Tiny Chia Seeds!!

How much do you know about these little powerhouse seeds??? A staple in the Aztec & Mayan diets, these seeds have been touted for their health benefits for centuries. They are considered a superfood! From the plant Salvia hispanica L. They are believed to be native to Central America. 

These tiny seeds are highly nutritious. Just a single serving of these low carb seeds 2 tbs, only 2 tbs of these tiny seeds contain protein, fat, ALA, potassium, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamins B1 & B3, omega 3's. Micro-nutrients, polyphenols, maganese, selenium & copper.

They contain anti-oxidants, can help with digestive health, losing weight, can help with heart disease, reduce inflammation, promote kidney health, can help with blood pressure. The calcium, phosphorus & magnesium can help with bone health & can help reduce cholesterol.

You can sprinkle them on yogurt, oatmeal, puddings, smoothies, baked goods, cereal & rice dishes. They can absorb water & fat, so you can use them to thicken sauces & as a substitute for eggs, even make chia pudding with them. 

IF there are any side effects, it could be minor digestive issue, if you aren't used to having that much fiber in your diet.

Bladderwrack

Bladderwrack's Latin name is Fucus vesicalosus. Depending on it's location, it's also known as red fucus, rockweed, black tang, Atlantic kelp, bladderfucus & cutweed. Common types used as foods or supplements are Hijiki, wakame, ogo, kelp, nori, kombu, arame, dulse, sea moss, spirulina & blue spirulina.

It is a type of nutrient dense seaweed. Rich in vitamins & minerals, including calcium, iodine, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, Vitamins A & C. It's high in phytochemicals which can help with oxidative stress & it can promote your skin's natural collagen production.

It contains high levels of iodine which support the thyroid by producing the thyroid hormones T3 & T4. These help regulate metabolism. It's a demulcent, which soothes against irritants in the stomach, also supports proper growth & neurological development. Deficiency in these can cause goiter & hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is related to Hashimoto's & thyroiditis. If you aren't low in this mineral & you take excess amounts, it can lead to worse health issues. It can be used to reverse nutrient deficiencies & help with overall health. 

Rich in antioxidants, like beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, It's an anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, can support brain function, anti-coagulant, help with blood sugar levels & can be used for obesity.

Although it can help with health issues, it can also contain heavy metals, so one might want to be cautious. It contains exceptional combination of macro & micro nutrients. Iodine deficiency can cause heart complications. It can improve HDL cholesterol though.

Black Cohosh....Do you know???

Native to the eastern U.S. & to Canada. Some of the other names it goes by are black bugbane, black snakeroot, fairy candle, baneberry or bug wort. It goes by 2 latin names, which is unusual in itself....Actaea racemosa or Cimicifuga racemosa. It belongs to the buttercup family.

Used in NA medicine & is still used today for women's health. It's used for menopause symptoms, hormonal balance & fertility. A safe alternative for HRT therapy. Point of fact, the script Remifemin contains this herb as an active ingredient. 

Black cohosh is effective because it functions as a phytoestogen compound that mimics the hormone estrogen. With the exception of menopause symptoms, there's little evidence to support that it helps with other women's ailments. Menopause symptoms can include hot flashes, mood swings, irritability, irregular periods, sleep issues & anxiety.

It can help with fertility, though the research evidence is still out on that. It can possibly help with uterine fibroids & to regulate the menstrual cycles or PCOS.

Side effects may include mild digestive upset, skin rashes, breast & muscle pain. Do NOT take if you have a liver disease or taking other supplements or medications that can harm the liver. 

Don't confuse this one with it's sister plants blue cohosh & white cohosh, similar in structure, but can be dangerous to ingest.

Vitex OR Chaste Tree Berry!

 It's a deciduous shrub native to Asia & the Mediterranean. The vitex plant family includes 250 different species. The Vitex agnus-castus is the one most commonly used. Its been used for over 2,000 years since the middle ages. The berry is about the size of a peppercorn & its used to treat a variety of ailments. It's also used in Greek & Turkish medicines. This berry is also called Abraham's balm, lilac chaste tree & monk's pepper.

Vitex is mainly used to improve women's reproductive systems as well as a variety of symptoms of PMS & menopause. It helps the body raise it's own levels of progesterone. Researchers believe vitex works by decreasing levels of the hormone prolactin from the pituitary gland which helps rebalance the other two main ones, estrogen and progesterone, which in turn reduces PMS symptoms. 

It also appears to help with "cyclic mastalgia", a type of breast pain linked to menstruation. Vitex can be as effective as the common drug treatment. It also may help improve fertility and stabilize menstruation.

Chaste tree berry can also help with constipation, irritability, irregular periods, depression, cramps, migraines, anxiety and cravings where PMS is concerned. With menopause, it can help with many symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings & more. It can also help reduce uterine fibroids. A key way to help reduce these is to maintain a proper balance of hormones. 

It can also help reduce acne, treat endometriosis, can treat amenorrhea (sudden stoppage of periods), treats enlarged prostates & it's also believed to decrease libido.

Do NOT use if pregnant.