Food is powerful medicine. Each day we need to feed ourselves and I believe that we should make those meals count. As a naturopathic doctor I regularly council people on diet and nutrition. But I learned early in my career that it isn’t enough to tell people what they should eat. Food needs to be satisfying to our senses and emotions. Most importantly, in our fast-paced lives it needs to be easy to prepare. That is why healthy recipes are integral to healthcare.
It is much easier to focus on the foods we should eat than on the ones to avoid. One of the best ways to boost nutrition is to include superfoods in our daily diet. They provide more than nourishment, they are nutrient dense and have specific health benefits. For example, darkly colored berries such as blueberries, goji berries and raspberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants and flavinoids. Eating them regularly reduces inflammation and strengthens blood vessels. They also protect against a variety of diseases including heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
After recommending medicinal foods for years, I decided to create my own recipe for superfood snacks. To be honest I needed them myself. With a highly demanding job and two small children it was becoming increasingly difficult to eat a balanced diet. I found myself missing meals and the six-hour lag between lunch and dinner was a set up for low blood sugar. It may be ideal to sit down to three well-rounded meals, but when that isn’t possible it helps to have Power Balls.
I designed these snacks to provided sustained energy. They are high in protein and fiber, low in sugar and gluten-free. They also contain the superfoods flax and maca to balance hormones and improve mood. The other ingredients are extremely versatile and can be easily adapted to suit individual taste or avoid allergens.


FLAX
Cheap and tasty flax seeds are one of the original power foods. Flax seeds are the best vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids (EFAs) are extremely important because they include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and hormone balancing properties. One of the most common uses of omega-3s is in the treatment of mood disorders and depression. Unfortunately, EFAs are scarce in the modern American diet and supplementation is often necessary.