Podcast Episode 14 – Immunity – The Second ‘B’ and the ‘S’ in G-BOMBS

Patryce (00:00): Hi, Shonda how are you?

Shonda (00:02): Good. So, Hey, what, what are you talking about today? Oh, we're finishing up G-BOMBS today.

Patryce (00:09): Yes. Yes. B the other B. And we're going to do B and S so we're doing berries and seeds, right?

Shonda (00:18): Berries and seeds. That's right.

Shonda (00:31): Hi and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks lifestyle podcast. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patryce. Let's just be real. [inaudible] Here's our disclaimer. We do not officially practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.

Shonda (01:21): G-BOMBS is an acronym that you can use to remember the best anti-cancer, health-promoting foods on the planet. So check out the show notes. Learn more information. Learn more information. There will be recipes and a few videos to support what we're discussing today. Let's see berries and seeds. So berries and seeds. Seeds also includes nuts. So we'll be talking about all these things today. And I guess just like we've been doing, I mean, let's just talk about what our favorites are and you know, maybe some things we want to try out or something like that. And, um, how to incorporate berries and seeds and nuts.

Patryce (01:54): I'm a big fan of berries, but I do know my favorite. And one of them would be blueberries because they're, well, first of all, what are berries? There's small, soft round fruit. And they come in various colors like blue, red, or purple. And, um, so one of my favorites are blueberries. And as far as I know, they're just, they're blue, dark blue, purple, whatever you want to call it. But these are not only delicious and nutritious, but they're very convenient (I find them to be) to pop in your yogurt or just to eat by the handful. And some people freeze them and just have berry treats. So frozen little berries, [Right, Yeah] that'd be good. Good to... And they're a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and uh, all these I think are low in calories. Another favorite for me are raspberries. Sometimes I eat blueberries and raspberries together. Uh, generally, I get red raspberries for the family. And again, the one thing about raspberries though... I did not realize they come in black. Black, black, raspberries.

Shonda (03:02): Hm, black raspberries?

Patryce (03:05): Apparently, the only reason I bring it up, is apparently they're all good for you, but the black rasberries maybe even a more nutritious. So I'd love to try those out. So I'll be on the look out for the black raspberries and then also another favorite strawberries. And I think that is a popular one in the U. S. Period, then also cranberries And I love, I like cranberries. I like that tartness. Unlike the rest, they have more tart a tart taste and they're very, they're well-known to be beneficial to females for the urinary tract health. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, oh, acai berries. And I know people pronounce it different ways, but that's the way I'm going to pronounce it today.

Shonda (03:53): Now, those are usually...you usually get those dried already, right?

Patryce (03:56): Yes. Dried or nowadays we get a lot of them... Frozen packs of them to throw into the smoothie.

Shonda (04:03): Okay. And they're bitter, right? Like cranberries.

Patryce (04:06): Yes. I'm glad you brought that up because they are naturally more bitter or not as sweet, but so many things sold with acai berries have sugar added. So you have to be careful about that because acai berries are originally from the Amazon. And so we look out for the ones you purchase so that you're not getting more sugar than you expect. Um, so that's why we usually get the packs. And there's a brand that doesn't have sugar added and all of these that I've mentioned have seeds in them, uh, I don't think there's any need to not eat the seeds, but actually the seeds are healthy.

Shonda (04:45): Right. You know, I think one thing we should mention is if, if it's possible to buy, um, organic berries, because berries are sprayed with a lot of pesticides normally, because they're just a tender fruit, you know, and, and insects are attracted to them. Yeah. I mean, maybe not even every time, but sometimes treat yourself to organic berries. Fruit that 's soft that we eat the whole fruit try to go organic. And the other fruits that maybe have a peel on them, not that necessary to go organic, if you have to choose which to buy organic and which not. Hey, I just thought of one that I don't think you mentioned. Well, there are two. What about cherries? And they're naturally sweet. They can be tart and sweet at the same time. Those are some that I know that we really enjoy here along with, um, my daughter likes blackberries.

