Energy-Boosting Super Food Trail Mix

I made an announcement a week ago that I had been selected as one of the Top 10 Health Promotion Professionals in the country, and I was SO excited about it!

Well, I found out even more amazing news this week!! I WON the whole thing and was selected as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the COUNTRY! Ahhhh! I seriously couldn’t believe it when I found out on Tuesday afternoon.

The prize is an all expenses paid trip to San Diego for the WELCOA conference in late March AND I will have the honor of being called up on stage to be recognized and be given a few minutes to speak. I was so excited about it that I woke up yesterday morning and wrote what I want to say! I can’t wait.

Here’s the write-up that WELCOA put together about the award. I’m immensely grateful to have this recognition and the opportunity to share my passion and vision with more and more people.

All of my friends, family, coworkers, classmates, and mentors have been so gracious with their kind words this week. Thank you to everyone who has believed in and supported me. I couldn’t be happier!

I’ve definitely been feeling the love as we make our way into Valentine’s Day this weekend 🙂

What better way to celebrate than to share an energizing, beautifying, heart healthy trail mix recipe with you!

As I’ve shared in the past, one of the keys to eating for all-day energy is to make sure we are including a combination of protein + healthy fats + fiber into our meals and snacks.

It’s also important to include lots of nutrient-rich foods (foods loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other health and beauty-boosting ingredients).

When our body has the nutrients it needs, we’re less likely to have cravings and more likely to maintain our health and weight.

Today’s trail mix fits the bill. We make a batch at the beginning of the week, and it lasts us for about 2 weeks.

Most of the ingredients in this recipe (nuts, seeds, berries) are GBOMBS, an acronym for some of the healthiest foods we can eat – foods that fight inflammation, damage to our cells and fat storage. It also contains blood-sugar balancing cinnamon as a natural sweetener.

Check out some of the super awesome health benefits of this super food trail mix. Click the hyperlink for each ingredient to learn more specifics about why it’s such a super-powered food!

Pumpkin Seeds: Loaded with vitamins, minerals, fats, and protein that may promote heart health, immune health, help fight diabetes, and offer unique benefits for men’s prostate health and women’s relief of menopause symptoms

Sunflower Seeds: Good source of magnesium to calm your nerves, muscles and blood vessels; anti-inflammatory, heart healthy fats and vitamins; the detoxifying and cancer preventive mineral selenium; rich in compounds called phytosterols that promote healthy cholesterol levels.

Almonds: Rich in the skin-beautifying, anti-aging antioxidant vitamin E and full of anti-inflammatory fats and phytochemicals (think, fight-o-chemicals!) that help protect our skin and our heart.

Walnuts: Cancer-fighting properties, promote heart health, contain powerful and protective antioxidants, aid in weight control, boost brain health, and help with blood sugar control in diabetics. Our heart health is something we should all take very seriously. Many people’s diets are poisoned with fast food and sugary snacks. Now more than ever, it is of paramount importance that people learn CPR. In fact, CPR training in Ottawa might help you master the skill.

Goji Berries: Known as the “longevity” fruit in China after being used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years, goji berries are truly a super food. They have been associated with vision and immune health, improved memory, and cancer protection. Find them cheapest at an Asian market or Home Goods. You can also find them in health food stores and on Amazon and Vitacost, but they are a bit pricy.

Cacao Nibs: Raw cacao contains more than 300 phytochemicals and more antioxidants than any other plant food. It’s loaded with compounds that are known to improve heart health, cholesterol, stress levels, and inflammation and naturally boost our mood and feelings of “bliss.” Raw cacao nibs are basically pieces of the raw cacao bean (where chocolate comes from). They are a bit bitter but have a nice crunch, so I usually eat them in a trail mix or sprinkle them on a smoothie.

Coconut: Check out this post about the health benefits of coconut. I wrote about it in my 11 Sweet Treat Pantry Essentials Post.

You can find all of these ingredients at Nuts.com!

Ingredients

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup goji berries or raisins
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
1 cup coconut flakes, lightly toasted
1 cup roasted chickpeas (Nuts.com, The Good Bean, Biena and Chickpeatos are great brands!)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly coated and store in a glass container in the fridge.