Seeds are typical food in our diet. Understanding the benefits you obtain from these seeds helps you make your choices wisely and rip maximum benefits from your diet. Seeds, when in favorable conditions, sprout and grow to become huge plants such as trees. Thus, edible seeds can boost your energy and improve your health when consumed in the correct quantities and in the right way.
1. Edible Nutritious Seeds
Seeds are a great source of rich nutrients vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Edible seeds contain vitamins, proteins, essential minerals, essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, all necessary for human health. However, since most of the seeds are taken raw, it’s crucial to maintain high standards of cleanliness. Some insects such as ants may invade your home and may carry pathogens to your seed foods. You can seek ants exterminator services at ant control Bend for professional ant control service.
2. Benefits of Edible Nutritious Seeds
· Improve mental Alertness- Edible seeds have high energy content; hence they improve mental alertness and memory.
· Growth and development of infants- Edible seeds contain proteins and fatty acids necessary for healthy bodies and proper infant growth and development.
· Building Body Tissues- Edible seeds contain proteins which are the building blocks of body tissues.
· Helps Increase Bowel movement- Edible seeds are a good source of fiber that maintains regular bowel movement and aids in digestion. The fiber in edible seeds also creates a feeling of fullness, thus regulating your food intake.
· Improves Exercise Capacity- Edible seeds are very rich in amino acids, such as leucine, an essential amino acid that helps maintain muscle mass and enhance exercise capacity.
· Contains Other Minerals- Edible seeds have several other minerals essential for your healthy body. Edible seeds contain calcium, potassium, iron, and zinc.
NOTE: You should chew edible seeds into smaller pieces before swallowing.
3. Examples Of Edible Nutritious Seeds
o Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are very tiny seeds and contain antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Chia seeds easily blend with your diet. You can mix with your veggies whole, ground them or mix with juices.
It would help if you soaked chia seeds in water for about 30minutes before adding them to your meals. This is so because chia seeds absorb water up to about ten times its weight. Soaking chia seeds in water before consuming them prevents chia seeds from swelling when in the gut.
o Wild Rice Seeds
Wild rice is obtained from grass. It’s rich in antioxidants, a good source of fiber, and minerals such as folates, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6. Wild rice also contains a very high content of proteins, twice as much as white rice. Wild rice is a low-calorie diet but has a high concentration of nutrients. Of great importance is that wild rice contains all the nine essential building blocks of proteins.
Wild rice prefers growing in shallow waters. In the US, it’s grown in Florida, Texas, and other coastal areas. However, wild rice is not rice but seeds from grass plants. The wild rice resembles regular rice.
o Flaxseeds
Flaxseed is rich in nutrients and can easily be mixed into your diet. It can be mixed in baking cakes, salads, cereals, and pasta.
Flaxseeds can be used to substitute eggs for people who don’t take eggs or for a change. To make a flaxseed egg, ground one tablespoon of the seeds and mix them with three tablespoons of water. Mix them and put the mixture in the fridge for 15-30 minutes for the solution to thicken
Other Nutritious Edible Seeds
o Pumpkin seeds
o Sunflower seeds
o Hemp seeds
o Apricot kernels- contain amygdalin, vitamin B17, believed to fight cancer cells.
o Sesame Seeds- Contains lignans which help reduce the level of cholesterol in the body.
Conclusion
In this era of the Covid 19 outbreak and many other health challenges, people have become sensitive to their health issues. It has proven essential to build and maintain positive eating habits. Incorporating seed foods in your diet is one of the creative ways of acquiring critical minerals and other body requirements needed for the optimal functioning of your body.
