Seeds and nuts often do not find their way into our diet but actually have a lot of good fats, fiber, and protein. A lot of people do not include these nutritious foods in their routine, whereas many people know about their benefits. They may eat nuts, but seeds especially go unnoticed most of the time. So, here we mention the health benefits of different types of seeds that you should incorporate into your diet.
Seeds have many benefits. Most of the seeds are good against diabetes, cholesterol and are high in dietary fiber. Seeds are helpful for water retention from the body and can also help against problems in women like PCOS and PCOD.
Following are the Healthy Seeds that you should introduce to your diet:
Flax Seeds
Flax seeds have a lot of nutrients in them, but most of all, they are high in fiber, protein, lignans, good fat, and antioxidants. The fats in these seeds are the good ones with omega 3, and to get the most benefits out of them, it is best if you use ground seeds.
These seeds are effective against a lot of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, PCOS and PCOD, cardiac problems, weight loss, and even cancer. A tablespoon of flaxseeds may be enough for you, or also you can take a higher dosage if a dietician suggests.
Including flax seeds in the routine is super easy. You can eat a spoonful of ground flax seeds directly, or you can add them to cereals, smoothies, etc. The nutritional aspects of the seeds will be there no matter how you eat them.
Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds have a lot of nutrients and health benefits. In South Asian countries, these are very common in desserts, naan bread, and many other foods. In the west and middle east, their paste called tahini is very popular.
Sesame seeds also have proteins, fibers, lignans, antioxidants, and good fats. Regular intake of sesame seeds can result in better defense against different types of cancers and can also help in reducing inflammation and increasing flexibility.
You can include sesame seeds into your diet in many different ways, including putting them on salads, eating them with your cereals, or any other way you want.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have similar health benefits to those of flax seeds. They are also rich in fibers, proteins, antioxidants, lignans, and other nutrients. Chia seeds are one of the most healthy seeds you can include in your diet.
These seeds are great for weight loss as they get swollen in the stomach and reduce appetite. Also, these have dietary fibers and antioxidants that are effective against many diseases, including complex ones like PCOS and PCOD. Chia seeds can also help against problems like diabetes.
As for how to include them in your diet, you can add them to your porridge, cereals, smoothies, and any foods. Also, you can eat them ground or whole, whichever way you prefer.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are one of the most famous seeds out there. These seeds are rich in nutrients like protein, fiber, good fat, and antioxidants. Also, they are rich in vitamins and even include the immune system supporting Zinc and Selenium in them.
Like other seeds on the list, these seeds carry some serious numbers of health benefits. They are healthy for the heart, reduce bad cholesterol, support your immune system, and keep you energetic,
To add them to your diet, you can eat them rotated or raw. Also, you can add them to salads, cereals, porridge, and smoothies. Even the roasted ones are healthy, so you can eat the roasted varieties and get the same health benefits too.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are another one of the seeds that are high in nutrients and antioxidants. These seeds are rich in zinc, dietary fiber, and fat. Like other seeds on this list, this fat is healthy. So instead of affecting your health in a bad way, these seeds have overall benefits associated with them.
Pumpkin seeds can help in lowering the amounts of cholesterol in the blood, keep your bladder healthy, reduce the chances of cancer, and can improve fertility in men. The antioxidants have many healthy effects on the body.
As for how to incorporate them into your diet, you can eat them directly or eat the roasted varieties. However, avoid the heavily salted varieties as then you may not have the benefits you are looking for. Like other seeds, you can add them to your salads or other foods, or you can make trail mixes as well.
