Sunday, June 26, 2011

Super Foods: Chia Seeds.. Ch-ch-ch-chia

Chia Dinosaur Collectable

 Everyone's heard of them.  They aren't just a novelty gimmick to be found growing on dinosaurs,  Barack Obama and Scooby Doo. These seeds are one of the healthiest super foods.  These seeds are virtually tasteless so you can add them to your diet quite easily. Sprinkle it over your salad, eat them plain, but make sure you eat them.

Chia means "Strength" in Mayan and is nicknamed the Indian Running Food.  It contains 2 X the protein of any other grain, 5 X the calcium of milk, 2 X the potassium of bananas, 3 X the iron of spinach.  It has a high Omega 3 concentration and is a complete protein





Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

Chia has a nutlike flavor. You can mix seeds in water and add lime or lemon juice and sugar to make a drink known in Mexico and Central America as "chia fresca." As with ground flax seeds, you can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, in yogurt or salads, eat them as a snack, or grind them and mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods. I find them tasty and an interesting addition to my diet.

Read more about Chia on Dr. Weil's page..



7 GOOD REASONS TO START EATING CHIA SEEDS

  1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
  2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
  3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
  4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
  5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect againstinflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
  6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
  7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Chia is referenced in the following books. 


     

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Homeopathy

Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook
I had the pleasure of meeting a gal named Ashley two weeks ago at my fav little cafe, Good Eatz. She has taught me a lot about Homeopathy and guided me on what books are good to follow.  I enjoy our Wednesday sessions at Good Eatz every week.  She is filled with great info.  If you live in the area, come to Good Eatz in West Reading on Wed nights at 6:30, she has about four sessions left, don't miss it.



 Homeopathy: An A to Z Home Handbook is an amazing place to start if you are interested in learning how to cure your own ailments.  It has info for the beginner as well as remedies to use for survival during natural disasters, when medical care may not be available.

Effective, safe, affordable, and free of chemical side effects-the benefits of homeopathy are endless! Already established in the national health care systems of England, France, and the Netherlands, homeopathic treatments are used by over 500 million people worldwide. Alan Schmukler's Homeopathy discusses the history and science of this alternative medicine and provides a comprehensive list of proven remedies-safe for people and animals. 

Packed with homeopathic treatments for arthritis, colds, food poisoning, insomnia, Lyme disease, morning sickness, wounds, and a host of other ailments and injuries, this handy reference guide also includes information on homeopathic immunization and first aid. Schmukler gives helpful instructions for matching remedies with symptoms, ingesting them correctly, making remedies at home, and stretching your supply. 




Exerpt from the book.


What Is Homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a medical science that uses natural substances to mimic
illness and stimulate healing. It is based on the idea of "like cures like."
Any substance that can produce symptoms in a healthy person can cure
those same symptoms in a sick person.

Here are several examples of this principle:
a. An onion is a substance that makes your eyes water and your
nose burn. So if you are having an attack of hay fever with watering
eyes and a burning nose, a few doses of homeopathic onion
can relieve it.

b. Poison ivy causes redness, small blisters, intense itching, and
stiff muscles. Homeopathically it has been used for everything
from herpes and burns to eczema and arthritis.

c. Coffee can overstimulate the mind and trigger insomnia. Homeopathic
coffee can help restore sleep disturbed by an overactive
mind.

d. When you are stung by a bee you feel a burning, stinging pain,
and the tissues surrounding the area swell up. Some relief is
obtained from applying cold to the area. If you had swollen tonsils
with burning and stinging pain relieved by cold, homeopathic
bee sting could cure.

Over two thousand substances are now used as remedies to treat everything
from colds and cough to arthritis and cancer.

Why Turn to Homeopathy?
1. When antibiotics fail, homeopathic remedies will still work.
Germs can never develop a resistance to homeopathic remedies.

The remedies do not kill the germs directly, but rather,
they stimulate the immune system to do the healing. For the
last two hundred years, homeopaths have cured meningitis,
endocarditis, pneumonia, nephritis, tuberculosis, plague, and
venereal diseases using homeopathic remedies alone.

Homeopathic remedies are effective against viruses, but
antibiotics are not. In 1918, the worldwide influenza epidemic
killed over twenty million people, and over five hundred
thousand in the United States. At a time when survival rates
were 70% with conventional medicine, they were 98% with
homeopathy. 



Here is a great podcast from Lotus Health
http://lotushealthinstitute.podomatic.com/entry/2010-04-29T12_34_23-07_00



Saturday, June 4, 2011

Sashimi Wraps are Good Eatz!

We go to a local healthy eating cafe that serves up these tasty wraps.


Sashimi Wraps

One veggie wrap of your choice
sushi grade tuna or salmon (I prefer tuna)
seaweed salad
pickled ginger
Wasabi Mayo

Put it all together, dabbing the wasabi on as much as you like.

Serve it with Soy Sauce on the side for dipping.

I snagged this cute idea from Good Eatz.


If you are ever in the Berks County area, be sure to try out this little cafe.  It's our favorite place to eat!  Everything is organic and healthy.  They even have a listing of gluten free meals for those with allergies.

Good Eatz Green Cafe

You probably can buy wasabi mayo, but making it yourself you can control how much wasabi is in it, and we love a lot of wasabi!