Have you ever spent a night nestled in bed, blissfully teetering on the precipice of sleep, only to be jolted awake by an unwanted thought or a repressed memory of something stupid you said to a friend in the 3rd grade? Sure, nobody remembers the stupid thing you said or did, but now that you’re thinking about it, the memory leads you into a spiral of secondhand embarrassment that keeps you awake, tossing and turning until the morning sun peaks through the curtains? Only me? Ok. But in all seriousness, in this modern world we are living in, it is not uncommon to be stressed, anxious or lose sleep due to one reason or another. A small change in diet might be just what you need to enjoy a restful night of sleep!
Did you know that eating 100g of sunflower seeds provides you with about 585 calories of energy?* Sunflower seeds are an impressively nutrient-dense snack that have many health benefits and may even help you sleep at night! The reasoning behind this is the simple fact that sunflower seeds, along with other members of the nut and seed group, contain tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that cannot be produced by the human body, but instead must be acquired through diet.** This amino acid can be found in many animal and plant-based protein sources, but here at Foods Alive we enjoy getting ours by snacking on our extensive variety of seeds and nuts! It is important to eat enough foods that contain tryptophan because this amino acid aids in the production of serotonin, which stabilizes one’s mood, and melatonin, which helps to regulate one’s sleep pattern.
Furthermore, when eaten, sunflower seeds provide our bodies with necessary vitamins like niacin, B6, C and E as well as minerals like zinc, iron and potassium. These vitamins and minerals help to build immunity and can prevent the damaging of healthy cells while also reducing one’s cholesterol. Since these seeds offer a notable amount of fiber, are rich in protein and are a great source of polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats, they are a perfect snack to satiate your hunger throughout the day. So, the next time you’re having trouble sleeping, reach for a bag of Foods Alive raw sunflower seeds and reap all the benefits of this magical superfood!
Sources:
* https://pharmeasy.in/blog/health-benefits-of-sunflower-seeds/
** https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-tryptophan#2
