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Gopal’s Pumpkin Seed Sprouties are the Perfect Travel Food

I am always on the search for healthy snacks that I can take with me on-the-go or for whenever I travel.

My ideal snack is nutritious, filling, and not too sweet. I don’t want to eat something and suffer through that “sugar hangover”, even if it is derived from a natural source.

Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are that perfect food. Not only do they satisfy my hunger, but they provide excellent health benefits:

– Rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus.

– A great source of Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and protein.

– Makes you happy. Pumpkin seeds contains tryptophan, an amino acid that gets converted in the body into serotonin, a neurotransmitter widely believed to be responsible for happiness. (This is particularly important for someone like me, who was on antidepressants for more than a decade.)

– High in zinc, which protects against osteoporosis.

Interestingly, pumpkin seeds were first discovered in Mexico around 7,000 BC, and North Americans were the first ones to recognize their medicinal properties.

With all of these great attributes of pumpkin seeds, why can’t you just buy them out of the bulk bin?

Well, you can. However, I prefer buying Gopal’s Pumpkin Seed Sprouties. And here’s why.

Gopal’s is sprouting these seeds, which means soaking them in water and then dehydrating them.

Soaking pumpkin seeds, or germinating them, helps to remove enzyme inhibitors. The more enzymes that we can get out of a food, the better.

Among other things, enzymes play an important role in the digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and they also support the immune system.

In the process, soaking also increases the seeds’ bio-availability, which means we can maximize their health benefits.

A few things of note here. One, the organic pumpkin seeds by Gopal’s are raw. This means that they are in the most pure, natural form and have not been roasted. Two, the company is adding stone ground Himalayan Crystal Salt, a very high quality salt. It is important to remember that not all salts are the same, and most companies will use very poor quality salt, which should be avoided.

Gopal’s offers two different types of their organic pumpkin seeds: original and savory (below). The savory one includes turmeric, lemon, ginger, and cayenne — all foods that have incredible medicinal properties.

 

I like to mix the two flavors, which gives it a very balanced taste.

If you’re traveling or want a nutritious snack to take with you to work, definitely check out Gopal’s Pumpkin Seed Sprouties.  Click HERE to buy the original ones and click HERE to buy the savory ones.

Needless to say, I am a big fan!

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How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink