Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system produces antibodies that wrongly attack the body’s own cells. It does this by finding and fighting off viruses and bacteria that enter your body. An autoimmune disease occurs when your healthy organs and tissues are being targeted by your immune system.
There are many types of autoimmune diseases. Some only involve one area of your body. Others may involve many different parts of the body.

Most of our shoppers either have an autoimmune disease or are preventing getting one... 

More than half of Australia’s population live with pain and discomfort caused by gut issues...
According to the CSIRO Often under-diagnosed and untreated, gut health issues can lead to chronic conditions and have a huge impact on quality of life. The key to good health is having a healthy gut.
Increased Intestinal Permeability (‘Leaky Gut’) occurs when the cells lining the gut become damaged, resulting in larger particles of undigested food, bacterial toxins and germs entering the blood stream causing inflammation and irritation. This can manifest in symptoms from anxiety to abdominal pain, diarrhoea, migraine, mood swings and lowered immunity.

According to Better You...Cravings for specific foods could be an indication of a deficiency in a micro or macro nutrient. In particular, a craving for chocolate could highlight a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is an essential mineral and is required for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body.

The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
 
Low-carbohydrate diets restrict carbohydrate consumption relative to the average diet. Foods high in carbohydrates are limited, and replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of fat and protein, as well as low carbohydrate foods.

Why should I eat wholefoods?

Evolution Nutrition says: ''Wholefoods are good for us because they provide the body with a wide range of nutrients it needs to function correctly. Such foods also tend to be lower on calories and more satiating, which means that we are much less likely to overeat on them and become overweight. If you want to stay healthy and live a long and vibrant life, then you should base your diet on wholefoods."

All foods made here at SeedsOfLife are made with real certified organic wholefoods!

They say it takes 21 days to change your habits, fuel your brain with real wholefoods that your whole body will thank you for, for many years to come!

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. These are the chemical names of 5 naturally occurring sugars that are not well absorbed by your small intestine.
In some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), these sugars can trigger symptoms, such as:

• diarrhoea
• flatulence (farting)
• abdominal pain and bloating
• constipation

These symptoms can affect your life, make you feel uncomfortable and cause embarrassment.
A low FODMAP diet has 2 stages.

1. In the first stage you temporarily reduce foods which contain these sugars. This helps you to identify if your symptoms are triggered by one of these sugars.
2. In the next stage you learn how much of these foods you can eat before your symptoms appear. This way of eating is often followed permanently. This can help people with IBS control their symptoms.

Which foods are high in FODMAPs?
Many foods contain FODMAPs. Some of these foods are:

• garlic
• onions
• apples
• green peas
• some marinated meats
• dairy products (e.g., milk and yoghurt)
• chickpeas
• wheat, barley and rye-based bread

People with symptoms of IBS may find it helpful to limit the amounts of high FODMAP foods they eat. And increase the amount of low FODMAP foods they eat.
Learn more here...

Increase your plant protein!

Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids.

You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.

Read more here...

Why Is Protein Essential For Your Body?
1. Build. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. In fact, your hair and nails are comprised mostly of protein.
2. Repair. Your body uses it to build and repair tissue.
3. Oxygenate. Red blood cells contain a protein compound that carries oxygen throughout the body. This helps supply your entire body with the nutrients it needs.
4. Digest. About half the dietary protein that you consume each day goes into making enzymes, which aids in digesting food, and making new cells and body chemicals.
5. Regulate. Protein plays an important role in hormone regulation, especially during the transformation and development of cells during puberty.
Read more here...

More About Our SeedsOfLife THOR...

Ever wondered why we call it the THOR loaf? Heidi originally created this bread for Chris Hemsworth!
Our SeedsOfLife THOR Bread is a premium activated seed and nut bread. It is high in zinc from pepitas, dietary fibre, nutrient dense, low carb, high protein, and packed with plant power from quinoa, and is completely grain and gluten-free! 
Unlike some plant proteins, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. 
Learn more about quinoa here...
Containing only the highest quality Certified Organic Ingredients: Almonds, chia, sunflower seeds, pepitas, linseeds, psyllium, Brazil nuts, quinoa, coconut, coconut oil, water.
Our team and customers say that they are full for well over 5 hours after eating only 2 slices!

