- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
12 Reasons Why This Should be Your Favorite New Snack
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Wholesome snacks for your family are an important part of a healthy diet. Nuts and seeds are a valuable source of important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other heathy nutrients. They might be tiny, but they pack a powerful punch of nutrition that cannot be beat.
If you are looking for one of the healthiest seeds around, then this article is for you. Pumpkin seeds are often left off of healthy snack lists, but the truth is that these little green seeds are a great source of vital nutrients. They taste so great that your kids will ask for them again and again!
At a tiny 285 calories per cup (that’s 8 ounces, friends. Most people eat only an ounce per day!), they are a terrific way to add lots of nutrition for very few calories. These small seeds contain iron, zinc, magnesium, and a ton of other beneficial compounds. They can do so much more than simply adorn your salad!
Keep reading and find out why pumpkin seeds should be your new favorite snack.
1. Super Anti-Inflammatory
Pumpkin seed oil has been found in numerous studies to have anti-inflammatory compounds. One study, which involved animals, even found that pumpkin seed oil worked just as well as the popular prescription drug indomethacin for treating arthritis. Unlike many prescription drugs, however, pumpkin seeds have no known side effects. Inflammation is an underlying factor of many chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, and atherosclerosis. Eating pumpkin seeds can help to lower your risk of developing these types of illnesses.
2. Powerful Antioxidants
Pumpkin seeds are full of healthy antioxidants, which are very important in our daily diets because they fight and destroy free radicals, the compounds that damage our cells and cause aging. These little seeds, sometimes called pepitas, are also a rich source of vitamin E, one of the nine known antioxidants that can give us exceptional health.
3. Get Your Rest
One little known fact about pumpkin seeds is that they are a rich source of an amino acid called tryptophan. Your body converts this into melatonin, the sleep hormone. Eating a couple handfuls of pumpkin seeds about 2 hours before bedtime, along with a small piece of fruit or another type of carbohydrate, can go a long way towards stimulating your body to make the melatonin it needs so that you can get a good night’s rest.
Continue to Page 2
