CACAO POWDER, NIBS, AND BUTTER
Most of us love chocolate but few know that it is derived from the fruit of an odd-sounding tree called cacao.
Cacao can be purchased as nibs, powder, or butter. Raw cacao powder has nearly four times the antioxidants of regular dark chocolate, making it one of the most concentrated sources of antioxidants available. In addition, it contains protein, calcium, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium, sulfur, and more than 380 phytochemicals.
One of the best ways to consume cacao powder is to buy raw cacao nibs and then grind them into powder in a small coffee grinder just before using. Or you can purchase raw cacao butter, which is far less bitter and easier to tolerate, although it has fewer antioxidants than nibs or powder. Ideally both should be organic and Fair Trade.
How to eat it: Cacao powder and butter both taste great added to a smoothie with a small amount of a natural sweetener—you can use either or both. I find that stevia works best to convert the cacao powder into a delicious treat, and I have three small smoothies a day with it. It contains no polyunsaturated fat at all, so you don’t have to worry about cacao powder nudging your omega-6 fat intake too high, as you do with most all other nuts and seeds on this list. Cacao butter can also be used wherever you would use butter.
BLACK SESAME
You may have eaten sesame seeds on a bagel, but black sesame seeds are a totally different food. Unlike white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds are unhulled, giving them a more complex flavor and delivering a wallop of additional nutritional benefits.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine classic text the Compendium of Materia Medica, written during the Ming Dynasty, says, “Taking black sesame seeds can heal all the chronic illness after 100 days, improve skin tone on body and face after 1 year, reverse gray hair after 2 years, and regrow teeth after 3 years.”
Black sesame seeds have more calcium per gram than any other food and are excellent sources of magnesium, copper, and zinc, making them one of nature’s multivitamins. They are also rich in lignans, a type of plant compound rich in polyphenols and insoluble fiber. Once ingested, lignans are converted into weak forms of estrogen that help regulate hormone balance in the body, and can potentially help reduce the risk of hormone-associated cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate). There is research suggesting that postmenopausal women who have a high intake of dietary lignans have a 17 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to those with a low intake.1
How to eat: Toss one ounce of seeds in a stir-fry of low-carb vegetables, sprinkle a small handful over a salad, or even eat them straight, making sure to chew them well and not just swallow them. Or you can add a tablespoon to a smoothie along with some of the other seeds on the list.
Humans have long grown flax and used it to make linen fabric, but its usefulness is just as applicable to the inside of the body as it is to the outside. Flax seeds’ beneficial properties fall into three major categories:
How to eat flax seeds: Whole flax seeds can be freshly ground (in an inexpensive coffee or spice grinder) just prior to eating. Even better would to soak them overnight and add them to the blender when you make your smoothie. You can use about a tablespoon in your smoothie, or sprinkle freshly ground flax meal into smoothies, vegetable juices, or soup; add them to eggs or guacamole (their subtle, nutty flavor won’t overpower); and use them in place of bread crumbs in meatballs or crab cakes.
An important caution here is to avoid using pre-ground flax seeds or even worse, flax seed oil (which is advocated on the Budwig Cancer Protocol). Please understand that nearly all flax seed oil is seriously oxidized and should be discarded. It is easily replaced with the equivalent amount of soaked flax seeds.
Remember: one of the most important principles of MMT is to use the highest-quality and freshest ingredients possible, which will maximize the health benefits of using this approach.
Chia seeds were a prized food to the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. Chia is the ancient Mayan word for strength, and the tiny seeds were valued for their energy-boosting properties.
Chia seeds are a quick and easy-to-use source of protein, healthy omega-3 fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all rolled into one tiny package. Although they have similar health benefits to flax seeds, chia seeds don’t have to be ground prior to consumption, and they don’t go rancid as quickly either. In fact, chia seeds are said to last up to two years with no refrigeration, courtesy of the high levels of antioxidants they contain.
Perhaps their greatest benefit is their high amount of fiber: just one tablespoon of chia seeds contains about 5 grams of fiber.
