Nutrition

Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts

How Spices helped One Woman Shed 20kgs In Less Than A Year

23 Sept 2015

After years of yo-yo dieting and becoming a mother, 38-year-old Nagina Abdullah never thought she’d have the body she wanted.

Zesty Citrus Chicken

21 Sept 2015

A zesty protein-rich dish, for 2. Try serving this with brown rice and some green beans and fresh carrots

The Worst Ever Salad Toppings (and what to choose instead)

16 Sept 2015

Why did the salad cross the road? To slather itself in the creamy dressings. And pack on the honey-glazed nuts. And, oh yeah, bask in the crunch of croutons.

Medical Reasons For Putting On Weight

14 Sept 2015

Most people put on weight because they eat and drink more calories than they burn through everyday movement and body functions.

Spice - and - Yogurt Grilled Chicken Skewers

7 Sept 2015

Serve as a main dish with some fresh crunchy veg or as a simple starter, either way these taste-a-licious chicken skewers will leave the whole family wanting more.

Your Health And The Word Of God

6 Sept 2015

God has designed the human body so that it is a finely tuned instrument that is the most resilient on earth.

Seven Easy Ways to Start Eating Healthier With Minimal Effort

4 Sept 2015

It's time to be more mindful of what we're putting in our bodies.

Drinking Green Juice? Avoid These Very Common Mistakes!

3 Sept 2015

Drinking green juice isn’t just a way to feel little refreshed for some people. No – for some people who’ve discovered the benefits of green juice, it’s an almost religious experience every time they take a sip.

Science Has Confirmed It - Turmeric Is As Effective As 14 Drugs

1 Sept 2015

Turmeric is one the most thoroughly researched plants in existence today. Its medicinal properties and components (primarily curcumin) have been the subject of over 5600 peer-reviewed and published biomedical studies. In fact, a five-year long research project on this sacred plant has revealed over 600 potential preventive and therapeutic applications, as well as 175 distinct beneficial physiological effects.

The Trick To Shedding Stubborn Weight May Be All In Your Head

31 Aug 2015

ALTHOUGH not a new concept, mindfulness has become a modern day trend, gaining widespread support in promoting health and well-being. Originally embraced in some of the world’s oldest cultures, mindfulness is being consciously aware of your thoughts and emotions without criticism or judgment.

7 Sugar Rules You Should Follow Every Day

24 Aug 2015

Sticking with a whole food, unprocessed diet is the easiest way to avoid sugar confusion. When you eat broccoli or quinoa, you don't need to worry about added sugar or sneaky sweeteners. But we live in the real world, which means sometimes you’re going to eat processed foods or add a little sweetener to your green tea. When you do, keep these seven rules in mind to make the best decisions:

1. Remember: added sugar is worse than total sugar.

All sugars ultimately have the same effect on your body, breaking down to glucose and fructose. That said, sugar in fruit and other whole foods comes wrapped with nutrients, phytonutrients, fiber and other good stuff that buffers its effects. Added sugars, on the other hand, often come in nutrient-empty, heavily-processed foods, which automatically deems them worse for your waistline and your health.

2. Sugar hides under innocuous-sounding names.

Manufacturers hide sugar under seemingly healthy names like fruit juice concentrate. Your pancreas and liver don’t care whether sugar comes in an organic package or carries a pretty name. It all breaks down the exact same way.

3. Sneaky sugars lurk in "healthy" foods.

Visit your health food store and you’ll likely discover numerous products sweetened with agave nectar, honey and other so-called healthy sweeteners. Don’t be fooled. A tiny cup of yogurt could have as much sugar as a candy bar. Look at the nutrient label for sugar amounts, being aware this is for one serving and you’re likely to eat several portions.

4. Artificial sweeteners aren’t better for you.

For far too long, artificial sweeteners got a free pass. Then a few troubling studies surfaced that found, among other things, aspartame and other sweeteners created glucose intolerance (paving the way for Type 2 diabetes) and gut-flora imbalances. Steer clear of those pretty pink, yellow, and blue packages.

