Did you know....Chia seeds are a whole grain food. Chia seeds are naturally gluten free and are typically grown non-GMO and organic from the plant Salvia Hispanica. This plant grows natively in South America. Historically, chia seeds were very important for the Maya and Aztec peoples. "Chia" is actually the ancient word for "strength". These seeds are tiny indeed, however, are actually one of the most nutritious foods on the planet! They have tons of fiber, omega-3's, protein, vitamins and minerals and are considered a "sattvic" or pure food. 

CHIA SEEDS FROM AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE: Chia is an excellent food that helps to improve hydration at all tissue levels. From an Ayurvedic perspective, chia attenuates, or reduces, vata (the air and space element), optimizes pitta (the fire element) and nourishes kapha (the water and earth elements). Chia seeds are also sattvic, or pure, in nature. 
According to Ayurveda, sattvic foods are ones that cultivate and promote clarity and equanimity of the mind, while also benefiting the body. Cultivating deep hydration using sattvic foods and herbs also helps to encourage the building of ojas, which is your core vitality, endurance, sustainability, and the foundation of your immunity. Therefore, you can use chia seeds, or other Omega-3 sources such as hemp or flax, as sattvic dietary sources to cultivate ojas.

CHIA SEEDS FROM A WESTERN NUTRITION PERSPECTIVE: 

1 ounce (28 grams ~ 2Tbsp) serving of chia seeds contains:
Fiber: 11 grams.
Protein: 4 grams.
Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s)
Calcium: 117mg 
Manganese: 0.6mg
Phosphorus: 265mg 
Potassium: 44.8mg
Sodium: 5.3mg 
They also contain a decent amount of:
Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2

Chia seeds have lots of antioxidants, which actually help protect the sensitive fats in the chia seeds from going rancid. As we know, the effectiveness of getting anti-oxidants from food sources is much better than in supplement form. Anti-oxidants are super important for fighting free-radicals, which can contribute to aging, disease and cancer.  Chia seeds are 40% fiber by weight.  Because of the fiber content in chia seeds, they can absorb 10-12 times their weight in water. This is especially helpful and beneficial for the intestinal tract as these little seeds move through and help clean up our digestive system. Fiber also feeds the "good" bacteria in the gut :) 

By weight, chia seeds are 14% protein, making them one of the highest plant-based forms of protein. Chia seeds are also high in Omega-3 fatty acids as well as many essential nutrients for heart and bone health including calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Daily consumption of chia seeds have been shown to decrease blood pressure and help regulate blood sugar levels. Gram for gram, chia seeds have more calcium than most dairy products and instead of being a pro-inflammatory like dairy products, chia seeds actually have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Adding chia seed to recipes can dramatically increase the nutritional value in the meal. They can be used as a substitute for eggs and as a thickener in many recipes. 

CHIA PUDDING RECIPE
3 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 cup liquid, milk or nut milk of your choice (homemade raw cashew milk pictured above)

Combine these two ingredients in a bowl with lid and put in refrigerator overnight. BOOM! You have raw chia pudding :)

All organic breakfast: Gluten free oats, berries, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, cherry & rhubarb jam, coconut milk, flax and lots of love ❤🙏 what's so special about these ingredients? Let me break down each one here:
OATS: high in dietary fiber and great for Gastro-intestinal health, lowers bad cholesterol 
CHIA SEEDS: loaded with antioxidants, lots of fiber and lots of protein
MIXED BERRIES: each individual berry has its own unique nutritional value and benefit, however overall these berries are high in antioxidants, fiber and Vitamin C
FLAX: rich source of dietary fiber, manganese, vitamin B1, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid aka Omega-3
PUMPKIN SEEDS: magnesium, manganese, copper, protein, zinc, phytosterols and free-radical scavenging antioxidants to keep cells healthy
COCONUT: healthy fat essential for lubrication of joints and healthy skin
Be well 🙏 Namaste 🙏

