Best Ever Trail Mix (Nuts And Seeds) - 110g

ALMONDS

Almonds are good for your heart and your waistline!
ALMONDS

A nut that is actually a seed.

You may think an almond is a nut, but it's technically a seed! Almonds have become a popular food in the world of nutrition because they're packed with nutrients that are beneficial for heart disease, diabetes and weight loss.

What are Almonds?
Did you know there are two different kinds of almonds and the difference between them can be the difference between life and death?

Varieties:
Bitter almonds – Are the original wild variety of almonds that contain a toxic compound, called amygdalin, which breaks down in the body to small amounts of cyanide. Eating a few dozen bitter almonds can be fatal.

Sweet almonds – Are the domesticated variety of almonds that we commonly eat today. While they originated from bitter almonds, they don't contain the toxic compound amygdalin and are completely safe to eat. Historically, sweet almonds were cultivated from bitter almonds and then grown all over the world, with the world's largest suppliers now in California. Interestingly, almond trees were transported to California from Europe and were able to survive and thrive in the climate of California. However, pollination of the almond trees require one million beehives to be trucked into the almond groves each year and is the largest annual managed pollination event in the world. In recent years, there has been a shortage of honeybees because of “colony collapse disorder”, which has caused an increased price for Californian almonds.

What are Almonds used for?

Cardiovascular disease – Almonds protect your heart and blood vessels. Almonds are a good source of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant that protects your blood vessels from being clogged with harmful, oxidized cholesterol. The vitamin E, together with monounsaturated fats and phytosterols, help to lower “bad cholesterol” and triglyceride levels, while increasing “good cholesterol”. Magnesium, naturally found in almonds, help take stress off the heart by relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.

Diabetes and Weight loss – Almonds contain healthy fats and fiber, which are very important macro-nutrients for balancing blood sugar levels. Diabetes and obesity go hand in hand because they are both caused by regular spikes in blood sugar, which encourages fat storage and causes problems with insulin. Adding almonds to a meal immediately lowers the glycemic index of the meal and eating low glycemic index foods is very important for regulating blood sugars and encouraging weight loss. It was found that eating 3oz of almonds with white bread decreased the glycemic index by 50%!

Energy Production – Yes, almonds will help you feel more energetic. They contain manganese and copper, which are two trace minerals that the antioxidant superoxide dismutase needs to function. Superoxide dismutase is a powerful antioxidant that works in our mitochondria, which is the energy production powerhouse of every one of our cells. When superoxide dismutase is working optimally, you will feel more energetic.

Preventing Gallstones – A very large (80, 000 participants) Nurse' Health Study showed that women who ate one once of nuts or nut butter per week, had a 25% lowered risk of developing gallstones.

PUMPKIN SEEDS
Helping with depression, anxiety, BPH and heart health ... 

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds can help to regulate your mood and reduce anxiety and depression.
Pumpkin seeds are the edible seeds of a pumpkin, or any related squash in the Cucurbita family. They are often roasted and eaten with or without their husks.

Nutritional Content
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of protein, and a number of different minerals including: iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, molybdenum, and potassium. They also contain a number of fatty acids. By dry weight, pumpkin seeds contain 59% protein and 30% fat.
Depression and Menopause
One gram of whole pumpkin seeds contains 5.69mg of L-tryptophan, while one gram of pumpkin seed protein contains 17.2mg of L-tryptophan. Thus, it has become of interest in several mood disorders such as anxiety disorder, and clinical depression where L-tryptophan supplementation has been shown to help reduce symptoms. Eating pumpkin seeds can also be beneficial for insomnia for the same reasons. For more information on the benefits of tryptophan, please click here. Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to improve the symptoms of menopause, including headaches, hot flashes, joint pain and feelings of depression.

BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
Pumpkin seeds were established by research in the 1990's to be effective against the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men. Symptoms that improved were: urinary flow, frequency and length of urination, and residual urine.

Atherosclerosis and Heart Health
Pumpkin seed oil has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Due to its alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil can help to prevent cardiovascular disease. For more information on the benefits of ALA, please click here. In addition to its beneficial oil content, one study found that eating 30 grams of pumpkin seeds daily helps to improve iron status in menstruating women, without the requirement of any extra iron supplementation.

How should I take pumpkin seeds?
Pumpkin seeds can easily be added to your diet. A dose of 30 grams of pumpkin seed has been studied in humans with positive effects. This is the equivalent of 4 Tablespoons of pumpkin seeds daily.