Nutrient-dense foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important to our health. They also don’t have too much saturated fat, added sugars and/or sodium. Nutrient density is the amount of nutrients you get for the calories consumed. Research suggests that the standard American diet is energy-rich and nutrient-poor. When we say energy, we mean calories. And “empty calories” are in foods that provide a lot of calories without much nutritional value.

GERD, diarrhea and colorectal cancer are examples of gastrointestinal diseases. When examined, some diseases show nothing wrong with the GI tract, but there are still symptoms. Other diseases have symptoms, and there are also visible irregularities in the GI tract. Most gastrointestinal diseases can be prevented and/or treated.

What are gastrointestinal diseases?
Gastrointestinal diseases affect your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, from mouth to anus. There are two types: functional and structural. Some examples include colitis, food poisoning, lactose intolerance and diarrhea.
What are functional gastrointestinal diseases?
Functional diseases are those in which the GI tract looks normal when examined, but doesn't move properly. They are the most common problems affecting the GI tract (including your colon and rectum). Constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, gas, bloating and diarrhea are common examples.
Many factors can upset your GI tract and its motility (ability to keep moving), including:

• Eating a diet low in fiber.
• Not getting enough exercise.
• Traveling or other changes in routine.
• Eating large amounts of dairy products.
• Stress.
• Resisting the urge to have a bowel movement, possibly because of hemorrhoids.
• Overusing anti-diarrheal medications that, over time, weaken the bowel muscle movements called motility.
• Taking antacid medicines containing calcium or aluminum.
• Taking certain medicines (especially antidepressants, iron pills and strong pain medicines such as narcotics).
• Pregnancy.

Some people also have heightened sensitivity in the organs of their GI tract (visceral hypersensitivity). This can make them feel pain or discomfort even when the organs are functioning normally.

Read more here...

Why We Love Green Banana Flour

At SeedsOfLife we use Natural Evolution Green Banana Flour which is made only from Lady Finger Bananas, a unique and treasured variety of bananas that harnesses the highest nutritional and resistant starch properties available in the world. Rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre and bio-actives. The Lady Finger bananas are grown organically and bio-dynamically to ensure the best nutrient-dense and completely natural food product, free from additives and preservatives. Green Banana Flour is high in resistant starch fibre – clinically tested in an internationally accredited laboratory.
Sticky Date Pudding pictured.

So, what is resistant starch and why is it so good for you...

Resistant Starch is a food source that resists digestion in the small intestine and offers the consumer some very unique health benefits.

• Prebiotic – feed your microbiome and heal your gut. Green Banana Resistant Starch encourages the growth and activity of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria and fungi) this contributes to the well-being of their host (you!).
• Weight loss – often referred to as a second meal, resistant starch in this form allows you to eat once and be satisfied as though you have eaten twice. Resistant Starch in this form also increases metabolism.
• Increase absorption and capacity of antioxidants and minerals – especially calcium which can aid in preventing Osteoporosis
• Promote colon health and aid in the prevention of colon cancer
• Prevent diabetes and aid in the treatment of diabetes
• Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Reduce incidences of gallstones
• Reduce symptoms of diarrhoea

Read more about the benefits of Green Banana Flour here...

If you are allergic to nuts, eating — or even just being exposed to — a small amount can trigger an allergic reaction. Nuts are one of the most common triggers for anaphylaxis — a severe reaction that can be life threatening.
A nut allergy develops when the body's immune system becomes over-sensitive to a protein in a nut. Being exposed to the nut causes an allergic reaction.
Nut allergies are becoming more common in Australia and can be very serious. About 1 in 5 children with a nut allergy will need emergency medical attention at some point. Very sensitive people can have a reaction if they are exposed to tiny traces of nuts: for example, through eating, breathing or simply touching a nut.
About 2 in 100 people have a nut allergy. Nut allergy is most common in infants and young children, but sometimes appears for the first time in adults. About 3 in 100 infants have a peanut allergy. About 1 in 5 of these will grow out of it, but the rest are likely to have peanut allergy into adulthood. About 1 in 3 people with nut allergy are allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts, such as almonds, macadamia nuts and cashews.
People can be allergic to different types of nuts. The most common ones are peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.
Read more here...