Patryce (05:49): Oh, that's right. I forgot those. Yeah. Those are yummy too.

Shonda (05:52): Other ways that we can use berries are, you know, did you mention already putting them on top of oatmeal?

Patryce (05:58): No, I didn't mention any uses. Just my favorite.

Shonda (06:01): Just drop them on oatmeal and you know, along with what we're going to talk about next, that would, that just makes a great combination for seeds and nuts and berries all on top of your oatmeal. And then, you know, um, I bought, since we just came out of, uh, Thanksgiving season, I did buy some organic cranberries and I rinsed them and I put them on a single layer and I froze them, you know, put them in a bag. And then now it doesn't take many to get the benefits from them. I can throw five in a smoothie, you know, that's kind of sweet with bananas and things and it doesn't, and it's not like I'm just trying to eat a cranberry smoothie, just throwing like four or five in there. You know, if I put that in there every day, over time, that adds up. So that's one option. That's something new that I just started knowing that I need more of the, the red antioxidant type berry in my diet.

Patryce (06:58): That's a great tip because I have a pack of cranberries in the refrigerator that we didn't use. And I'm like, what am I going to do with all these? But I can freeze them. You're saying. And I think we've mentioned already that the, I mean, of course they're healthy foods, they're high in vitamin C, they're antioxidants... They have fiber. And because of that, fiber will help make you feel more cool and they're low in calories. So those of us who are looking at our waist, trying to stay our fit selves, it's another good way to do so by having various for a treat or even for dessert fruit can be a great dessert option. And yeah, we can make our parfait with, well, I'm not as creative as you are, but with the fruit, with the yogurt. And then we're going to talk about seeds and nuts. Maybe we should move into that now because berries and seeds and nuts that they go well.. They compliment one another,.

Shonda (07:49): Right? Yeah, they do. Okay. Yeah. Let's talk about that.

Patryce (07:52): So what are your favorite seeds or nuts?

Shonda (07:55): Well, On a regular basis in the pantry, we have walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Those are the top five that I keep and I do throw all of them in oatmeal on a regular basis. If I'm having oatmeal, I'm having a nut with it. At least a nut. I may not have a fruit, may not have a fruit, but I always have a nut or, you know, nut milk. I do sometimes make my own nut milk by just adding water and nuts and blending it up and squeezing it out in a nut bag. That's a little extra step, but it's really creamy. It's really creamy when you make it on your own, because you can make it as thick or thin as you want. Just makes for a delicious breakfast. I throw raisins in there and this morning I threw fresh cranberries in there. Those are our top five. I usually keep the pantry well-stocked with that. Uh, Leslie and I are the only two that really eat the nuts and we both put it in our oatmeal.

Patryce (09:05): We have some of the same nuts. Um, one thing, um, did you mention, yeah, you did mention pumpkin seeds. And did you mentioned flaxseed?

Shonda (09:14): Not yet. Do you use a lot of flaxseeds?

Patryce (09:20): I have begun to explore use of flaxseeds. And as I had told you over the Thanksgiving holiday I actually made that yummy, sweet potato pie, but I learned that you need to..., I had not bought the flaxseeds.

Shonda (09:34): Ground flax seed,.

Patryce (09:36): So I learned that that you can still eat them, not ground, but I''ve made since another pie with a texture that was definitely improve upon. They have a bit of a nutty smell to me...[inaudible] and then flaxseeds have a lot of health benefits. Yeah. So I'm trying to incorporate those more.

Shonda (09:56): Yeah, they do. They are, I will definitely put a link to that, but I know they have high amounts of good fatty acids. So yeah, I use a lot of flax seeds because I make like, when I make any kind of breads or pancakes or anything, I use it in place of an egg... Ground and mixed with water and it becomes a good egg replacement. So that was really how I started using flax seeds. And I also, every now and then I do remember just because I don't remember when it's already ground, I keep it in the freezer to keep it from going rancid. And I remember to put it in my smoothie, but it's in another freezer. It's not with my fruit, so maybe I should move it over to the fruit where the fruit is. And then I will remember, what do you think about chia seeds?