5. Green juices can have as much sugar as a soda.

One popular commercial green juice, which actually contains more fruit than veggies, packs almost 55 grams — that’s 11 teaspoons — of sugar in a 15.2-ounce bottle. If you juice, make your own or ask your juicer to only add veggies with maybe a little lemon for flavor.

6. Be judicious when buying natural alternative sweeteners.

If you have to sweeten your coffee or tea, erythritol or stevia provide better (and even health-promoting) options. Just be aware many commercial varieties come loaded with nebulous “natural flavors,” dextrose (sugar) and maltodextrin (corn). Instead, look for a 100 percent stevia or a stevia/ erythritol blend with no bulking agents or other added ingredients.

7. Fructose is especially metabolically damaging.

Unlike glucose, which nearly every cell can utilize, fructose heads directly to your liver, the only organ that can metabolize high levels of it. Studies show that fructose induces less insulin production and triggers hunger signals in the brain. Rather than utilize this sugar for energy, our body often turns fructose into liver fat. This increase in visceral fat has been shown to increase one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Garlic: It Is Not Your Average Robust Flavor!

23 Aug 2015

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a popular herb and a robust flavoring agent for many of our favorite dishes. It has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes by many cultures for centuries. Documented history of its medicinal use goes back as far as the beginning of recorded history, and evidence of use was found in Egyptian pyramids and ancient Greek temples. Historically, garlic has been prescribed or recommended for an assortment of ailments, even for preventative measures, according to documentation from ancient Egypt and Rome. Garlic provides healthful benefits when consumed in many forms. The beneficial parts of garlic are the whole fresh garlic bulbs or dried bulbs that consist of the main bulb with several secondary bulbs or cloves. Powdered garlic is made from the dehydrated bulbs, while garlic oil is obtained by steam distillation of the crushed fresh bulbs.

It is beneficial to consume as many nutrient-dense whole foods as possible; however, it can be a challenge to achieve this every day. When incorporating fresh garlic into meals, some scientists recommend letting garlic stand for ten minutes after chopping or crushing before cooking it. This allows time for an important chemical reaction to occur — the enzyme alliinase converts alliin to its biologically active forms, including allicin. Nature Made’s Odor Controlled Garlic,1250 mg Garlic Equivalent provides 100% of the daily recommended amount to help support your health.

Nature Made Garlic Odor Controlled may help support normal blood cholesterol levels already within the normal range. Nature Made Garlic is quick-cool dried to preserve the many natural components of garlic. Nothing is added or extracted from raw garlic except the moisture. Most of garlic’s health benefits derive from the more than 100 sulfur compounds it contains, which includes the most well-known garlic sulfur compound: allicin.

Garlic supplements and high dietary garlic intake may interact with some medications, such as blood thinners, as well as other herbs and dietary supplements like fish oil and gingko biloba. Garlic supplements should be discontinued at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. Contact your primary healthcare provider to help determine if supplementing with garlic is right for you.

Read more at http://www.naturemade.com/resource-center/articles-and-videos/heart-health/garlic-not-your-average-robust-flavor#dJXve2I4F7aGOQCH.99

Signs and Symptoms You Might be Sensitive to Gluten

22 Aug 2015

With all the research coming out about the potential health issues with gluten, many are beginning to wonder if they should go gluten-free. Although the topic can be quite controversial, it is our opinion that many individuals do benefit greatly from the removal of this protein from their diet.

If you are curious about whether or not you should abstain from gluten, fill out our “Signs and Symptoms You Might be Sensitive to Gluten” checklist. If you experience any of these symptoms, you might want to think about eliminating gluten from your diet to see if that is the culprit.

Some people that are sensitive to gluten can see their symptoms disappear in as little as one to two weeks after going gluten free! After about one week, fill out the symptoms list again, and see how you feel after living a gluten free life!

CLICK HERE to have a Gluten Risk Assessment

Try This Vegetable-Packed Vegan Curry For Dinner Tonight

21 Aug 2015

I love squash in the winter months. It’s tasty, filling and absorbs other flavors amazingly. Meanwhile, spinach provides an abundance of iron and a bit of color for those who like to make their dishes look pretty. I certainly do.

