Superfood to the rescue

How was everybodys family day?  BF and i were lucky enough to relax and cuddle with the doodle all morning then we visited our families and looked at new house model homes, we are still fighting over discussing which style of house to go with, we get excited about it one day then procrastinate the next, all i want is somewhere to store all my chia seeds, which leads me into my post today (did you see how i did that? pretty smooth eh?)

You will notice in all my breakfast posts i use several ingredients on a frequent basis (read: every day), soooo i'm sure you area all scratching your head and wondering what they are and if they want to be cool like me (and who doesn't), where to they get them?

So here is the scoop, the down-lo, the hizzy (is hizzy even a real word?) all info was derived from buzzle.com

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way an expert, as with real life there are some drawbacks to being a super hero (aka super food) please research yourself before consuming

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CHIA SEEDS 

About:

Also known as 'Salvia Hispanica' were once considered magical seeds by the people for their nutritional values. These are flowering plants with white or purple flowers and belong to the mint family.

• Being rich in essential fatty acids, chia seeds reduces high blood pressure and is best for cardiovascular health.
• Chia seeds health benefits for diabetics have an ability to stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Chia seeds boost metabolism and also promotes lean muscle mass. It is one of those foods, which is rich nutrients and is filling, but is low in calories. So, chia seeds are used for weight loss and weight maintenance programs.
• One of the most important chia seeds health benefits is that they help in improving the function of the brain. The essential fatty acids promote efficient nerve transmission.
• Chia seeds are considered one of the best energy enhancing foods, as it is rich in nutrients. It has been found to be effective in enhancing the performance of athletes.

MY THOUGHTS:

Why do I like chia seeds? (i'm veering into informercial territory again here, cue: sweeping arm gestures once more) They totally rock my smoothies because they get all jello-like when they meet water, its like a cool experiment, yes sometimes i revert back to grade 7 science class - FYI: i refused to dissect the frog

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GROUND FLAX

About:

• Dietary fiber helps lower cholesterol levels. Thus the meal promotes heart health.
• Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and hence work great for osteoporosis, asthma and migraines. Flaxseed oil is also another healthy option.
• Flaxseed meal can be considered as part of low glycemic index diet since it helps prevent fluctuations in blood sugar. It helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Nutritional value of flaxseed meal is quite higher as omega 3 from flaxseed meal prevent unnecessary clotting of blood and thus reduce the chances of heart attack and stroke.
• Flaxseed is rich in dietary fiber and so regular consumption of flaxseed meal can improve your digestive health. The meal helps reduce the symptoms of stomach problems such as indigestion, constipation, frequent bloating, etc.
• Flaxseed meal is considered as healthy food as it is loaded with various vitamins and minerals. Magnesium aids omega 3s in reducing the chances of migraine, heart attack and asthma. It stabilizes blood pressure levels. Vitamins help boost your energy levels. They enhance the rate of metabolism and promote healthy weight loss.
• The antioxidants and phytochemicals from flaxseed meal strengthen your immune system and help prevent various diseases and disorders including cancer. Flaxseed contain lignans which help maintain women's health. They help overcome the problems of ovulation by maintaining the balance of hormones. Menopausal women are also benefited by consumption of flaxseed meal as it helps prevent anxiety and depression. It maintains estrogen levels and thus helps prevent breast cancer.

My Thoughts: i add ground flax to all my breakfast foods, anything that helps control my girly hormones and has that many healthy benefits is fine by me 

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MACA ROOT POWDER

About:

Maca root is one of those nutritious root vegetables that are grown in elevations above 14,000 feet. Most of the maca root cultivation in Peru is done organically, as they are not prone to pest attacks. Maca roots contain significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds. Maca root powder is rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, fats, fatty acids, carbohydrates, etc. Apart from that, it is a good source of minerals, like, calcium, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, etc. Trace amounts of zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, iron, boron, etc., are also found in maca root. It contains around 18 amino acids that are needed for the human body. It is a good source of certain beneficial sterols, polysaccharides and alkaloids too.

My Thoughts: I add maca root powder to my Green Monster Smoothies, all the healthy vitamins make me strong, superstar strong - remember molly shannon in that SNL skit?  she would sniff her armpits then yell SUPERSTAR, don't worry i'm not sniffing my armpits, just yelling superstar!