Patryce (10:45): It's a huge fan, but I, a friend that introduced me years ago to we just put... She just puts it every morning in some water or juice, just add a small amount and let them become a little gelatin like and drink it.

Shonda (10:58): Yeah, they do. Chia pudding is popular for those who like chia seeds. So I'll make sure and find a good recipe for that. If anyone wants to try that recipe. Um, but just like flax seeds, they both have the good fatty acids. They're both some that I had to get, get an acquired taste for.

Patryce (11:20): I can see that. I can see that.

Shonda (11:23): They're really different. So when you start, you just may want to sprinkle a little in here and there, or use it as an egg replacement and you will not really taste the flaxseed flavor that way.

Patryce (11:37): But what about the chia seeds. Do do those come grounded too or no?

Shonda (11:42): You know, I don't think I've ever seen she chia seeds grounded. Yeah. I think most chia pudding, just like an addition or whatever into a treat or smoothie or on top of oatmeal and things like that.

Patryce (11:58): And did you mention hemp seeds?

Shonda (11:59): I didn't.

Patryce (12:00): Oh, okay. Those... That's one other seed that we have in the past to throw into our smoothie. That's the only way I used them. And they're great that way. Um, maybe I should look into other ways to incorporate them into our diet, but they're actually, you know, they're, they're good for you as well. They seem to have a lot of my magnesium.

Shonda (12:19): And they do have a good flavor. You know, I don't have any, but you know, now I may want to get some to add to oatmeal because I'm always telling people they're like, I'm busy. I don't have time. You know, oatmeal is like a staple breakfast for me. I'm busy in the morning. You know, I can get more creative later or more adventurous in my food, but in the morning, I'm just ready to get to work on my projects. I mean, think about all the berries we've talked about, all the nuts and seeds. There's such a variety that we can do with oatmeal by adding different nuts or different seeds or different fresh berries or dried berries and things to have a different oatmeal everyday.

Patryce (13:04): Yeah. That's good. Especially with this weather this time of year, it's a warm, hot cereal and we overlook that. And now that I think about, I used to eat it a lot and I've just forgotten about it. But now that we're talking about seeds and berries and nuts, it's time for me to bring out the oatmeal again. And I like the steel cut

Shonda (13:24): And steel cut is very easy in the InstantPot, just a plug for InstantPot, because I love my InstantPot.

Patryce (13:32): I hear you. It's a great way to make sure you get your berries in and oatmeal itself is good too, because it's, uh, high in fiber too.

Shonda (13:42): High in fiber. Yes.

New Speaker (13:44): Because also when I've had it in the past, now that you've mentioned, I'm still full. So you tend to not overeat the rest of the day. That's just been my experience. So anyway, I think it's a great idea, especially with the holidays coming up to get creative, or just start doing the oatmeal and see how that goes.

Shonda (14:04): Yeah. That's a good idea. So I guess we just like to invite you to try to incorporate more berries and seeds in your diet. If you know that there's room for improvement in that area. There will definitely be show notes full of ideas. So there we have it, we've completed the G-BOMBS series. We just want to remind you that this is just a great acronym to incorporate healthy foods into your diet and ways that you can remember. Did I have all my G-BOMBS today? [Yes.] We hope you're entering a great holiday season...

Patryce (14:40): We hope that you found something interesting or something that you'd like to try out yourself and again, share it with others so we can all begin the journey of just incorporating healthy foods into our diet. And one way is using the G-BOMBS.

Shonda (14:51): Yeah. Remember the G-BOMBS. Let's all... I invite you all to join me on my morning oatmeal.

New Speaker (15:01): I'm going to. Count me in.

Shonda (15:03): Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy today's podcast. Remember you can catch show notes and additional details@realfoodanddrinks.com under the podcast menu. Also subscribe to our podcast. If you aren't already a member of our community. And if listening through anchor, please send us a message of topics you would like to hear us have conversations about until next time. Let's just be real.