Squash Curry With Ginger + Lime Cauliflower Rice

Serves 3–4

Ingredients

1 cup/50g fresh cilantro, leaves cut from the stalks and finely chopped

2 tablespoon red curry paste

can coconut milk

1 tablespoon tomato pureé

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

pinch salt

400g butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cubed

150g green beans, ends cut off

50g spinach

juice of 1 lime

Ginger + Lime Cauliflower Rice Ingredients

1 cauliflower, outer leaves discarded and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon coconut oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

3 tablespoon water

Preparation

1. In a food processor or blender blend the coriander stalks, red curry paste, coconut milk, tomato purée and turmeric.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat for 1 minute. Put the onions into the pan. Sauté them for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt. Add the squash and stir-fry for 1 minute, then pour in the blended mix, bring to a simmer and let this cook for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and spinach and cook for another 20 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, make the Ginger + Lime Rice. Put the roughly chopped cauliflower into a food processor and process for a few minutes until you get a rice-like consistency.

4. Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan, and throw in the lime zest with the ginger and coriander. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the cauliflower, 3 tablespoons water and the juice of the lime. Cook for 5 minutes, until cooked through.

5. Scatter the cilantro leaves over the curry with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and serve with the ‘rice’.

Better Understanding On Obesity and Processed Foods

19 Aug 2015

Ever spent hours discussing a topic with a friend and reached no conclusion? Like what came first? The chicken or the egg?

It seems that the debated question “are people overweight because they are lazy or is laziness a consequence from being overweight” is one step closer to being answered.

A recent study has found that being overweight contributes to a sedentary lifestyle. These findings are in opposition to the traditional idea that sedentary lifestyles contribute to being overweight. If we extrapolate and interpret this data, then we can reach the possible conclusion that frequent consumption of junk food not only contributes to weight gain, but it also plays a role in lack of energy and cognitive impairment.

What Processed Foods Have To Offer

If we analyze this further, someone who is in the habit of eating processed foods is getting mainly the calories and not that many nutrients, which may explain their lack of energy. Overly processed foods are usually high in fat (not the good kind), sugar, and salt while also being extremely low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. How many “good for you” nutrients can a fast-food burger possibly have? As a general rule, one should aim for colorful meals making sure that at least half of your plate consists of fruits and/or veggies. It is safe to say that a fast-food meal is likely not following that rule.

For someone who does not care much for fruits and veggies and prefers processed foods, this might seem like torture, but there is a reason for this recommendation. You want to get in as many healthy nutrients as possible because that’s what makes us function properly. Essential vitamins and minerals each play crucial roles in maintaining our health and wellness—and let’s not forget about fiber! Although it’s not technically considered a nutrient (it’s a carbohydrate that our body can’t digest), it has amazing health benefits like:

promoting satiety
helping lower cholesterol
maintaining bowel health
controlling blood sugar levels
and a bonus: our gut bacteria loves it!

So assuming that people are overweight because they are lazy is neither accurate nor helpful in combating the obesity epidemic. If anything, fingers can be pointed instead to the constant consumption of junk food as a main contributor to weight gain and “laziness”—even if it is the healthier version because healthier junk food is still junk.

Once again we see the benefits of having our fruits and veggies and that a balanced and healthy eating habit pays off!

Unable to exercise, there’s still hope! Burn fat through healthy living.

18 Aug 2015

W often hear from clients and New Life members that they can’t exercise due to an injury or limited time. “So how can I still lose belly fat?” The good news is, you don’t have to have an intense exercise to burn fat. You just have to really dial in on the other environmental factors or what I like to call “pillars of health”.

The following pillars are the foundations to achieving robust good health, a great looking body, a strong immune system, boundless energy, complete mental clarity, increased productivity, happiness and self-confidence.

If you’re limited on one pillar (let’s say you just had a baby and are limited on sleep), you really have to dial in on a few of the other pillars in order for the lack of sleep to have a minimal impact on your health.

Keep in mind that some pillars must be mastered based on specific goals. If your goal is to be a body builder, you will have to work out…a lot. But if you’re just looking to stay lean, and you’re not metabolically broken, you can get away with working out a few days a week or just walking a lot throughout the day – you just have to dial in on the other pillars, like sustenance.

