I previously talked about the benefits of pumpkin seeds in this granola post. So I won't bore you with that information again. However, I've changed up the ingredients again in this post so I'll talk about the "new" ingredients that makes this scrumptious and a health punch in the gut (no pun intended for that bad gut bacteria)!
What's all this health food madness really anyway?
So, as ya know I had a little health scare about a year ago, I've recovered and am ready to take on the world. Extreme experiences lead to extreme make-overs and mine has been 100% for the better :) But it is more than that. Here in the U.S. (and other places in the westernized world), we've ditched what is real, what takes time, and the simple pleasures the earth's energy can bring us. We've succumbed to the evil, yes evil, big corporate processed food giants. Did you know Doritos can be used as a fire starter? Yes, the truth is dangerous my friends. I lived a simple life in a simple town growing up. When I was young my parents didn't have much (I don't really remember, to that point later). I was a happy kid. I ate food my parents grew and shot until... I got to high school and the no fat fad hit. I remember, being very ungrateful for the real stuff and wanting the fake stuff. I remember eating snack well's cinnamon cracker stars for lunch, oh gosh, must I admit that here. I'm sure many of you remember this too. Somehow the no fat craze got ugly and instead of turning to vegetables that are naturally low in fat, we turned to chemicals. However, fat IS GOOD for you. I teetered with health food in college, but it was college and I wasn't great. I felt my best after my first knee surgery when over the summer I adopted a no processed food diet. However, peer pressure and the college life quickly caught back up with my not so good for me food habits. After college and beyond, I got better. Eating nutritious food at home, but binging on nothing but sugar at work--it really wasn't any better than eating horrible food all the time. Surprisingly, real food is good for you too! Who woulda thought? Not to mention, chemicals are bad for you. So, eat real food that spoils, before it spoils!
What's flax got to do with it?
I changed this up and instead of chia seeds, I used flax. I wasn't sure who this was gonna work, as I use flax for egg substitutes. Then I remembered, oh yeh those love them too much flax crackers I make, it should work in granola. So, it was gonna work!!
Flax contains lignans. In fact, flax is the number one lignan containing food, up to 7x more than their competitors. Yay! What are lignans anyway? See, why my head is spinning! Lignans are a phytonutrient that provides us with a unique fiber polyphernols and act as phytoestrogens. "Phyto" = plant, "estrogen" the hormone that gives fertility to female mammals. Phyto-estrogens may be a protective agent against cancers, cardiovascular disease, brain function, healthy cholesterol and osteoporosis. WOW! CHA CHING! The polyphernol antioxidants rank flax seeds pretty high up on the health list (higher polyphernol count that blueberries and olive oil)! Which leads to more accountability in their benefit to prevent cardiovascular disease and decrease insulin resistance. SCORE!
I haven't even talked about the Omega-3 content. We need a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6, 1:1 ratio to be exact, but Americans get, on average, way way way too much Omega-6, about 10-20 times the optimal level. So this pro-inflammatory diet is then prescribed NSAIDs to reduce inflammation in the body, when simple dietary changes will do (now that would be the way to work for this, but some where along the line we went for quick and easy). Dr. Chris Kessler talks in much more detail about the Omega 3 to Omega 6 dilemma.
"In plain english, what this means is that the more omega-3 fat you eat, the less omega-6 will be available to the tissues to produce inflammation. Omega-6 is pro-inflammatory, while omega-3 is neutral. A diet with a lot of omega-6 and not much omega-3 will increase inflammation. A diet of a lot of omega-3 and not much omega-6 will reduce inflammation."
So flaxseeds have lignans, omega-3 and... there is a third component worth recognizing here-mucilage! Yep that slimy gum texture flax gets when its been soaked or mixed with other liquids. This stuff is fiber that supports your intestinal tract (but be careful too much can have adverse effects, like my binge on my flax cracks, more to come about that). This mucilage can or may help improve absorption of certain nutrients. So with their cardiovascular, antioxidant & anti-inflammatory, insulin, and digestive health benefits, plus cancer prevention; why not add these little guys to your kitchen staples. More on flax!
Apricots for a double whammy?
Apricots, dried (as long as they are not sweetened, and don't have preservatives added to them) and fresh are high in: antioxidants, fiber, potassium, soluble fibers, and non-heme iron. What does this do for you? Well lets dig a bit deeper.
Good for eye health! I recently (3 months ago) went to the eye doctor and when I told him my vision had likely improved, he laughed. Then when he tested me he was shocked at the small improvement I had. I full intend next year to shock him again. This wasn't all because of apricots, actually I'm trying to find ways to include them more in my diet, like when I am training but this real food diet is the reason for sure. Speaking of training, apricots balance of potassium and sodium make this a great food to use while training due to their electrolyte content. Apricots increase the production of anti-oxidants which in return helps your body to eliminate toxins. This likely is why apricots can play a role in immune system improvement, cancer prevention (careful here though, they do contain fructose, sugar), skin health and asthma improvement.
I do watch my sugar intake though, and so I go easy on the fruits.
Apricot-Flax Granola
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds (soak for at least 8-10 hours prior)
1/2- 1 cup raw sunflower seeds (soak for at least 8-10 hours prior)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups ground flax
Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
4 Tablespoons maple syrup (I get mine from my parents who tap trees and boil the sap down).
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (organic, no additives)
1/4 coconut or avocado oil
Mix these ingredients into the large bowl with other ingredients.
Spread the mixture evenly onto 2 baking sheets. Place in oven or dehydrator for 6-8 hours, or overnight. Chop the apricots in a food processor. Add dried apricots into the completed mixture or as a topping.
The granola is good for one week. Recommend to store it in an air tight glass container. Serve with almond milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk (full fat from the can).