy livers. this may also be true with other degenerative diseases. if noni is taken before the onset of any serious disorder, then well-being is assured.

inhibits growth of cancer cells

a study conducted on mice with lung cancer as subjects, the noni tree was found to contain a polysaccharide-rich substance, the noni-ppt. this investigation in 2003 concluded that noni tree has an inhibiting property for the growth of new cancer in man’s tissues.

a recent study using human subjects by the tianjin medical university was similarly conducted and the result was published in the journal, chinese medical research & clinical. the study showed an increased adaptive immune system activity by 32% and innate immune system activity by 30%. noni juice also decreased oxidative stress in the body by 19%.

in december 2001, the annals of the new york academy of sciences said that the antioxidant content of noni juice has reduced the formation of cancer cells in the body. also, they conducted in vitro setup and used animals as subjects. the memorial sloan-kettering cancer center in new york supported the previous findings by showing that the noni extract exhibits anti-tumor features. thus, it is believed to reduce or even cure cancer.

use for healthy skin and hair

some people have been using noni juice to beautify their skin and to cure some skin disorders like acne. this can be attributed to the high vitamin c contents of the fruit. another noni juice benefit is the prevention of hair loss. the extract of noni fruits can reduce the amount of hair loss in men and can help in rejuvenating hair follicles especially after chemotherapy.

helps with digestion

because the noni fruit are high in fiber, it is  good remedy for constipation because of its laxative effect. noni is also good for relieving stomach aches, and other digestive problems.

i'm pretty convinced, and i am going to buy a bottle on monday.  i'll keep track of how it makes me feel and let you know how it goes first hand.

hope you have a super saturday.

NK x

super food saturday - raw cacao

welcome to superfood saturday.  

every saturday i will explore a new superfood and tell you as much about it as possible so that you can make your own mind up about adding it to your own diet.

cacao powder

today's superfood that i'm exploring is cacao. i have been using cacao in my food quite a bit lately.  it's really been satisfying my chocolate cravings, but that's not all its been doing, unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao.  the antioxidants found in raw, unheated cacao include the following:

• proanthocyanidins have antioxidant activity and they play a role in the stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin – two critical proteins in connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle.  the cacao plant has the highest traces of this powerful antioxidant.
• reservatrol – studies show that it helps lower blood sugar levels, it can help fight against skin cancer and also has anti aging properties.
• polyphenols: catechin and epicatechin – which studies show, among other things, that it may have antibacterial activity useful to combat tooth decay.
• phenethylamine - pea, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!
• omega 6 fatty acids - which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation
• tryptophan - a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food
• serotonin – which helps with intestinal movement
• as well as the preservation of vitamin c
• magnesium - relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system.

so it actually turns out that all the bad things that are commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and other fillers added to the dark chocolate.

cacao bean in a cacao pod

the above health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, powder.  i have bought organic cacao powder and have used it quite a bit in my cooking and added to smoothies.  also try to choose organic when buying.  there are fairtrade cocoa producer groups in belize, bolivia, cameroon, costa rica, dominican republic, ecuador, ghana, haiti, india, côte d'ivoire, nicaragua, panama, peru, sierra leone and sao tome & principe so try to buy your cacao from those countries.

so i hope you add this super food to you diets.  its a guilt free pleasure to start the new year with.

enjoy

NK x