Posts Tagged ‘pumpkin seeds’
Pumpkin Seeds are Alkalizing
Pumpkin seeds are so good that I add them to many of my meals. The bonus nutrient value is that they are the only seed that is alkaline forming.
Did You Know?
- Pumpkin seeds were discovered by archaeologists in caves in Mexico that date back to 7,000 B.C.
- The nutrition in pumpkin seeds improves with age; they are among the few foods that increase in nutritive value as they decompose. According to tests made at the Massachusetts Experimental Station, squash and pumpkin Seeds stored for more than five months show a marked increase in protein content.
- Pumpkin seeds come from pumpkins.
10 Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds:
- Have lots of minerals including phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper.
- Are a good source of protein and vitamin K.
- Contain phytosterols, compounds that that have been shown to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol.
- Contain L-tryptophan, which helps with good sleep and lowering depression.
- As they are high in zinc, they are a natural protector against osteoporosis. Low intake of zinc is linked to higher rates of osteoporosis.
- Are a good source vitamin E; contain about 35.10 mg of tocopherol-γ per 100 g.
- The most alkaline forming seed.
- Are also excellent source of Vitamin B group ( thiamin, riboflavin,niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) and folates).
- Are high in calories, about 559 calories per 100 g.
- Contain good quality protein. 100 g seeds provide 30 g
Health Benefits:
- Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of tryptophan which is converted in to serotonin and niacin. Serotonin is a very helpful in helping us to have a good night’s sleep.
- According to studies, pumpkin seeds prevent calcium oxalate kidney stone formation.
- Pumpkin seeds reduce inflammation for arthritis without the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Used in many cultures as a natural treatment for tapeworms and other parasites.
- Good for Prostate Health! The oil in them alleviates difficult urination that happens with an enlarged prostate.
- Pumpkins and their seeds were an important Native American Indian food used for their dietary and medicinal properties.
- They are high in zinc; in a study of almost 400 men (age from 45-92) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition they found a correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.
Copyright ©Diana Herrington You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.com or the direct link to this post.
SPROUTING NUTS & SEEDS
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5 Benefits of Nuts and Seeds:
- Best plant sources of protein.
- Filled with heart healthy fat.
- High Energy foods.
- Powerful Minerals.
- Needed Vitamins.
Raw nuts or seeds can have a bitter taste; this is due to enzyme inhibitors. These inhibitors can affect the digestion of the nuts and seeds. Soaking or roasting the nuts and seeds remove the enzyme inhibitors.
The high heat from roasting will remove the enzyme inhibitors but will destroy many of the nutrients. Soaking them will keep them more nutritious and bring out the natural sweet flavor of the nuts and seeds.
The enzyme inhibitors are washed away when the nuts and seed are soaked; also the digestion of the of the proteins and carbohydrates begins. Bonus is that the soaking removes 30% of the oil content making nuts and seeds easier on the liver and digestion and of course less calories.
They are not actually sprouted just soaked (3 to 12 hours) which starts the process of sprouting process. Best not to soak for more then the recommended time as as the sweetness leaves them.
Directions on How to Sprout Nuts & Seeds:
Eating Green, Clean and Lean E-book
Special Vegetarian Dinner
This special occassion vegetarian dinner is easy to prepare and a balanced meal in terms of acid/alkaline and food combining. The most time consuming is the nut loaf but it is so delicious that it is worth it and does not take as much time as cooking a turkey. Also, it is full of protein from all of the nuts and seeds…even my non-vegetarian friends and family like it.
NUT LOAF
Ingredients:
½ cup cashews
½ cup almonds
10 almonds for decoration
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup walnuts (chopped)
1 cup short grain brown rice
1/3 cup soya flour
4-6 tbsp soya sauce
1 onion
2 pieces of celery
¼ cup water
2 tsp basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tbsp flax meal
Directions:
1. Lightly roast cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in the oven.
2. Chop and sauté onion and celery.
3. Chop all the nuts and seeds.
4. Mix all the ingredients together and moistening with water.
5. Pat mixture into a well-oiled bread tin.
6. Decorate top with 10 almonds and line bottom of tin with grease proof paper.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes.
Serve with mushroom or onion gravy.
Usually the problem with cranberry sauce is that it is full of sugar. Here is my version of the popular Cranberry Sauce without any sugar which is no easy thing when is comes to cranberries as they are so tart.
CRANBERRY SAUCE (sugar free)
Ingredients:
1 Package whole, organic cranberries (fresh, not frozen)
1 Organic Apple, cored and chopped
1 Cup Apple juice
1/4 Cup Organic, Brown Rice Syrup
1 tsp Stevia (Sunny Dew is best)
Pinch of salt
Directions:
1. Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and let simmer for a few moments.
2. Remove and let cool.
3. Taste and add more Stevia or Brown Rice Syrup if you like it sweeter.
Nutritional Tips: Cranberries are high in vitamin C, and have antioxidant and antibacterial effects in the body.
