This week we have a new speciality item on the menu that will be your new favorite go-to snack. Bliss balls, protein balls, seed bombs…These treats go by many different names, but whatever you want to call them, they are full of nutrients and are a perfectly well balanced snack. Our bliss balls are made with a combination of dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, organic almond meal, and Hindu Hillbilly honey. These are a great option for fueling your energy on a hike, sustaining hunger through your usual midday lull, or can even be a dessert! Not only do these bliss balls have a balanced profile of fat, protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and natural sweetener, they contain lion’s mane & maca which both help to fight inflammation and boost your immune system!
The base of this recipe is made up of almond flour which will keep you feeling fuller for longer than traditional pre-made snack bars that can contain refined flour and sugar. These ingredients will often spike your blood sugar. Once that spike occurs in our system, there is nowhere to go but down. With that crash of energy comes feelings of lethargy, hunger, and an increased cravings for food that are higher in sugar and calories. The cascade effect begins and we can get caught in a cycle of processed food. On the other hand, almond flour bases have a low glycemic index. This means that the release of sugars into your bloodstream is much slower and happens over a period of time and will give you longer sustained energy levels. On top of all of the benefits of helping to support your regulation of blood sugar it contains Vitamin E and Magnesium! (1)
Nutrient Boosters!
Pumpkin Seeds: These seeds are high in protein, healthy fats, magnesium, and zinc. Zinc is an essential mineral that is important for keeping your immune system strong and helps your body fight infections, heal wounds, and even repair cells.
Maca: People in the Andes have grown Maca for thousands of years and they use the root as traditional medicine and food supplement. Maca has been used to help things like energy, poor memory, bone density, and hormones. It is also full of high levels of iron and iodine to promote healthy cells. Maca contains large amounts of potassium which helps digestion and helps to maintain the correct water balance in the cells of your nerves and muscles. Without potassium, your nerves could not generate an impulse to signal your body to move, it keeps your muscles happy and moving. Maca is also rich in calcium, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals (3).
Lion’s mane: Medicinal practices throughout Asia and India have used Lion’s Mane for hundreds of years. These large, white and shaggy fungus contain bioactive substances that have beneficial effects on the body, brain, heart and gut. Lion’s mane is considered an adaptogenic mushroom, this means that it works to reduce negative effects on the body (4). It increases the body’s resistance to stress and helps to promote normal functioning and protect our bodies against stress related damage (2). Lion’s mane can also boost immunity by increasing activity of the intestinal immune system, this protects our body from pathogens that can enter through our mouth or nose. This protection occurs because of the beneficial changes in gut bacteria that can stimulate the nervous system (4).
Make sure to grab your order of Apricot Bliss Balls this week. They will quickly become one of your favorite snacks!
Gerontakos SE, Casteleijn D, Shikov AN, Wardle J. A Critical Review to Identify the Domains Used to Measure the Effect and Outcome of Adaptogenic Herbal Medicines. Yale J Biol Med. 2020 Jun 29;93(2):327-346. PMID: 32607092; PMCID: PMC7309667.
Friedman M. Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health-Promoting Properties of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) Mushroom Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia and Their Bioactive Compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Aug 19;63(32):7108-23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b02914. Epub 2015 Aug 5. PMID: 26244378.
Lobo V, Patil A, Phatak A, Chandra N. Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods: Impact on human health. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010 Jul;4(8):118-26. doi: 10.4103/0973-7847.70902. PMID: 22228951; PMCID: PMC3249911.
Panossian A. Understanding adaptogenic activity: specificity of the pharmacological action of adaptogens and other phytochemicals. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2017 Aug;1401(1):49-64. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13399. Epub 2017 Jun 22. PMID: 28640972.