Here are the 9 pillars of health and how they can contribute to good health and well-being. Determine which ones you can really master and start dialing in.

1. Mindset –

This includes motivation, mindfulness, experiencing gratitude, developing a morning ritual for success, laughing, being intentional, empathy, mental challenges, new experiences, meditation, mind-body connection, personal development, finding meaning and purpose, and being “in the zone”

When you change false and self-deprecating beliefs, your actions and behaviors will change which change your results.

Connection with the subconscious is a powerful tool for getting results as well. Your subconscious mind controls all the processes of the body (mind-body connection). Anything that is captured in your subconscious will directly affect you in the form of emotions, circumstances and events.

Regardless of your religious affiliation (if any), feeling a connection with nature, a higher being or purpose cultivates spirituality, and is an important part of graceful aging and wellbeing.

2. Sustenance –

Food is not just energy and nutrition for your body but also information for your body. It’s used to communicate and influence every cell and gene in your body, telling it how to look, feel and function. The higher the quality of food (and supplements) you consume, the better messages your body has to do what you want it to do (like burn fat).

This is why it’s crucial to eat nutrient-dense, real whole food and drink pure water if you’re limited on exercise.

3. Stay Active & Play –

This includes walking, strength training (which will help you maximize fat loss, strengthen bones, enhance brain function, and improve metabolism), build muscle definition, increase speed and just move without thinking about it.

Learning to create a lifestyle around natural physical movement and unstructured free play can be a great way to get a workout in and not even know it.

4. Sleep and Recovery –

This includes quality sleep, intentional rest/down time, and workout recovery.

Sleep deprivation and overexertion (such as lack of improper workout recover) causes stress on the body which in turn, releases cortisol, a hormone that, in excess, can lead to fat storage, especially around the midsection. You also become insulin resistant which makes it difficult for your body to burn fat. Research suggests that appetite-regulating hormones (ghrelin and leptin) are also affected by sleep and that sleep deprivation could lead to weight gain. So if you’re sleep deprived, you are going to end up hungrier, you are going to be better at storing fat, and craving sugar.

Additionally, if you’re getting poor sleep, you won’t get the Growth Hormone release for building muscle and burning fat. It’s particularly important to get more of the deep, rejuvenate sleep that helps repair your body and organize and clear your brain.

5. Social Connectivity & Having Fun –

This includes accountability, doing things you enjoy, spending quality time with friends and family, experiencing love, sex with your spouse, having emotional connections, giving to others, raising your happiness set point, relationships and communication.

Having a strong community and social connection that holds you accountable to take the actions necessary to create the results you want. This also increases your likelihood of sticking to habits and being successful. You are also more likely to stay in shape after the program is over. Sharing victories with others makes them a reality. This makes you more motivated to work harder and accomplish your goals.

The people we associate with determine our behaviors and habits so it’s important to surround yourself with people that have similar goals. Plus, everything’s easier and more fun with friends who share your interests!

6. Stress Management –

This includes stress root causes, neutralizing stress, becoming efficient, regaining calm, gaining nervous system health.

Stress of any kind, including physiological stress (job-related stress, family/marital stress, anxiety and phobias, lack of sleep, unresolved childhood trauma, low self-esteem, guilt, etc.) and physical stress (structured exercise (intensity, volume, & frequency), sports, manual labor or a highly physical job like construction, police, etc.) all elevate cortisol, which in excess, can lead fat storage, especially around the midsection.

The result of chronic over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system is similar to chronic inflammation, in that stress can contribute to diseases and disorders. Stress can also cause binge eating and can affect your metabolic rate (how fast calories are burned) – you actually burn fewer calories when eating under stress than someone who eats the exact same thing but isn’t stressed out.

7. Symbiosis & Digestion –

The microbiome is the approximately 100 trillion microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi – 10X more than human cells in the body!) that live upon and, mostly, within us. Research has shown that the connection between your body and your microbiome is the foundational key for optimal health and wellbeing. It can influence numerous processes in your body including your metabolism, weight, energy production, mood, immune system, psychological processing and thinking patterns (that’s right, mental health!), digestion, how much we eat and what we choose to eat, and the regulation of gene expression, which affects everything from disease risk to muscle growth.

