Like nuts, seeds are full of protein, healthy fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And their size makes it easy to add them to meals. Toss into cereals and salads, add to smoothies or baked goods, or use instead of bread crumbs.

1. Flax
One tablespoon has 2.8 grams of fibre and 2.1 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. Eat them ground for better absorption.

2. Sesame
They’re high in copper (for the skin and immune system), magnesium (for your heart and lungs), and calcium (to keep your bones strong).

3. Chia
These super absorbent seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and are packing with protein and fibre. Eat this earthy-tasting seed for its calcium—2 tbsp offers as much as a slice of cheddar!

4. Sunflower
These mild seeds contain more vitamin E (good for the heart and skin) per serving than any other food. They’re high in magnesium, too. Sunflower seeds also help prevent heart disease and cancer with phytochemicals, folate, selenium and copper.

5. Pumpkin
With 4.7 grams of healthy mono unsaturated fats per tablespoon, these savoury seeds can help lower bad (and raise good) cholesterol levels in the blood. The light and nutty pepita houses iron, a mineral that helps maintain high energy levels.

6. Hemp
It's one of the few vegetarian sources of complete protein, meaning it contains all 20 amino acids, key to building calorie-burning muscle.


References:
Yoga Journal Karen Asp
Self Jessica Girdwain

It is International Diabetes Day today (November 14). We wanted to share some interesting facts about diabetes according to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s 2012 report “Diabetes in Canada: Facts and figures from a public health perspective”                         

• Physical activity is important for both diabetes prevention and management. In 2009-2010, almost half (47.4%) of Canadians aged 12 years and older reported that they were physically inactive (leisure and transportation index).
• In 2009-2010, more than half of Canadians aged 12 years and older (55.9%) reported eating less than five servings of vegetables and fruit a day. Inadequate consumption of vegetables and fruit is used as a proxy measure of unhealthy diet, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, largely through its effects on body weight.

If you or someone you know has diabetes there are some fantastic resources found on www.diabetes.ca and International Diabetes Federation. There is also a wonderfully informative blog called Diabetes Mine. Become informed. 

Click below to Take the Test!  

Our wellness team at In Balance, are highly qualified clinicians that offer chiropractic, spinal decompression, massage therapy, acupuncture, and yoga therapy. We offer treatment for private clients, sport injuries, post surgical, and MVA clients. If you are a motivated and outgoing individual please follow the photo link below to see the careers available at In Balance. 

We are bombarded with information on how to eat healthy. We all know what we should do.
Here are a few helpful hints to actually do so, to help to kick the sugar habit. Create self awareness to end mindless eating. 

1. Give yourself time: “Take one day at a time. Take one hour at a time. Even one minute. You have to kick sugar addiction sometime, so it may as well be now. You will have an even energy, calmness and clarity that you have probably not experienced for years.” –Zoe Harcombe, The Obesity Epidemic
2. Make the sugar in your house difficult to get to. Put it up high, out of reach and out of sight.
3. Eat healthy fats. An avocado, nuts, (make sure they are unsalted), natural peanut butter, fish, tofu, plain Greek yogurt, and seeds.
4. Eat more protein. See my article on protein.
5. Meal plan. Snack plan. Do not leave your hunger until it is ravenous. Never, ever be genuinely hungry too often or for prolonged periods of the day. White-knuckling it between meals and snacks puts you in jeopardy! 
6. Plan. Think about the general layout of a grocery store: The outside is home to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, and whole grain breads. Take different routes to avoid your nemesis. Don’t go down the junk aisle in the store. Walk around the office to avoid the candy bowl. Go the long way round to avoid the dessert buffet. Walk on the other side of the mall from the cookie store. Constantly be looking out for sugar dangers and give them a wide berth.
7. Public accountability is a huge motivator. Share your plan with someone who can help. Call a friend, do some jumping jacks, have a glass of water and breath deeply. And just like your mother used to say, "if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple (or some nuts,) then you're not hungry."