- Yield:1 serving
- Difficulty:Easy
- Time:10 minutes
‘Super-Food’ is a term that gets thrown around all too often these days. So, I’ll provide a fun and easy recipe where this term is not taken so lightly. This wonderfully interesting natural pudding bowl is packed to the gills with stuff that’s outrageously good for you! It also has a fun mix of tastes: tart, tangy, and sweet, as well as textures: Juicy, chewy, and crunchy. If you like tapioca and trail mix, this is for you. This is also the time of year you will find pomegranates for sale in the supermarkets and health food stores; whereas chia seeds, EFX Sports whey protein isolate, and dried goji berries are thankfully available year round!
I will give you a quick run-down of the benefits these foods offer. There are so many, it’s hard to squeeze them all into one blog!
Chia Seeds:
These are loaded with antioxidants, lots of fiber (11 grams per ounce!), calcium, boron, omega-3 fatty acids (except DHA, so you still need to eat salmon). A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition has shown it can actually reverse dyslipidemia in rats and can completely prevent the onset of it while on a high-sugar diet, as well as having reduced belly fat (Yay! That’s all I need to hear!) Chia can also absorb 10 times its weight in water, which is great for three things: staying hydrated, curbing hunger, and it has soluble fiber which can support the growth of good bacteria in the large intestine, which is a large part of your immune system.
Pomegranate:
It reduces cortisol and increases salivary testosterone levels (study was done by Queen Margaret University of Edinburg), it contains flavonols which are natural anti-inflammatories and animal studies have shown that these compounds are effective in treating arthritis; studies have also shown that they can improve memory, lowers blood pressure, jeez the list goes on and on! If more people ate this fruit, the cost of healthcare would go way down!
Goji Berries:
Goji berries are packed with vitamin C and beta-carotene, 11 types of essential amino acids (which the body doesn’t make), 7 non-essential amino acids (ones that are made by the body), protein, trace minerals, B vitamins, iron, etc.
There is evidence they can stabilize blood sugar and boost fertility (results from a study done by the College of Public Health at Wuhan University in China showed goji berries protect against testicular tissue damage induced by heat exposure). They help protect the skin from UV light damage (as shown in an animal study done by the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney). Last but not least, there was a study (in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine) that found people who ate goji berries had feelings of increased well-being, mood, increased energy, and better digestive function. Who doesn’t want all of that?
Ingredients:
- 1 scoop of vanilla EFX Sports Training Ground Isolate
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tbsp. goji berries
- ½ pomegranate (¼ cup of seeds)
- 1 stevia packet (optional)
Directions:
Cut a circle in the top and bottom of the fruit, and remove the cut out parts. Make 4 or 5 cuts in the gentle ‘dips’ down the sides of the fruit, being careful not to cut in too far. Now pull the pieces apart. You should have a large bowl of water handy. Pick out the seed sacs (they are called arils) from the rind under water because the juice stains. (I definitely recommend you wear a dark color while doing this!) The seeds sink to the bottom of the water, and any of the rinds will float up to the top. Skim and empty out the water as you take out the amount of seeds you need for the recipe. Finally, put the chia, protein, stevia, and pomegranate seeds together in a bowl, and mix well. Prepare for a sensory experience!
Nutrition:
Protein: 30.25 g
Fat: 6 g
Carbs: 26.5 g
Fiber: 9.25 g