The gut is often referred to as your “second brain. The microflora actually communicate with the cells that line the intestinal wall and “tell” your intestine what to absorb into your bloodstream and what to prevent from passing into your body. If you have more inflammatory “bad” bacteria in your gut, the “wrong stuff” can get through, which is called malabsorption.

Having a diverse and healthy microbiome is important for better metabolic health, less belly fat, and an easier time losing body fat. It’s important to build the symbiotic relationship between the microbiome and our bodies through the growth of a healthy gut flora and restoring the integrity of your intestinal barrier.

8. Sun Exposure –

Sun is essential for getting Vitamin D which affects over 1000 genes in the human body and serves as a substrate for sex hormones like testosterone, human growth hormone, and estrogen. It moderates immune function and inflammation, assists in calcium metabolism and bone formation. Sun exposure is also important for maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle) which affects every cell in our body from the cardiovascular system, to digestion, immune function, metabolism, and endocrine/hormone balance.

9. Smart Supplementation –

It should be used to compliment your nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, not replace an unhealthy one. Supplements address nutrition deficiencies that may prevent you from achieving optimum health and reaching your full genetic potential.

Supplements are not a replacement for food and should be used for three reasons:

1. Fill critical nutritional gaps that may be preventing you from achieving optimum health and reaching your full genetic potential
2. Increase peak performance (ie athletics, digestion)
3. Address health issues

Now, I’m not saying you can watch an unlimited amount of TV or eat whatever you want and still achieve your desired health and fitness goals. What I’m saying is that the more you dial in on each of these pillars, the easier and faster the goals will come.

To get the last pillar or learn more about how to dial in on these pillars, pre-register for our New Life Nutritional health program here.

Vegan & Gluten-Free Fudge Brownies With Raspberries

17 Aug 2015

These are possibly the healthiest brownies ever. They’re oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined-sugar free. And don't be freaked out by the lentils in this recipe — you won't even notice them!

The only things that sweeten these rich, gooey brownies are dates and apple sauce, making them full of fiber to keep your digestive track functioning properly.

This kind of chocolate fix will also help improve your mood and reduce stress levels. What are you waiting for? Go start baking!

Ingredients

3 cups black lentils, cooked (drained and rinsed)
4 tablespoon cashew butter
11⁄2 cups dates
1⁄3 - 1⁄2 cup cacao powder (depending on how rich you want them)
1⁄2 cup apple sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
For added sweetness, use more dates or 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If your dates are more firm, start soaking them in room temperate/warmer water now.

2. Pulse the lentils in a food processor until they are broken up and somewhat mixed together. Add cashew butter, apple sauce, cacao and baking soda and blend. Be sure to scrap the sides to make sure everything gets mixed together.

3. Add in the dates and blend again. Pour mixture in 9x9-inch pan. Crush raspberries slightly and sprinkle on top (optional)

4. Bake in oven for 45 minutes (Be sure to fork check it — f it's a little gooey that's okay). Let cool on the counter, then cover and put in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight before slicing and serving. Keep brownies in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

A Doctor Explains How To Stop Overeating & Reach Your Healthy Weight.

16 Aug 2015

Why do most diets fail? It's not because we're lazy or lack willpower. Almost every time, the reason diets backfire is because we restrict too much.

When you dramatically reduce your caloric count, your body instantly perceives danger. Your inner alarm system that protects you from starvation kicks in and slows your metabolism. You go into starvation mode and overeat. And inevitably when you stop dieting, you regain your former weight plus some.

Think about what happens when you skip breakfast, work through lunch, and finally return home in the evening. You eat everything in sight, right? You feel stuffed, sick, guilty, and regret ever entering the kitchen in the first place.

Why does this occur? After all, you are a reasonable person. You know you shouldn’t overeat.

You are neither weak-willed, morally corrupt or self-destructive. You don’t need years of therapy to overcome this problem.

The answer lies within your genetic programming: your body was designed to put on weight. Not coincidentally, your body doesn’t like it very much when you don’t provide sufficient calories.

We all know overweight people who say, “I don’t really eat that much, and I still can’t lose weight.” Their diet usually fails, and they usually regain weight. If they constantly diet, their bodies have been through this process many times.

