SUPERFOODS!

There are a lot of 'Superfoods' these days. Everywhere you go you hear about the wonders of Acai, Goji, Carob, Salba; it's a whole new language at the grocery store!

So what are these superfoods? Generally a superfood is a food that is high in nutrients. It tends to be something new to our culture, but common in another culture. I always approach these new foods with caution, it's not that I doubt the efficacy, but I do believe that everything is good in moderation and that includes superfoods. I also find that doing research on these superfoods is difficult because often the only information to be found is from companies marketing the food. These foods almost always claim to be anti-oxidants and anti-aging; I would recommend that eating a diet high in all fruit and vegetables increases energy levels and overall health , resulting in a fresher, younger outlook on life!

So here's the low-down on a few 'new' superfoods...
Acai - (Pronounced "ah-sigh-ee") is a purplish berry, smaller and less pulpy than a grape. The berry is known as a 'drupe'. It is from the Brazilian Amazon where it is a large part of the diet of the Amazon inhabitants. The Acai berry is very high in antioxidants, higher than blueberries, and antioxidants fight the break down of cells, which helps to prevent cancer. It is purported to be anti-aging and energy-boosting.
A Good Source of: anti-oxidants, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, calcium and Vitamin A
Add Acai to your diet by: adding the juice to smoothies, soaking the berries and adding them to muffins or breads, eating the berries dry

Goji - (Pronounced "go-gee") is native to Europe and Asia and is also known as the Wolfberry. It is a bright orange-red berry that has beens tudied extensively in China, because of it's use in Chinese medecine for centuries. According to Chinese medecine the Goji berry is a 'tonic' that helps ease suffering if you have chronic conditions such as, ringing in the ear, dizziness, visual degenration, headaches, insomnia, liver disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, to name a few. It is an anti-oxidant, anti-aging fruit and strengthens your immune system.
A Good Source of: Potassium, Iron, Selenium, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin C
Add Goji to your diet by: eating the berries like raisins, making a tea, soaking the berries and adding them to muffins or breads.

Carob - (Pronouced "car-rub") has been used for centuries; the term "carat" comes from using a carob seed to measure diamonds. a one carat diamond is the equal in size to a carob as a measurement of weight equal to one carob seed. Carob is known as a chocolate substitute because it is free of caffeine and oxalic acid, but still has a chocolatey flavour. It also does not need additional sweetening (like cocoa), becasue carob is naturally sweet. You can find carob flour and carob chips to add to your food, it is also usually raw, so it is good for a raw foods diet.
A Good Source of: Fiber, Vitamin A, B2, B3, B6, Calcium, Magnesium. postassium, zinc and selenium
Add Carob to your diet by: Making my Carob Muffins! (recipe here!)





Salba - (Pronounced "Sal-ba") is the branded name for the Chia seed. You know! CH-CH-CH-Chia! The Chia pet is the result of sprouting chia seeds, but you can eat shia seeds, Salba, before they are sprouted. These tiny seeds are similar to flax seeds; they are an amazing source of essential fatty acids, they can be used as a substitute for eggs in baking and they are great for regularity. Like flax seeds, if you put salba seeds in a glass of water and let them sit, they will form a gelatinous coating. This is great because in your body they absorb all of the bad things and help move them out of your body. This is fiber at it's best.
A Good Source of: dietary fiber, Omega 3, Copper, Magnesium, Managnese & Phosphorus
Add Chia to your diet by: adding ground chia to a smoothie, sprinkling the seeds over cereal, ora dding them to baked goods.

Endometriosis & the Power of Seeds

Endometriosis has been linked to infertility, but eating more seeds can help!

Endometriosis is when the endometrial tissue, which lines the uterus, migrates beyond the uterus lining the pelvc cavity, the ovaries and abdominal organs. A woman's body still sheds this lining but it is extremely painful. Endometriosis can be misdiagnosed as 'just bad PMS'.

Endometriosis has been linked to estrogen dominance. There is estrogen everywhere in Western society. Plastics, conventional dairy and teflon all emit estrogens and are absorbed in the body. Everyone should be avoiding plastics, defenitely never microwave a plastic container, and change from non-stick pans to cast iron, stainless steel or ceramic. All o this estrogen enters your body and if there is an overload, illness occurs. Cancers and uncomfortable menopause have also been linked to estrogen dominance.

As an aside... If there is one piece of nutritional advice I always give is that you should always consume organic dairy. Conventional cattle is given estrogen to increase their milk output, so if you are going to have only one thing in your kitchen that is organic, it should be dairy.

Now what's this about seeds? Lignans are a form of fibre that have been shown to help escort estrogen from the body. Lignans have 2 important roles related to estrogen. First they are blockers. They bind to estrogen receptors and do not allow estrogen to enter a cell. Second, because they are fibre, they absorb the excess estrogen and as they exit your body they take the excess estrogen with them. This is great because if you are struggling with infertility, you need to get your estrogen levels down.

Flaxseeds have the greatest amount of lignans and ground flax ismore beneficial than whole flax seeds. You can buy flax seeds already ground or you can grind whole flaxseeds in a (clean) coffee grinder. Always store ground flax in the fridge. Putting 1 Tablespoon of ground flax in a smoothie is an easy way to consume more flax. I would also recommend using ground flax in a recipe rather than wheat germ.

Pepitas, also known as Pumpkin Seeds are high in zinc. Zinc is a healer of wounds and if you have endometriosis you have wounds which need to be healed. Who knew that the toasted pumpkin seeds from Hallowe'en could be good for you?

Sesame Seeds are powerhouses, considering how small they are! High in lignans, calcium and good fats they should be included in your diet often. Tahini is ground sesame and is a spread that you can add to a sandwich or to hummus. The whole seeds can be ground and put in a smoothie or added to a stir fry.

Sunflower Seeds contain Vitamin E as well as healthy fats, iron and folic acid. Vitamin E promotes blood clotting and healing, reduces scarring and had been shown to protect against 80 diseases. Sunflower seeds are a tasty way to get these healthy nutrients. Throw them in a salad or snack on them (unsalted) throughout the day.

A Seedy Snack! This is a great snack to eat at your desk or add to a salad.

1 C pepitas

1 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C flax seeds

1/2 C sesame seeds

1 tsp each of sea salt, garlic powder and paprika

2 Tbsp olive oil

Place all of the seeds in a bowl and add the sea salt, garlic powder and paprika. Stir

Add the olive oil to the seeds and stir.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the seeds in a single layer on the parchment paper.

Place in a 300 deg. oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I hope this was helpful and informative! I look forward to your comments,

To our health! Laurie

The Beginning of my Blog

Hi There,

Here is my first attempt at my blog. I am a Holistic Nutritionist in Toronto, Ontario. My focus is on helping couples build their families with nutrition. I like to say I help from seed to sprout, but I think that is already taken... I will have to think of something else creative.

I help couples plan for pregnancy, whether that is getting a woman's body free of toxins or supporting a couple through infertility treatment with nutritional guidance.

Once pregnancy happens it can be overwhelming. 'Don't eat chocolate? But that's all I crave!', helping a woman determine what to eat & what to avoid is important.

I love supporting families in this exciting time. I hope to post some interesting tidbits of info on both of these topics. Anything I learn... I plan to share!

I welcome any questions or comments on topics you may like me to discuss.

To our health!
Laurie