In clinical studies cranberries have been shown to help maintain a healthy urinary tract and be especially beneficial to the eyes (significantly improve symptoms of cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy)
ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON JUICE
Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 2 inch lengths
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
Dash of Spike seasoning
Directions:
1. In a large frying pan over low heat, heat the olive oil
2. Add Asparagus and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add Spike and stir cook an additional 1 minute.
4. Add lemon juice stir well and serve.
Nutritional Tips: Asparagus is full of nutrients! It is a very good source of vitamin K, the B vitamin folate, vitamin C, vitamin A and also numerous B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and B6) as well manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium and protein.
Here is a simple dish to make and have in the oven at the same time as your nut loaf.
BAKED SQUASH WITH VEGETABLES
Ingredients:
1 medium squash
2 sweet potatoes
2 medium carrots
2 parsnips
10 very small onions
3 – 7 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
1 tsp rosemary
3 tbsp. vegetable oil or butter
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Cut carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash into 2 inch pieces.
2. Remove skins from onions and leave whole.
3. Place all vegetables into a glass casserole dish.
4. Mix in sliced garlic, rosemary, vegetable oil, and sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake in 450º F. oven for 35 to 45 minutes till tender.
6. Stir occasionally while baking.
Copyright © Diana Herrington You are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.com or the direct link to this post.
Nutritional Benefits of NUTS & SEEDS
I love nuts and seeds. I think I must have been a bird or a squirrel in a past life Good thing too as they are Powerfoods!
A Nurses Health Study found that nurses who ate nuts five times a week had less heart disease and on average were thinner compared with those who did not eat nuts.
5 Benefits of Nuts and seeds:
- Best plant sources of protein. The American Cancer Association is recommending a plant based diet. by for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. An ounce of nuts provides 6 g of protein on average.
- Filled with heart healthy fat. They contain healthful mono and polyunsaturated fats which are essential in managing inflammation and maintaining the normal structure of every body cell. People who consumed nuts five times a week had a 35% reduction in heart disease risk according to a British Medical Journal study in 1998.
- High Energy foods. They are filled with lots of calories; for example 1 ounce of almonds contain about 165 calories; 1 ounce of brazil nuts contain about 190 calories. So do not eat too many or you will get fat.
- Powerful Minerals. They contain many minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and phosphorus needed for bone development, immunity and energy production.In a study of almost 400 men (age from 45-92) published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition they found a correlation between low dietary intake of zinc, low blood levels of the trace mineral and osteoporosis at the hip and spine.
- Needed Vitamins. They are great sources of B Vitamins and Vitamin E.
Proof of the Power of Nuts and Seeds
A study published in the April 2002 Journal of Nutrition had people replace half the fat in their daily diets with almonds for six weeks. Researchers found that the almond eater’s bad cholesterol went down 6 percent, and good cholesterol went up 6 percent. In addition, blood fat dropped 14 percent. These studies it’s the combination in nuts of monounsaturated fats and protective plant compounds known as flavonoids that reduces the risk of heart disease.
According to research at the University of Toronto, eating heart-healthy foods, including almonds, can help reduce LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol levels, as much as a first-line “statin” drug.
Research at Tufts University found the flavonoids in almond skins work in synergy with the vitamin E in to protect artery walls from damage reducing the risk of heart disease.
Are raw nut and seeds good for you? Ask the Squirrel!
If you give a squirrel a raw nut, it will not eat it, but always will bury it. It will only dig it up when the nut has sprouted. They have found sensors in squirrels’ noses that can identify a sprouted nut. Raw, unsprouted nuts have enzyme inhibitors that prevent the nuts’ food enzymes from digesting it. Only when it sprouts are these inhibitors deactivated. Smart Squirrels!
Raw nuts or seeds can have a bitter taste; this is due to enzyme inhibitors. These inhibitors can affect the digestion of the nuts and seeds. Soaking or roasting the nuts and seeds remove the enzyme inhibitors.
The high heat from roasting will remove the enzyme inhibitors but will destroy many of the nutrients.
The best way to get the most nutrients from nuts and seeds is to start the sprouting process by soaking them. Watch a video of Diana explaining more about sprouting nuts and seeds here: sprouting nuts and seeds video
How to get the most nutrients from nuts and seeds:
Soaking them will keep them more nutritious and brings out the natural sweet flavor of the nuts and seeds. They become live foods. Learn how to sprout them: Sprouting Nuts and Seeds
The enzyme inhibitors are washed away when the nuts and seed are soaked; also the digestion of the of the proteins and carbohydrates begins. Bonus is that the soaking removes 30% of the oil content making nuts and seeds easier on the liver and digestion and of course less calories.
They are not actually sprouted just soaked (3 to 12 hours) which starts the process of sprouting process.
One of my favorite snacks is a piece of fresh fruit with a few soaked nuts and seeds…anytime. They make a great snack because they provide protein, fiber and fat…that combination makes them satisfying as they are filling giving staying power.
My Favorite Nut: Almonds. They are so tasty and nutritious that some of my friends consider them a major food group right after protein and fats.
Nut Recipe: Nutritious Nut Loaf This is baked so the soaking is not so critical
Copyright © Diana HerringtonYou are welcome to share this article with anyone who you think may benefit from this information as long as you give credit to Real Food for Life by including the link to the home page www.RealFoodforLife.comor the direct link to this post.
A Revolutionary Simple Approach To Healthy Eating
