We love pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds for their rich minerals, B vitamins and essential fatty acids. They also make a delicious snack, especially in a methylation trail mix recipe like this one.
Chocolate tip: Look for organic, dark chocolate (70%+ cacao) wherever you can. Check to make sure you’re comfortable with the ingredients!
What is methylation? Methylation is one of those fundamental processes happening in each of our cells ALL of the time. Poor methylation is connected with myriad health conditions, including heart disease, depression, birth defects, and more. Specific nutrients are essential for the proper functioning of methylation activity in the body, including those provided by this recipe. You can read more about methylation here.
The “dance of methylation” extends far beyond supplementing with B12 and methylated folate. Indeed, long term outcome studies using this approach are lacking, and research suggests caution is advised with regard to imbalanced hypermethylation. However, much can be done to safely support methylation balance.
Sparing “methyl donor drain” through appropriate lifestyle interventions, including reducing total body inflammation, augmenting the microbiome and promoting exercise, stress reduction and sufficient sleep, along with a careful dietary prescription that supports methyl donor reserve is a safe, nuanced approach which allows the complex, homeodynamic process of methylation to take place.
To learn more about how to eat and live your way to methylation health, click here for articles and our eBook, which contains over 40 exclusive recipes, free of gluten and dairy as well as dietary plans and lifestyle interventions.
Methylation Adaptogens
How to balance your methylation support program to avoid excessive methylation and optimize long-term health outcomes
Download your free copy of our new, free methylation download.
In this PDF, you will learn how you can optimize your methylation support program using methylation ADAPTOGENS + enjoy a free bonus adaptogen recipe.
Methylation Trail Mix
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds hulled
- 1/2 cup Cashews coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut oil melt for one minute in oven while it is preheating, in oven proof container
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt
- 1/2 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While oven is pre-heating, place coconut oil in oven-safe container, inside oven to melt, about three minutes.
- In mixing bowl, combine pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews and coconut oil. Season with sea salt and mix well. Spread on rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toast until golden, about 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove mixture from oven, place on plate and set on counter. When cool, combine seed and nut mixture with coconut flakes, cinnamon, chocolate chips. Mix to combine. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe was submitted by our Nutrition Resident, Jill Sheppard Davenport. Jill is an integrative health educator, health coach and workshop facilitator. Her compassionate, science-oriented approach empowers clients to understand and address the root causes of their symptoms. Jill’s clinical, research and teaching interest is functional nutrition for mental health. Jill earned a Master of Science in Nutrition and Integrative Health from the Maryland University of Integrative Health and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. She received additional training in functional nutrition, mindfulness meditation, mental health rehabilitation and suicide prevention. Jill is founder and director of JustHealth LLC, which provides integrative nutrition, mindfulness and suicide prevention workshops for healthcare institutions and workplaces. Previously, Jill directed health policy, advocacy and education initiatives for the nonprofit and government sectors.