How to eat: When chia seeds are soaked in water or coconut milk overnight, they take on a tapioca-like texture; add some cinnamon and/or raw cacao powder and a bit of stevia for a pudding-like treat that can be eaten any time. You can also sprinkle chia seeds over smoothies or soups, but they do absorb water and become gelatinous, so if it’s crunch you’re after, sprinkle them on just before eating. Or sprout your chia seeds (yes, just like with a Chia Pet) and eat these nutritional superstars in salads or on their own.
Caution: If you have a history of difficulty swallowing, or are giving chia seeds to children, take care not to eat a handful of them and then immediately drink water, as they can quickly form a gel-like ball that can partially block the esophagus, requiring medical treatment to remove.
BLACK CUMIN
Black cumin, also known as black seed, black caraway, onion seed, and Roman coriander, has a long history of use in traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda. The prophet Mohammed even described this humble black seed as a cure for every disease but death itself. It is important to understand that black cumin seeds are not the same as the cumin spice. They are not as easy to find in grocery stores as some of the other seeds but can easily be found online.
More than 650 peer-reviewed studies have looked into the potential health benefits of “black seed” and have found it to have antimicrobial, liver-protective, immune-supporting, analgesic, antispasmodic, and antioxidant properties.2
Black cumin may also have anti-obesity effects, including reductions in body weight and waist and hip circumference.3
How to eat it: With a warm, slightly bitter flavor that tastes something like a blend of thyme, oregano, and nutmeg, black cumin is a palatable addition to your diet. You can add the seeds to casseroles, stir-fries, and salad dressings (try them mixed with lemon, cilantro, and tahini); sprinkle them on salads; or even add them to your coffee or tea. You can also make black cumin tea by pouring hot water over the seeds (about one tablespoon) and letting it steep for 10 minutes. I add about one tablespoon (or 11 grams) of black cumin seeds to my breakfast smoothie every morning.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Though made famous in paintings by Van Gogh, and for populating entire fields in the south of France, sunflowers are actually North America natives. They were cultivated by Native Americans as early as 3000 B.C. and used as food and as a source of oil, and even ground into flour.
Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E, copper, B vitamins, manganese, selenium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects cell membranes and cholesterol from free radical damage, giving it powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
How to eat them: I firmly believe that the best way to consume sunflower seeds is to sprout them. Spouts in general are a powerful delivery system of raw, living nutrients, and sunflower sprouts are the most nutrient dense of all sprouts—about 30 times more nutrient dense than most vegetables. Seek to include a few ounces regularly in your salads. They are expensive to purchase (about $30 per pound) but cost well under $1 per pound if you grow them yourself. (Go to mercola.com and search for “sprouting seeds” for more information on how to do this.)
Sunflower seeds are also great on their own as a snack. Mix them into high-fat, grass-fed burgers, add them to a grain-free granola, sprinkle them over a salad for a refreshing texture addition, or use a high-powered blender to grind them into sunflower butter. As sunflower seeds have a high omega-6 oil content, they spoil easily; keep them in the refrigerator or freezer if possible, and definitely away from light.
PUMPKIN SEEDS
If you’re in the mood for a crunchy snack that doubles as a phenomenal health food, look no further than pumpkin seeds. With a wide variety of nutrients ranging from magnesium and manganese to copper, protein, and zinc, pumpkin seeds are nutritional powerhouses wrapped up in a very small package.
Magnesium participates in the creation of ATP, the synthesis of RNA and DNA, the pumping of your heart, proper bone and tooth formation, relaxation of your blood vessels, and proper bowel function. Magnesium has been shown to benefit your blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke. Yet an estimated 80 percent of Americans are deficient in this important mineral.
Like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds also contain high levels of phytosterols and free radical–scavenging antioxidants. They are also high in fiber.
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc (one ounce contains more than 2 mg of this beneficial mineral). Zinc is important to your body in many ways, including immunity, cell growth and division, sleep, and mood. Zinc is also important for prostate health (where it is found in the highest concentrations in the body).4
How to eat them: Raw pumpkin seeds are great on their own. They are also a good addition to grain-free granola, salads, and soups, or freshly ground and added to your smoothie.
