SATISFYING SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Aren’t sunflowers one of the best examples of the simple pleasures in life? My daughter planted one in a little cup at pre-school before the summer holidays, and after re-potting it at home, she has had the best fun watching it grow, measuring how tall it is against her and eventually running around telling everyone that her sunflower is taller than she is!
I remember the same level of joy from my own childhood, especially when the bright yellow flowers bloom, and later the seeds become visible in the middle. A friend and I took our daughters to a sunflower farm a few weeks ago, and it was such a lovely (and cheap- hooray!) morning out, watching the two of them get lost in the sea of bobbing yellow suns. The plants were all around eye-height for me (and I’m pretty tall!) but the farmer told us that this has been a year of poor growth for their sunflowers which regularly reach 7 feet most years.
Anyway, it got me thinking about the years I lived in the Middle East and always walked past young lads (‘shabab’ as they are affectionately known!) hang around on street corners either smoking or shucking sunflower seeds in a mesmerisingly methodical way whilst chatting about their day. At one point, I got really into shelling and eating sunflower seeds myself during those years, before I realised that all of the packets of seeds contained almost as much salt as the Dead Sea itself!
Since being interested in Ayurveda though, sunflower seeds make a daily appearance in my life, usually milled and sprinkled over my porridge oats in the morning, or made into a butter and put on celery or bread as a quick snack. It’s really important that we get some protein into our bodies before lunchtime, and seeds on cereal are a great way of ensuring that little job is done! Since being pregnant again, I’ve upped my intake just that little bit more.
Sunflower seeds are a fantastic source of both zinc and folate as well as vitamin E. Folate, as all expectant Mums know, helps to prevent spina bifida in babies, as well as supporting the growth of the placenta (which in turn feeds the baby!). Zinc helps to produce insulin and various enzymes, and vitamin E is also involved in fetal development (blood, muscles etc). From an Ayurvedic perspective, sunflower seeds are considered to be ojas producing and are also a sattvic food, providing good, nourishing fats for the body and nurturing the blood plasma and lymph system tissues. As sunflower seeds are also high in magnesium, they are great for women who are past reproductive age as well, or those who are feeling tired, burnt out or a bit on the foggy side.
If you are an extremely Kapha-based person, sunflower seeds are a good alternative to nuts (but should still be eaten in moderation- as with everything really!), and if you’re someone who has spot break-outs as a result of nuts, sunflower seeds are also a great alternative.
I’m sure one of the reasons they are so popular amongst young and old men in various parts of the world is because sunflower seeds have such a satisfying crunch, and when you’re cracking them open with your teeth, your idle hands and mouth all have something to do! If you grew sunflowers in the garden or window boxes this year, have a look and see if there are any salvageable seeds in the dead heads and give them a try- your body will thank you!