This concoction is fresh aloe juice from aloe pulp straight from the garden 😍 blended up with some organic berries gives this yummy drink it's bright color. Aloe is rich in natural nutrients and fiber. Aloe helps decrease inflammation of the gut including IBS and colitis. Aloe helps with digestion by increasing healthy gut bacteria in the intestines. Additionally, it helps balance the immune system including allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory immune disorders. Drinking aloe has been shown to help improve blood circulation and decrease total fat levels in patients with high cholesterol, which helps reduce fatty deposits and blood clots in the arteries and heart. Of course, aloe also has amazing benefits for the skin 😊 however, do be mindful of drinking too much aloe juice because it contains a substance called anthraquinone, which has a laxative effect. Aloe has medicinal properties. And like other medicines, herbal supplements and over the counter medications - aloe may inhibit or increase the effects of some prescription drugs, most notably those for diabetes and heart conditions. So, consult your doctor if you are on any prescription medication and wish to try drinking aloe juice. As always, be well. Namaste 🙏 (aloe juice in photo prepared by Kendrick of Numa Nursery) 💫✨

What's on your breakfast/lunch menu today? Mine was freshly baked rye loaf, Polish cheese, organic egg over easy, spinach and topped with smoked salmon. Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high quality protein. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white along with vitamin B2 and lower amounts of fat and cholesterol than the yolk. The whites are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper.

Salmon is a wonder food and gives special support for joint cartilage, insulin effectiveness, and control of inflammation in the digestive tract. The amounts of EPA and DHA contained in salmon are unusual among commonly-eaten foods. In addition to this high concentration of omega-3 fats is the relatively small amount of omega-6 fats in salmon and its outstanding ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. Four ounces of salmon will typically contain less than 1/2 gram of omega-6 fat, for an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of approximately 5.5 to 1. In the average U.S. diet, this ratio has repeatedly been shown to be lop-sided in the opposite direction, with at least 4-5 times as much omega-6 fat as omega-3 fat, and in some studies, up to 12-20 times more. In our World's Healthiest Foods rating system for food, only two foods provide more omega-3s per standard serving than salmon. Those two being walnuts and flaxseeds. 

Spinach is full of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. Spinach has an extremely high nutritional value and is rich in antioxidants. It is a good source of vitamins A, B2, C and K, and also contains magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium and potassium.

Organic kale, carrots & golden beets 😍 super simple, super tasty. I went looking for red beets and was pleasantly surprised to find golden beets 😃 I am a sucker for root vegetables! golden beets contain phytonutrients called betalains - providing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory & detoxification support. The anti-inflammatory mechanism in beets is their ability to inhibit the activity of COX-1 & COX-2 enzymes, which trigger inflammation - under most circumstances, when inflammation is needed, this production of pro-inflammatory molecules is a good thing. However, under other circumstances, such as the body undergoing chronic inflammation - production of these enzymes can make things worse. These golden beets are high in fiber, iron, potassium, folic acid, vitamin c, vitamin a, beta-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids and anti-oxidants. Golden beets are good for the eyes& heart, they are excellent kidney and body cleansers, lower blood pressure & cholesterol, helps anemia & fatigue, Chronic inflammation, diabetes, as well as helping protect against cancers - especially colon cancer. Eat your beets 💛

Shiitake mushroom soup. Yumm! Shiitake mushrooms have so many health benefits and it helps that they are delicious as well. These mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years 😊 shiitake's are fabulous in supporting the immune system, the cardiovascular system and have been found to have anti-cancer properties. Shiitake's may help the cardiovascular system (including protection against atherosclerosis) by preventing too much immune cell binding to the lining of our blood vessels. In order for immune cells and other materials to bind onto our blood vessel linings, certain protein molecules (called adhesion molecules) must be produced and set into action. Shiitake mushrooms can help our blood vessels by blocking the adhesion molecule production process. (The adhesion molecule production that is partially blocked by shiitake mushroom components include the adhesion molecules ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin). Shiitake extract may be helpful in cancer because studies show it appears to restore melanoma-reactive T cells, an important aspect of cancer treatment. This mushroom is a good source of iron, vitamin B, minerals such as magnesium + potassium + phosphorus. 
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Homemade soup ingredients (all organic):
Mushroom broth
Fresh shiitake mushrooms
Bunch of green onions chopped 
Himalayan pink sea salt
Dollop of ghee
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Be well. Namaste.