All seeds provide us with phytoestrogens! We can add unrefined seed foods to our day and should!
Seed medicine, as I call it, is beneficial in SO many ways for the entire family. It's also extremely important in the area of breast health.
Women who eat the most phytoestrogenic foods are four times less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those who eat the least. "No study has shown a degree of risk reduction similar to that found for phytoestrogens ..." (Lancet, 10/4/1997)
There are many, who follow specific regimens and may or may not eat wheat, peanuts, beans or corn. For the purpose of this post, I am talking about the healing phytoestrogenic qualities of specific foods.
Rich in energy, protein, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much discussed omega-3 fatty acids, nuts and seeds have it all!. Crunchy yet buttery, wonderfully delicious nuts are wonderful gifts to humankind from the mother nature.
Check out this nutritional information ~~ here.
Many people feel that we can digest nuts and seeds more easily by pre-soaking them. This may seem strange to you, but may be worth the extra time ~ and a new helpful habit. Health educator Jessica Espinoza (Delicious Obsessions ) says:
To read her entire article about why + how to soak nuts or seeds, click here.
Hopefully from the lists below, everyone can find some unrefined seed medicine to enjoy!
Seed Medicine encompasses a wide range of foods. These lists are not complete, but to share the idea of the value of including in your day when possible.
Nuts
almonds
pecans
walnuts
Pulses and Beans
black beans
chickpeas
lentils
lima beans
mung beans
pinto beans
Whole Grains
corn
kasha
millet
rice
quinoa
wheat
Seeds
Pumpkin
Sesame
Sunflower
Fruits and Veggies (with seeds!)
blueberries
cucumbers
kiwi
raspberries
squash
strawberries
tomatoes
and then, there's my favourite topic! HERBS ~ of course.. There are others, but the fragrant seeds, of the 'Apiaceae' family, are excellent carminatives too! Want to increase phytoestrogenic consumption and promote breast health? These herbs can help. We may not think of these herbal 'seeds' as an option for a tasty morning or afternoon 'tea', but I encourage you to try them. Delicious and highly nutritious and super powers for breast health and better digestion.
Herbs (that are seeds!)
anise
caraway
coriander
cumin
dill
fennel
Make an easy 'so good for you' SEED MEDICINE TEA with any of these, solo, or in combination.
Put 1 heaping tablespoon of these phtytoestrogenic warriors into a cup.
Fill the cup with just boiled water.
Steep 5-8 minutes.
Drink!
Optional ~ honey or your preferred sweetener
These aromatic seeds increase milk production in nursing women, and also contribute to baby's wellbeing, as the resulting milk is known to promote digestion and soothe colic.
For this purpose, make a larger batch. Drink 1-2 quarts per day, warm with a little honey!
I've written about "Wise Water Tea" (see post here), which is a wonderful remedy to promote better digestion and is used by many herbalists to help clients 'post chemo' or when recovering from chronic illness.
Also, fabulous Fennel Medicine (see post here) offers some ideas about why fennel seeds can be helpful healing food/medicine.
For more references, here's a post about Anise Seed here)
and let's not forget delightful DILL medicine ---> here!
Whichever way you can manage to increase your consumption of seeds, it can be a wonderful idea with measurable health benefits!
Which seeds find their way into your day? Please share!!
Marjorie
Interesting! Love that you combine herbs with the seeds :)
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
That Wise Water Tea sounds wonderful! I love that you mentioned the herb seeds too, I especially love coriander, cumin, dill and fennel. I love caraway too when it's in kraut :)
Anna@GreenTalk
Can add a seed? Amaranth! I adore this plant.
Of course my favorite is seeds from herbs such as fennel!
Kelsey
I love how filling nuts and seeds are, too! I have a bag of mung beans in the pantry that I have NO clue what to do with them...do you have a good recipe? Hoping to make something the whole family will like!
Megan Stevens
It's fun to be reminded that there are herbs that are seeds! And love that you teach soaking!
Susie
I was just talking about this topic with my friend. Sharing! Great info.