Yum. Sesame seeds.

These little delights are packed full of nutrition. We add them to everything. Stir fry’s, salads, casseroles, baked vegetables and now…smoothies. The Chef often grabs a handful at work (in the Japanese kitchen) as a little snack because he loves the flavour and knows they are good for him.

So why am I adding them to a smoothie? Well they have a unique gentle nutty flavour and it is a way of packing some more nutrition into the day. As you may already know, I am constantly on the quest to find things to ADD to my diet rather than things to restrict.

Sesame Seeds are loaded full of fibre which helps maintain a healthy digestive system, prevent colon cancer and lower cholesterol. They also contain manganese and copper and are a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1 and zinc.

What is most exciting about sesame seeds is that they contain tryptophan, and amino acid that gets converted in the brain to the neurotransmitter ‘serotonin’. Neurotransmitters help to transport electrical messages from nerve to nerve in the brain and other cells. It is also very important in enhancing our mood and regulating sleep. What a bonus!

I have very thick curly hair and use sesame oil that you normally use to cook with, to rub into my hair and provide moisture and definition to the curls. Added bonus!

Recipe:

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 2 cups your choice of milk
• 1 banana
• 1 tsp honey

Nutrition

So what else does this smoothie have going for it?

Chia seeds: Very high in fibre and contain protein and iron. They contain high levels of antioxidants. They also contain Omega 3 oils which are essential for keeping skin healthy, reducing inflammation and protecting our heart from heart disease.

Cocoa: Very high in potassium which is essential for keeping our blood pressure from becoming too high. It also contains iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, and phosphorous as well as small amounts of calcium, zinc, selenium, riboflavin and niacin.

Banana: bananas are also high in potassium which, as already mentioned is crucial  in keeping our blood pressure from increasing and maintains the balance of fluid in all of our body cells. I often suffer from fluid retention caused by too much salt, and eating foods high in potassium can help to reduce fluid retention.

Bananas are also high in fibre and contain B vitamins and good carbohydrates for energy.

Just like the sesame seeds, bananas contain Tryptophan which gets converted to the feel good hormone serotonin and can therefore help to regulate our mood and sleep.

Maybe this smoothies should be re-named ‘make me feel awesome smoothie’.

Do you have a favourite use for sesame seeds? We would love to hear from you! Drop us a comment below.

Here are some of our recipes you may wish to take a peek at:

• Delicious Date and Cocoa Bites with Chia and Sesame Seeds (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)
• Chocolate Chia Seed Cake (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)
• Healthy Choc Peanut Milkshake (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)
• Strawberry Smoothies (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)
• Beetroot and Berries (thenutritionguruandthechef.wordpress.com)