I often hear that the obesity epidemic is a matter of personal responsibility. People should exercise more self-control. They should avoid overeating and reduce their intake of sugar-sweetened drinks and processed food. Science suggests otherwise: Processed, sugar-, fat-, and salt-laden foods — foods created in a plant rather than grown on a plant — are biologically addictive.

Almost nobody sits down and eats four bowls of broccoli, but you might be able to polish off four bowls of ice cream. These behaviors arise from primitive neurochemical reward centers in the brain that override normal willpower. In the case of food addiction, these behaviors overwhelm the ordinary biological signals that control hunger.

Nobody chooses to be fat. Instead, we are biologically wired to crave sugary, processed foods and eat as much of them as possible.

7 Strategies to Stop Overeating and Lose Weight

Fortunately, you have the power to normalize eating — and none of these strategies involve counting calories. To lose weight, keep it off, and reduce risk for diabesity, I use these seven effective strategies with my patients:

1. Eat real food. The single most important thing to lose weight and avoid overeating is to include real, whole, unprocessed foods in your diet. That means switching to vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil, organic, range, or grass-fed animal products (poultry, lamb, beef, pork, eggs), and wild, smaller fish such as salmon.

2. Always eat breakfast. Skipping a morning meal means you eventually feel famished, and throughout the day you eat much more food than you need to feel full. A recent study of 3,000 people who lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for six years found that most of them ate breakfast regularly. Only 4% of people who never ate breakfast managed to keep the weight off.

3. Eat mindfully. You need to be relaxed for your gut’s nervous system to work properly. If you're stressed, you don’t digest food properly and your stress hormones slow metabolism. When you eat quickly, you also overeat, since it takes your brain 20 minutes after you start eating to know it's full.

4. Journal. Writing down everything — what you eat, but also how you feelafter you eat — becomes an excellent way to break mindless eating and other bad habits. A diet of words and self-exploration often results in weight loss. You metabolize your life and calories better.

5. Get sufficient sleep. Always get eight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep every night. You will reduce cravings and normalize fat-regulating hormones. One study found even a partial night’s sleep deprivation contributes to insulin resistance, paving the way for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

6. Control stress levels. Demanding jobs, marital tension, lack of sleep, too much to do, and too little time to do it create chronic stress, which makes you overeat. Learn to actively relax with de-stressing techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.

7. Exercise. The right exercise will help you lose weight, maintain weight loss, and control your appetite so you don’t overeat. Aim for at least 30 minutes of walking every day. Many people often require more vigorous, sustained exercise to reverse severe diabesity and normalize eating. Make it fun: Run, bike, dance, play games, or jump on a trampoline.

I hope you realize overeating is not your fault. What strategy would you add here to normalize eating and break your food-addiction cycle?

Nature's Super Food - Chia Seed!

15 Aug 2015

Natural Factor

With today’s hectic lifestyle and high demands, eating nutrition-rich, natural whole foods can be a challenge. Key nutrients in the diet provide the building blocks necessary for the body to maintain and optimize health. Protein (in the form of sufficient quantities of the essen- tial amino acids), essential fatty acids (EFAs), dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals are key nutrients in a healthy diet. Naturally-nutritious chia seeds supply these key nutrients in superior amounts and are known for the many health benefits they provide.

Chia is an ancient grain cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayans in pre-Columbian times as a staple food, and was one of the three major plant sources of food, along with corn and beans. Since then, chia seeds have been used in foods and beverages and for medicinal uses, both in whole and ground form, although the seeds don’t require grind- ing as they are easily digested. They can be eaten alone or added to foods such as cereals, yogurt or baked goods. ChiaFactors from Natural Factors is a blend of black and white Salvia hispanica chia seeds, is non-GMO, and is certi- fied by the Nutritional Science Research Institute for its high quality.

Nature's Super Food

Chia is known as a super food and is one of nature’s most perfect foods. Chia seeds contain highly concentrated amounts of essential fatty acids, protein, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (Weber).

