Chia seeds assist with weight-loss.   The water-retaining properties of chia seed, mixed with other foods or eaten on their own, prevent hunger.  Their high food-value supplements nutrients that could become limited on a reduced-food diet.

Chia seeds are a boon to the athlete.  The seeds mixed with liquid form a gel that retains water and slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, giving athletes better endurance and combating dehydration.  This quality is also beneficial to diabetics and those with nervous digestion.

 Can be added to food either dry, or soaked in liquid.

Article By The Canadian Grain Seed Commission

[For a more complete understanding of the importance of essential fatty acids please consider the following article together with the product information related to Flax Oil, Flax + Borage Oil and Miracles]

`American scientists are only beginning to appreciate the way that common plants store potent chemical compounds that may block the body’s synthesis of carcinogens or decrease cholesterol levels in the blood. ‘We’re finally catching up with what vegetarians and health food nuts believed all along,’ says Jon Michnovicz, medical director of New York City Institute for Hormone Research.

One of the most underrated of `common foods’ is Linseed. As the highest plant source of essential, unsaturated fatty acids it warrants a place of honour in everyone’s diet. The approximate proportions of these unsaturated fatty acids in Linseed are as follows:

Oleic acid – Up to 18%

Linoleic acid (omega 6) – Up to 15%

Linolenic acid (omega 3) – Up to 60%

The body cannot manufacture the essential fatty acids, Linoleic or Linolenic, from other elements. They must be supplied daily in the diet.

Donald O. Rudin, M.D., a medical researcher, contends that the level of Linolenic acid in the American diet has been reduced by 80% in the past 100 years. Dr Rudin found that Omega 3 Fatty Acids deficiency is the basic cause of mental illness today. (Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 16 No 9, 1981)

Linoleic and Linolenic Acid are two essential fatty acids that together . . .

• form the membranes of every one of the billions of cells in our bodies
• control the way cholesterol works in our system
• make up a very large part of the brain’s active tissue
• are the only fats that become prostaglandins, which play key roles in regulating the cardiovascular, immune, digestive and reproductive functions; inflammation and heating; functioning of the brain; and body heat and calorie burning.

Linseed contains all of the amino acids essential to human health and is a rich source of Lignan – a documented anti-cancer agent. It is a wonderful source of mucilage and fibre. These not only work together as a natural laxative to soothe and protect the sensitive intestinal lining, but also prevent the reabsorption of bile acids, reduce absorption of cholesterol from foods, and/or increase the amount of cholesterol excreted. Flax mucilage also aids in the stabilization and modulation of blood glucose.

(Source: Canadian Grain Commission Crop Bulletin No.182 – ISSN 0836 and The Flax Council of Canada)

TO PROMOTE NATURAL BOWEL FUNCTION: Soak whole or ground seeds in water or juice overnight. Add 1 tablespoon of soaked seeds daily to cereal foods and porridges.

Available Dried or Ovenbaked and Salted. Please store in a cool dry place.

Because of their high Protein and Zinc content, Pumpkin Seeds are popular in the treatment of male prostate and impotency problems.

USES:  Eat as a snack or dry-mill and add to cereals, soups, stews, salads or fruit salads.

More Info

Pumpkin Seeds are best known for their concentration of zinc and their use in the treatment and prevention of male prostate and libido problems.

Pumpkin seeds have also been used in the treatment of intestinal worms.

They are a good source of protein and contain a good balance of the amino acids.

Pumpkin seeds are also very high in iron as well as calcium and phosphorus, with some magnesium and copper; they also contain vitamin E and essential fatty acids. There is a mix of B vitamins, with niacin being the richest.

Pumpkin seeds are usually eaten raw, roasted, or blended into a seed meal and used on other foods. (Elson M. Haas, M.D.)

Natural Healing Benefits of Zinc

Zinc, as found in abundance in pumpkin seeds, may be useful for the prevention or treatment of the following conditions:

Factors Related To Zinc Deficiency

Poor Diet Stress	High Copper Intake Fasting or Dieting
Ageing Pregnancy	Serious Illness Hospitalization
Athletics Growth Periods	Burns Infections
Birth Control Pills Chronic Disease	Surgery Alcoholism
Diuretic Therapy Psoriasis	Parasites Malabsorption
Cirrhosis Renal Disease	Premenstrual Symptoms

Sunflower Seeds are a “Wonder food.” Each seed is a concentrated powerhouse of essential nutrients and “sun-energy.”

Sunflower Seeds are a good source of Calcium, Phosphorous, Magnesium, Iron and B-Group Vitamins. Their high Vitamin E content prevents oxidation and the production of free radicals.

Sunflower seeds contain almost 23% primary protein, and all the essential amino acids are well supplied. Sunflower Seeds have a 50% fat content of which 30% is the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid. The mono-unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, accounts for some 10% of the total fat content.

The Vitamin E content of Sunflower Seeds is very high – which is Nature’s way of countering free radical production and ensuring that the fats in sunflower seeds do not turn rancid.

Sunflower seeds are a good source of the minerals calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron, and are one of the prime suppliers of B-group vitamins.

Provided they are used in moderation, it is safe to use sunflower seeds on a regular basis. They can be added to breads and cereals, eaten as a snack, slow-roasted at low heat and sprinkled over salads. They are also used in the preparation of nutritious sauces and mock cheeses, or they can be soaked and blended into nut milks and soya milk to improve their nutritional value.

More Info

Used in traditional dishes, cookies, cakes, breads and bread crusts, sweets (Halva) and spreads (Tahini) and to make sesame milk. Roasted sesame seeds are often used in seasonings and herbal salts. Sesame seeds can be eaten raw, dried, roasted and cooked.

In the Middle East sesame seeds are called “the seed of immortality.”

Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium for those avoiding cow’s milk.

“Sesame seeds contain almost 30% complete protein of good quality, with all the essential amino acids, particularly methionine, being present in substantial amounts. They are a good source of the minerals magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron, and the calcium levels are in fact, more than twenty times higher than in steak.”

“Sesame seeds contain sesamin, a lignin which lowers cholesterol levels. They also contain antioxidant substances.”

“If sesame seeds were regularly incorporated into foods such as bread or spreads they could make a significant contribution to dietary mineral requirements.” (Prof. W. Veith, Diet & Health, p167-8)

POPPY SEED SPREAD: Grind Poppy Seeds, mix with honey. Spread on bread and serve with cream.

POPPY SEED FILLING: Cook 1/2 cup seeds for half an hour in 2 cups milk or water with grated orange or lemon rind. When soft, blend in 1/3 cup honey. Add nuts and raisins. Keep refrigerated.

In very small doses, Mustard stimulates the mucous membrane of the stomach and increases the secretions of the pancreas, thereby improving digestion. Larger doses of the whole Mustard Seed will induce vomiting. The seeds’ content of oil and fat make them a good laxative. Because of the risk of overdose, remedies made with this herb should be handled with special care – please consult a health professional if in any doubt.

Because the roots of Alfalfa penetrate deep into the ground, Alfalfa is extremely rich in Minerals. It is a good source of Nitrilosides, Vitamin A and Plant fibre. Alfalfa is the king of seeds when it comes to sprouting. The sprouts are extremely alkaline and rich in Enzymes.