PSYLLIUM SEED HUSKS
If you’re looking for a healthy way to supplement your fiber intake—which is an important part of Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy—organic, whole-husk psyllium is a simple, cost-effective way to do it. Psyllium is a high-fiber food source that is actually the ground husks of the seeds of the Plantago ovata plant. It contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, which have a long list of important attributes that contribute to physical health, as I covered in Chapter 5.
Taking psyllium three times a day could add as much as 18 grams of dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble) to your diet, which brings you quite close to the recommended minimum of 50 grams per 1,000 calories consumed—although please understand that using psyllium is not a replacement for eating plenty of fiber in the form of vegetables. This level of psyllium would have to be worked up to gradually and may not be necessary for everyone.
Caution: If you suspect that you have a bowel obstruction or have a history of bowel adhesions, only take psyllium under appropriate medical supervision.
How to eat it: Psyllium is perfect for adding to smoothies, as it blends well and changes their texture, making them thicker. You can also mix one heaping tablespoon in a glass of water three times a day, and follow it with another glass of water to help the fiber pass through your system. Please keep in mind that psyllium is a heavily sprayed crop, which means many common sources are contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. For this reason, be sure to only use organic psyllium husk, and make sure it’s 100 percent pure: many supplement brands use synthetic or semi-synthetic active ingredients that do not contain psyllium, such as methylcellulose and calcium polycarbophil. I also recommend choosing a psyllium powder that does not contain additives or sweeteners, as these tend to have a detrimental effect on your microbiome. Sugar in particular feeds potentially pathogenic microorganisms, which is the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. It also adds to your overall carb count, and this is counterproductive to the aims of MMT. Also be wary of artificial sweeteners. Research is slowly building the case that these foreign foods can lower the number of beneficial bacteria, resulting in a negative impact on your microbiome.
MACADAMIA NUTS
When you think of macadamia nuts, Hawaii might come to mind, but this nut is actually native to the continent Down Under, which explains why the fruit is also known as the Australian or Queensland nut. These are some of the most sought-after nuts in the world, so expect to pay more.
Macadamia nuts have the highest fat and lowest protein and carb content of any nut, and they also happen to be one of my favorites. Raw macadamia nuts also contain high amounts of vitamin B1, magnesium, and manganese. Just one serving of macadamia nuts nets 58 percent of what you need in manganese, and 23 percent of the recommended daily value of thiamine.
About 80 percent of the fats in macadamia nuts are monounsaturated, and most of those fats are the omega-9 fat, oleic acid. This is the same fat that is also present in olive oil, so they provide many of the same benefits as olive oil. They are typically less oxidized than olive oil because the fat is intact, not extracted (if you consume them, as recommended, as a fresh, raw nut).
If you have pets, it’s important to note that macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs and can cause weakness, vomiting, loss of coordination, tremors, and hyperthermia.
How to eat: These tasty nuts are a perfect snack eaten on their own. You can grind them into nut butter, chop them finely and use them to “bread” meat or fish, chop them more coarsely and add them to a salad, or mix them into soups for a little crunch. Keep your consumption to 60 grams or less a day.
PECANS
The pecan tree traces its origins to North America. Throughout millennia, pecans were an important staple in the Native American food supply. And Native Americans were instrumental in teaching the early colonists how to harvest, utilize, and store pecans as an essential source of nourishment to tap into during harsh winters.
Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, and research has suggested that they lower LDL cholesterol and promote healthy arterial function.5 Pecans are a close second to macadamia nuts on the fat and protein scale, and they also contain anti-inflammatory magnesium, heart-healthy oleic acid, phenolic antioxidants, and immune-boosting manganese.
Pecans are in the top 15 foods identified by the USDA as high in antioxidant activity. Pecans are also chock-full of minerals including manganese, which is not easily obtained from your diet.
How to eat them: Raw pecans are delicious eaten on their own, or chopped and combined with coconut oil, ground cacao nibs, cinnamon, and a little bit of stevia for a sweet treat. For a truly delicious savory snack, toss raw pecans in butter and sprinkle them with sea salt and then roast them using low heat.
