These sweet treats taste delicious and can help you nourish your body and mind! Dates, the fruit of the date palm tree, have been enjoyed for centuries in many cultures worldwide. But did you know that dates are also an excellent source of nutrition? From providing essential vitamins and minerals to enhancing your mood, adding dates to your diet can help nourish your body and mind.
The Nutritional Benefits of Dates
Dates are a great energy source and contain essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and fiber. They also contain healthy fats like oleic acid, which helps reduce inflammation. Additionally, dates are low in sodium and free from cholesterol—two crucial factors for maintaining heart health.
But perhaps most importantly for women’s health, specifically, dates contain phytoestrogens, which are plant-based compounds with estrogen-like properties. These phytoestrogens help regulate hormones, benefiting PMS relief or a more balanced menstrual cycle.
Mental Health Benefits
In addition to helping nourish your body physically, dates can also help raise your mind too. Dates are high in antioxidants which fight free radicals that can damage the brain cells, causing cognitive decline over time. Studies have shown that consuming higher levels of antioxidants can reverse cognitive decline by reducing plaque build-up in our brains – plaque commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. On top of this, research has found links between antioxidant-rich foods like dates and improved memory function – making them an ideal snack choice if you’re studying or looking to increase mental focus throughout the day! Lastly, because they are high in fiber, they help keep hunger at bay, which means fewer sugar cravings throughout the day – an essential factor in managing long-term stress levels!
In summary, adding dates to your diet is an excellent way for women to boost their overall physical and mental well-being. By providing essential vitamins and minerals and healthy fats needed for hormone regulation – eating dates daily is an easy way to enjoy all these benefits without any added effort! Not only do they provide nutritional benefits, but their naturally sweet taste makes them a satisfying snack choice without any added sugar or artificial ingredients – making them an ideal choice when looking for something sweet! Here are some simple recipes for you to try.
Banana, Oat & Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 medium Banana
- 1 cup pitted Dates (chopped)
- 1/3 cup Coconut Oil
- 2 cup Dry Rolled oats
- 1/2 cup hulled Sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas and combine them with chopped dates and oil. Add the oats, sunflower seeds, and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Drop spoonfuls onto the baking sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes until the top is golden and the cookies are cooked. Serve and enjoy!
Super easy Chewy Almond Butter Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pitted Dates
- 1 cup whole Raw Almond
- 1/2 cup Almond butter
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups Dry Rolled oats
- 1/2 cup Raw Cacao Nibs
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the dates and almonds until they are well-chopped. You can also do this by hand if you do not have a food processor.
- Remove the blade from the food processor, add the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and mix well.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and make sure they are evenly incorporated in the mix.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Add a layer of parchment paper to the top of the mixture and press it down well using a large can or jar.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper (but save it) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Once removed from the oven, add the parchment paper to the top and press the mixture into the pan again. This helps the bars stick together.
- Refrigerate and allow to cool before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
