If you’re a lover of trail mix, this’ll be one that you’ll want to incorporate in your life! Deliciously savory, crunchy, & subtly sweet to perfection! The best part? You don’t need much of it to nourish the body to satisfy your craving for a savory and sweet snack. Also, a perfect handful is an excellent pre-workout snack! Are you ready to slow down your aging process through food?
Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E.
First let me be clear…
Do not go eating raw nuts and seeds out of the bulk bins WITHOUT soaking and dehydrating them.
They have the potential to be extremely dirty, rancid, and oxidized.
So please, make sure you are purchasing RAW & ORGANIC seeds from a reputable source.
Then, soak and dehydrate, following the steps below 🙂
So why the choice of these seeds? What makes them so special?
These two seeds are a source of Vitamin E.
Vitamin E is a fat soluble antioxidant that protects the cells from free radial exposure within the body. These free radicals create damage to the body’s DNA, which can really be derived from so many variables that I’ve listed below. This amazing Vitamin is associated with its ability to assist in anti-aging processes.
How & Why?
Well, expedited aging processes are linked with increased free radical exposure!
What are some common ways the DNA is exposed to these free radicals that create damage?
Production of free radicals in the human body
Free radicals and other ROS are derived either from normal essential metabolic processes in the human body or from external sources such as exposure to X-rays, ozone, cigarette smoking, air pollutants, and industrial chemicals.[3] Free radical formation occurs continuously in the cells as a consequence of both enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions. Enzymatic reactions, which serve as source of free radicals, include those involved in the respiratory chain, in phagocytosis, in prostaglandin synthesis, and in the cytochrome P-450 system.[7] Free radicals can also be formed in nonenzymatic reactions of oxygen with organic compounds as well as those initiated by ionizing reactions.
Some internally generated sources of free radicals are[8]
- Mitochondria
- Xanthine oxidase
- Peroxisomes
- Inflammation
- Phagocytosis
- Arachidonate pathways
- Exercise
- Ischemia/reperfusion injury
Some externally generated sources of free radicals are:
- Cigarette smoke
- Environmental pollutants
- Radiation
- Certain drugs, pesticides
- Industrial solvents
- Ozone
Since this is a fat soluble vitamin, the body does not flush this vitamin when there is an excess storage. So, if you are supplementing with a Vitamin E, please do so with practitioner guidance.
If you are not seeing a practitioner, then you can most definitely whip up a batch of these seeds in a delicious batch of trail mix.
Intaking your body’s nutritional needs is always best to do so through a food source where it has all that it needs to be broken down, absorbed, and utilized correctly.
Another component that damages your DNA?
Secondary bile acids! These bile acids are produced from the consumption of animal fat.
The crazy part is that these bile acids/ carcinogens are also directly connected to colon cancer…
What can you do if you’re in this situation?
Well, I’d highly encourage you to shift your lifestyle to at least 80% plant based. Just as a general starting point for you. If you are able to make the large jump of 100% dedication, then do it! I’ll be here to cheer you along your journey!
Aside from that, consuming plant based sources of Vitamin E can greatly help to assist you in the damage that has been done to your DNA…
The potential role of vitamin A, and the antioxidant vitamin E, in reducing this damage was determined, over a range of vitamin concentrations. Both vitamins reduced the bile acid induced DNA damage. Vitamin A displayed a dose response relationship, whereas vitamin E reduced DNA damage close to negative control values at all concentrations above 50 microM. These results indicate a protective role for Vitamins A and E, against the DNA damaging capacity of LOC and DOC.
This can be quite a bit of shocking information for some of you, and I truly am not here to create an upset to your lifestyle. However, at the same time, I am!
My passion is to educate those as I am living my own journey to self care, self love, and quality life through quality health!
When you make your batch of trail mix, you can add them as a salad topper, or even just jar them up so that you have snacks for when you’re on the go and ready to adventure from one place to the next!
On a recent road trip to Yosemite, I made a large 64oz jar to last my traveling partner and I for 5 days in case were in a food emergency!
They’re great to snack on as a pre workout, post workout, or just because 🙂
Ingredients
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup Thompson raisins
3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1 Teaspoon garlic granules
2 Teaspoons air dried sea salt
1 Teaspoon find ground black pepper
Lime Juice (fresh squeezed from 2 whole limes)
1/2 Teaspoon ground turmeric
Directions
Place sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins in their own individual glass bowls.
Fill them with purified water. Preferred high alkaline water (11.5) if you have access…This pH ensure removal of surface residue from the seeds through ionic exchange. See link at bottom of page for water filtration info 🙂
Allow your seeds to soak for at least 30 minutes, to as far as a few hours.
With your raisins, you’ll want to make sure they are rinsed very well. They have an oily substance that accumulates on the surface that collects dust and dirt particles. Yuck!
So, definitely make sure you soak and rinse them thoroughly!
After soaking, drain and rise seeds and raisins with purified water so they are fully cleansed. They should look every so sparkly!
Place them all in a glass mixing bowl together. Toss them around a bit with a wooden spoon so there all evenly dispersed together.
Now, you can sprinkle all of your spices & squeeze the lime juice over your soaked, and soon to be trail mix 🙂
Using your wooden spoon again, mix it all together so that your seeds and trail mix become covered in somewhat of a “batter.” This “batter” is what really makes this trail mix! Delicious, savory, crunchy, and roasted-like 🙂
Spread them over your flat dehydrator tray, and set to dehydrate at 120° for a full 24 hours.
After 24 hours of dehydration, they’re ready to jar and eat!
For more information regarding Kangen unit models, pricing, & financing, find out more here!
To clean foods and excellent health,
Xoxo
Tannisha