Chia seeds typically contain about 30-35% oil (Ayerza). This is three to four times the amount of oil found in most grains. The majority of the oil found in chia seeds is in the form of heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The high amounts of healthy fats keep cell membranes flexible, allow nutri- ents to easily flow into the cells, and improve regulatory processes in every cell of the body. Fatty acids are also necessary for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins A,

D, E and K. Of the total fatty acids found in chia seeds, over 60% is the heart-healthy omega-3 essential fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA has numerous health benefits: heart health, including cholesterol levels and blood pressure; and supporting the brain, nervous system, and immune system. Chia seeds are cholesterol free and have a very favorable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of 3:2. This superior ratio helps balance the modern diet which is generally deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Each tablespoon of ChiaFactors provides 2.5 g of omega-3 EFAs. Chia con- tains high amounts of protective flavanoid antioxidants to protect the oil within the seeds from going rancid and provide beneficial effects in the body after the seeds are eaten.

A complete source of vegetarian protein, chia seeds supply all of the essential amino acids in sufficient quantities for growth, and for building and maintaining skin, muscles, brain and hair. Protein is also needed to make enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Chia seeds contain more protein than most grains and are classified as a high protein food, containing about 16-22% protein. High protein foods typically contain a minimum of 10% protein. Each tablespoon of ChiaFactors provides 2 g of easily-digested protein.

Chia seeds are high in fibre, containing 40% or more dietary fibre. Most nutrition experts recommend that Canadian adults consume a minimum of 25-30 g of dietary fibre each day. Just two tablespoons of ChiaFactors provides about 10 g of fibre, equivalent to 40% of the minimum amount recognized for good health. Dietary fibre has many health benefits: helps prevent constipation and reduces the risk of colon cancer; improves gastrointestinal health; improves glucose tolerance and the insulin response; reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, and increases the satiety response, helping to maintain a healthy body weight. A study in diabetic patients confirmed these effects. Daily consumption of chia seeds for 12 weeks improved patients’ blood pressure levels, reduced the risk factors for development of cardiovascular disease, and maintained good glycemic and lipid control (Vuksan).

Chia seeds are hydrophilic, absorbing many times their weight in water to form a gel that slows the conversion
of carbohydrates into glucose. This, along with the high fibre content, helps keep the need for insulin low, main- tain uniform blood sugar levels, and increase satiety and appetite control. The mucilaginous and hydrophilic proper- ties of chia seeds combined with the high fibre content cleanse and soothe the colon, absorb toxins, ease bowel disturbances and aid in weight management.

The vitamins and minerals found in chia seeds are essential for health and well-being. Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels and helps the body heal cuts, resist infection and use iron. Calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting and nerve and muscle function. Iron is necessary to form the hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in muscle, which supply oxygen to the cells. Magnesium is critical for bone and heart health and plays a part in over 300 enzymatic processes. Each tablespoon of ChiaFactors provides approximately 70 mg of calcium, 35 mg of magnesium, 6 mg of vitamin C and 2.9 mg of iron.

Energy Enhancing

Ancient Aztec and Mayan cultures used chia seeds as a high-energy food source. Chia is the Mayan word for strength. According to historians, they would carry a small bag of chia seeds with them on their belt on long journeys and on the war path (Scheer). In the mid-1900s in California, fitness guru and avid chia user Paul Bragg used chia seeds in a 36-hour mountain hiking endurance test. The competi- tion experiment is described in James Scheers’ book, The Magic of Chia.
The team that ate chia seeds won the contest by arriving at their destination, the peak of Mount Wilson, more than four hours ahead of the other team, who did not include chia in their

diet (Scheer). Chia seeds are an ideal “survival food” since the high levels of natural antioxidants mean they can be stored for long periods of time without becoming rancid.

Superior Antioxidant Strenght

Chia seeds have high quantities of phenolic antioxidant compounds including bioflavonoids such as caffeic acid and quercetin. Each tablespoon of ChiaFactors provides an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of approximately 960. Research continues to grow regarding the importance of antioxidants as health- ful components of food. Antioxidants protect against the visible and invis- ible signs of aging, are a weapon in our fight against illness and chronic disease, and are a line of defense for our often-overtaxed immune system. The potent antioxidants in chia seeds act synergistically with the fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to optimize cell function and protect against illness and disease.

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