BRAZIL NUTS
Brazil nuts are a nutrient-dense and delicious type of nut that comes from a tree in South America that bears the same name.
Brazil nuts are most notable as an excellent source of selenium, an essential mineral that may be beneficial in preventing cancer and other chronic diseases and as an antagonist to mercury. They also have a high-fat and low-protein content, following closely behind macadamias and pecans. And they are rich in zinc; this is important given that so many Americans are deficient in this mineral.
There is a long and impressive list of health benefits associated with Brazil nuts, including their ability to help stimulate growth and repair, improve the digestive process, boost heart health, balance hormone function, improve the immune system, lower risk of cancer, boost male fertility, help with weight loss, aid in skin health, and reduce the signs of aging.
Brazil nuts also contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease or to those who have increased risk for heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors.
Despite their many health benefits, eating more than a few per day has downsides. For one, you can easily exceed your ideal intake of selenium and that can have a negative impact on your health. Also, due to their extensive root systems, Brazil nuts contain small amounts of radium.6
How to eat them: Brazil nuts are great eaten whole. It is important to eat shelled Brazil nuts quickly, as the high fat content makes these nut varieties go bad quite quickly. Like the other nuts listed in this section, they can also be chopped and sprinkled over other foods included in the MMT protocol.
ALMONDS
Almonds are technically not a nut; they’re a seed. The almond tree is in the same family as peach, apricot, and cherry trees, and like those cousins, almond trees bear fruit that have a stony seed, or pit. The almond is that pit.
Almonds contain l-arginine and are also good sources of potassium, a mineral that helps normalize blood pressure.
Do be careful not to overeat almonds, however, as they are high in protein: four almonds contain nearly 1 gram. They are also relatively high in omega-6 fats, about 30 percent, so too many will distort your healthy omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio. The have about 60 percent saturated fats and only 10 percent monounsaturated fat.
It can be difficult to find truly raw almonds in the U.S. because almonds sold in North America can still be labeled “raw” even though they’ve been subjected to one of the following pasteurization methods:
It is possible to purchase raw almonds in the U.S., but it has to be done through vendors who sell small quantities of genuinely raw almonds and have obtained a waiver from the pasteurization requirement. The key is to find a company with this waiver.
If you do choose to consume almonds, you may want to soak them first. This will help rid them of the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors they naturally contain. Enzyme inhibitors in nuts (and seeds) help protect the nut as it grows, decreasing enzyme activity and preventing premature sprouting. But in your body, these enzymes can interfere with the function of your own digestive and metabolic enzymes. To make soaked nuts more palatable, you can use a dehydrator to improve the texture.
How to eat: Of course, you can simply snack on almonds. You can also grind them into almond butter using a high-powered blender and spread it on celery, or mix it into smoothies with ground cacao nibs for a nutty, chocolatey treat. Store almonds in a dark cabinet, the refrigerator, or the freezer to preserve freshness and prevent rancidity.
I personally don’t eat any almonds because I want to keep my omega-6 content low, but they can be used in a limited amount. It’s probably best to limit them, like seeds, to about 15 grams per day.
NUTRIENT LEVELS OF MMT-FRIENDLY NUTS AND SEEDS
Note: Values are based on volume measurement of one level tablespoon, which makes measuring easy. There is a wide range of weights, from 4 grams with psyllium to 11 grams with cacao nibs.
| Seed/Nut | Fat | Protein | F/P | Carbs | Fiber | C/F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cacao Nibs | 4.7 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| Black Sesame | 5.2 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Flax | 4.2 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 1.1 |
| Chia | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 1.2 |
| Hemp | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 |
| Black Cumin | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.8 |
| Sunflower | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 3.4 |
| Pumpkin | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 2.8 |
| Psyllium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 |
| Macadamia | 7.6 | 0.8 | 9.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Pecan | 7.2 | 1.4 | 5.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Brazil | 6.6 | 1.4 | 4.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Almond | 4.0 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 |