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AGAVE NECTAR

About:


Agave nectar or agave syrup is obtained from the agave plant, a plant resembling the cactus in appearance, however, is just as succulent as the aloe vera plants. Hailing from Mexico, there are several hundreds of species of agave, but is mostly taken from the blue agave plant. This plant possesses a pina (resembles the pineapple), which contains a sweet sticky sap. This sap when extracted, filtered and heated at low temperatures conduces to formation of the all popular agave nectar. This agave nectar is honey sweet (although not exactly the same), thus, oft referred to as honey water. Agave nectar is used to make tequila and its sweet taste has caused it to become a favorite alternative sweetener. The syrup is used to sweeten beverages, food and desserts. Besides its sweet taste, agave nectar is also known for its health benefits.

People who dislike the taste of honey oft find agave nectar palatable as it has a milder taste and is not as sweet as honey. Vegans opt for agave nectar as it is not from an animal source. Agave nectar with its sweet taste can be added to dishes as a substitute. This way one will avoid gaining the high calories present in sugar. For every cup of sugar, add only 1/3 cup of agave nectar. 

Agave nectar contains substances called fructans, which reduce cholesterol and alters fat absorption in the intestine. One such type of fructan in agave nectar is 'inulin', a carbohydrate that promotes weight loss by reducing appetite, increasing satiety and having a low impact on blood sugar. Thus, consuming agave nectar helps weight conscious people from putting on extra pounds. 
Agave nectar contains saponins, which is found to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It is also seen to be able to boost the immune system, which is why the Aztecs used a mixture of agave nectar and salt to heal wounds. 

My thoughts: Agave Nectar rocks my breakfasts and yoghurts and frozen yoghurt, BF used to love maple syrup and brown sugar on his oatmeal - now all i use is a little drizzle (way better word improvement over squirt thankyouverymuch) of Agave Nectar and he is enjoying his oats the healthy aztec way

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SHOPPING: Now this i am a bit of an expert in - muahahahaaaa

I buy ALL these products at The Bulk Barn - love love love that store, it carries an amazing amount of health food, till recently i thought all they had was candy you sneak into the movie theatre, yes i'm the person that always brings the extra large purse to the movies that can easily fit a bottled drink and mucho candy for the show, once i snuck in a big mac meal, oh the horror (that i once ate big mac meals, not that i snuck it in, i'm a rebel like that)

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For once i'm not going to grace you with yet another breakfast recipe, today i'm attempting to recreate Williams California Salad: one of my fav salads at Williams Fresh Cafe

DONNA'S CITRUS SUNSHINE SALAD

Ingredients

• Mixed greens (i'm using baby spinach because i'm too lazy to head to the grocery store before work)
• Trail mix (i'm using raw cashews, sunflower seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds)
• Clementine pieces
• Grated carrot
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Citrus dressing (i'm using organicville which is high in calories so i've added some blood orange juice to thin out the dressing and cut back on the calories)

Directions

1. Mix

2. Realize thats it for directions but donna will probably come up with more for blog presentation
3. TIP*** Use the smaller grater part of your grater to help the cheese spread further (this tip is courtesty of my friend Lesley) You will be amazed how much further your cheese will go - and as you know its all about the cheese!

4. Eat dressing on the side if you wish, i always do, i use a lot less salad dressing using this calorie cutting technique

5. Pat Donna on the head for coming up with 3 other directions AND introducing you to an easy peasy delish salad

Salad REVIEW:Yummers -  I really enjoyed this salad, the sweet of the clementines mixed with the salty nuts and the carrot and cheddar mixed in was fabulous, I will definitely be making this again, don't worry i won't bore you with clementine closeups for a second time though!

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Fitness: Today i went to Physique 57, the class was led by bad counter (that is what we call this instructor, she is super cute and nice but she has no sense of keeping tempo so i have to keep my own rhythem going so i don't get confused)
***WHINE ALERT: It is soooo hard getting back into working out after vacation, i'm still shaking several hours later but i have to keep motivated, summer is coming on fast and i might have skipped zumba last night so i could eat a silly amount of bonbons in front of the Bachelor (is anyone else team Emily?)

This week my goal is: To eat a salad every day for lunch - i'll keep you updated as to how i'm doing and try to share some more recipes, i'm feeling a salad coming soon that might put me in a feta induced coma, fingers crossed!

Have a great day everyone :o)