Four Healthy and Delicious Seeds Worth Snacking On
by www.SixWise.com
Have you ever been caught in a traffic jam, on a delayed
flight, or in an incredibly long meeting, all while feeling
starved because you had to miss your breakfast or lunch hour?
Of course you have! We've all been in fixes where we're hungry
and have nothing to satisfy our appetites -- sometimes even
when we're in our own kitchens, yet "nothing looks good."
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Sunflower seeds start out black or grey in color (sometimes
with stripes). You can purchase them with the shells
on, but they're widely available already shelled, which
gives you the edible, inner kernel without any of the
trouble!
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Well, we have here some incredibly simple, satisfying and
healthy snacks that will fill you up in a good way, and, get
this, they're all seeds!
All of the seeds below make excellent "right out of
the bag" snacks, but you can also mix them with some
shredded coconut, dried fruit (raisins, mango, cranberries,
cherries, pineapple, you name it), raw nuts and even a handful
of dark chocolate chips for a healthy trail mix (kids love
this!) that you can take with you anywhere.
Seeds are also great stirred into yogurt or cottage cheese,
or sprinkled on salads, but don't underestimate their "stand-alone"
value. All of the seeds below are delicious and definitely
worth snacking on. (Ideally, eat
them raw to get the most nutritional benefits.)
1. Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are tiny but they have a big nutty flavor. They're
loaded with beneficial minerals including copper, magnesium
and calcium (they're actually one of the best
food sources of calcium out there!).
These seeds also contain protein, iron, phosphorous, vitamin
B1, zinc and fiber, along with lignans, beneficial fibers
that may help to lower your cholesterol and have been shown
to prevent high blood pressure and increase vitamin E in animals.
Plus, sesame seeds contain a substance called sesamin, which
may protect your liver from oxidative
damage.
Sesame seeds also have the highest phytosterol content of
all the nuts and seeds commonly eaten in the United States,
according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry.
Phytosterols
are plant compounds that may reduce your cholesterol, enhance
your immune system and even decrease your risk of certain
cancers.
2. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds have a subtle nutty flavor and a tender texture,
plus they're loaded with the antioxidant vitamin E and beneficial
phytosterols.
They're also full of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats, protein, zinc and selenium. Selenium
has been found to help repair damaged cells in your body and
inhibit the spread of cancer cells. Just a quarter cup of
sunflower seeds gives you almost 31 percent of the recommended
daily value for this healthy nutrient!
3. Pumpkin Seeds
Who can resist the sweet, nutty flavor and chewy texture
of pumpkin seeds? These nutrition powerhouses contain magnesium,
manganese, phosphorous, iron, copper, protein, omega-3 fats,
carotenoids and zinc.
Like other seeds, pumpkin seeds also contain beneficial phytosterols,
along with compounds that may promote prostate health in men.
Animal studies have even shown that pumpkin seeds have anti-inflammatory
properties, and adding them to the diet has a similar effect
on reducing inflammatory symptoms as using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs!
Pumpkin seeds have also been used traditionally to remove
parasites from your body and treat urinary tract infections.
4. Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are sometimes referred to as the world's most
nutritious seeds. They contain protein, essential fatty acids
and fiber, are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamin E, and
contain minerals, including magnesium, iron and zinc.
They also have a high content of phytosterols that may help:
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Promote heart health
-
Reduce the risk of cardiac arrest
-
Maintain normal cholesterol levels
-
Treat certain cancers, including colon, breast and prostate
-
Delay the neurologic effects of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
diseases
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Treat rheumatoid arthritis
-
Prevent and treat osteoporosis
-
Reduce inflammation
-
Treat atopic eczema and psoriasis
And don't worry, hemp seeds won't get you high. Whereas marijuana
contains about 5 percent to 20 percent THC (the compound that
produces the "high" associated with marijuana),
hemp has a maximum limit of three-tenths of 1 percent, which
is not nearly enough to produce any psychotropic effects.
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