By Tamara Jacobi 

Spring is a time of year when you may be eyeing those seed packets at the grocery store, wondering what you might plant in your garden this year. I might also suggest that while seeds are on your mind, why not consider the role that they play in your diet? 

Many seeds are so tiny that they’re often over looked. It’s easy distracted by the appeal of nuts. But in this case, bigger isn’t necessarily better!  Seeds are full of mysterious secrets. In fact, a seed is the essence of a new life. Wouldn’t it make sense that this is a powerful source of nutrition?  

The list of reasons to get seeds into your diet is long, but here are some of my favorite reasons:

– powerful natural energy boosters
– high in vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc
– good source of healthy fats and protein (makes these a great snack for after a workout)

Not sure where to start with seeds? Some of my personal favorites are sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. Now what to do with them? If possible, it’s best to eat seeds raw and ideally go organic.  Seeds can be heavy in pesticides and roasting seeds at high temperatures will change the structure of their delicate oils.

Here are some ideas for simple ways to get raw seeds into your diet:

– eat a handful for a snack
– add to salads
– mix with sauteed or steamed veggies
– add to granola
– make some homemade crackers
– add to homemade bread

To get you started with seeds, here is a quick and simple recipe for a chia seed energy drink. http://junglegirlhealth.com/blog/2012/04/chia-seed-energy-drink

Remember, it’s important to listen to your unique body and slowly decipher what you require to keep yourself fully nourished and healthy.  I’m here to support you with this! Contact me today for your free breakthrough health session. www.junglegirlhealth.com

Tamara Jacobi, Certified Health Coach

Tamara Jacobi is a certified health and nutrition coach who received her training at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is the founder of Jungle Girl Health, www.junglegirlhealth.com, offering health coaching over the phone to individuals who are ready to feel and look their best. By using whole foods for healing and lifestyle balancing techniques, Tamara helps people understand how to heal and nourish their bodies completely.

Tamara leads an adventurous and active lifestyle, dividing her time between the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Mexican Pacific coastline.  In Mexico, she is the owner and manager of the Tailwind jungle lodge, a certified sustainable jungle lodge and adventure tour company just north of Puerto Vallarta, www.tailwindjunglelodge.com. Tamara also guides adventure tours for the Tailwind jungle lodge including sea kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and hiking. In her free time she spends as much time as possible playing outside. She is a passionate skier, road biker, trail runner and stand up paddle boarder.