Extra Virgin Olive Oil

May 26, 2017

Tahini

May 26, 2017

Dates

All Dates

Dates are a good source of various vitamins and minerals. It’s also a good source of energy, sugar and fiber. Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc can be found in them. They also contain vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K. The health benefits of dates are the following:

Relieve Constipation

Dates are often categorized as a laxative food. This is why they are so frequently eaten by people suffering from constipation. In order to achieve the desired laxative effect of dates, you should soak some of them in water over night, then consume it in the morning when it becomes like a syrup, to get the most optimal results. They have high levels of soluble fiber, which is essential in promoting healthy bowel movements and the comfortable passage of food through the intestinal tract, which can relieve symptoms of constipation.

Treat Intestinal Disorders

The nicotine content in dates is thought to be beneficial for curing many kinds of intestinal disorders. Continuous intake helps to inhibit the growth of the pathological organisms and thus, they help stimulate the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines. In terms of digestive issues, they contain insoluble and soluble fibers, as well as many beneficial amino acids which can stimulate the digestion of food and make it more efficient, meaning that more nutrients will be absorbed by the digestive tract and enter your body for proper usage.

Cure Allergies

One of the most interesting facets of dates is the presence of organic sulfur in them. This is not a very common element to find in foods, but it does have a worthwhile amount of health benefits, including the reduction of allergic reactions and seasonal allergies. According to a study done in 2002, organic sulfur compounds can have a positive impact on the amount of suffering people experience from SAR (Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis), which affects approximately 23 million people in the United States alone. They are a great way to somewhat stem the effects of those seasonal allergies through its contributions of sulfur to the diet.

Promote Weight Gain

Dates should be included as a part of a healthy diet. They consist of sugar, proteins and many essential vitamins. If dates are consumed with cucumber paste, you can keep your weight at a normal, balanced level, rather than over-slimming. One kilogram of dates contains almost 3,000 calories, and the calories in them are sufficient to meet the daily requirements for a human body. Of course, you should not eat just dates throughout the day. If you are thin and slim and want to increase your weight, or if you are trying to build your muscles to impress some girl, or you have become weak due to a serious medical problem – you need to eat dates!

Strengthen Bones

The significant amounts of minerals found in dates make it a super food for strengthening bones and fighting off painful and debilitating diseases like osteoporosis. Date contains selenium, manganese, copper, and magnesium, all of which are integral to healthy bone development and strength, particularly as people begin to age and their bones gradually weaken. So eat your dates and give a boost to your bones!

Treat Anemia

Dates have a high mineral content, which is beneficial for many different health conditions, but their impressive levels of iron make them a perfect dietary supplement for people suffering from anemia. The high level of iron balances out the inherent lack of iron in anemic patients, increasing energy and strength while decreasing feelings of fatigue and sluggishness.

Boost Energy

Dates are high in natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Therefore, they are the perfect snack for an immediate burst of energy. Many people around the world eat dates for a quick afternoon snack when they are feeling lethargic or sluggish. Often when you exercise in a gym, outside or even on a stretching machine at home, you feel exhausted, chewing few dates at such times helps you regain your energy immediately.

Maintain Nervous System Health

The vitamins present in dates make it an ideal boost to nervous system health and functionality. Potassium is one of the prime ingredients in promoting a healthy and responsive nervous system, and it also improves the speed and alertness of brain activity. Therefore, they are a wonderful food source for people as they begin to age and their nervous system becomes sluggish or unsupported, as well as for people who want to keep their mind sharp.

Promote Heart Health

Dates are quite helpful in keeping your heart healthy. When they are soaked over night, crushed in the morning and then consumed, they have been shown to have a positive effect on weak hearts. They are also a rich source of potassium, which studies have shown to reduce the risk of stroke and other heart-related diseases. Furthermore, they are suggested as a healthy and delicious way to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body, which is a major contributing factor of heart attacks, heart disease, and stroke. Therefore, when taken twice a week, dates can seriously improve the overall health of the heart.

Treat Sexual Weakness

Studies have shown that dates are even beneficial for increasing sexual stamina. Soak a handful of dates in fresh goat’s milk overnight, then grind them in the same milk with a mixture of cardamom powder and honey. This mixture becomes a very useful tonic for increasing sexual endurance and reducing sterility caused by various sexual disorders. The science behind this phenomenon is largely due to traditional usage which stimulated formal research. In 2006, Bahmanpour studied the effects of date palms and their oil on sexual functioning and found that the high levels of estradiol and flavonoid components of dates are what increase sperm count and motility, as well as promoting increased testes size and weight. So, if you are looking for a masculine boost, eat some dates, because they are a great natural aphrodisiac!.

Prevent Night Blindness

The benefits of dates are extensive and are commonly employed to fight off various conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat. When the leaves of the date palm are ground into a paste and rubbed on and around the eyes, or when dates are ingested orally, it has been shown to reduce the frequency of night blindness, and this solution is commonly used in rural areas where dates grow as an alternative medicine.

Relieve Intoxication

Dates are commonly used as a remedy for alcoholic intoxication. They provide quick relief and have a sobering effect in case you feel as though have consumed an uncomfortable amount of alcohol. They can also be used the following morning to prevent severe hangovers. Again, they should be rubbed and soaked overnight for the best results.

Treat Diarrhea

Ripe dates contain potassium, which is known as an effective way of controlling diarrhea. They are also easy to digest, which further helps alleviate the unpredictable nature of chronic diarrhea. The soluble fiber in them can also help relieve diarrhea, by providing bulk to the bowel movements and promoting normal, healthy functioning of the excretory system.

Prevent Abdominal Cancer

Research has pointed towards dates being a legitimate way to reduce the risk and impact of abdominal cancer. They work as a useful tonic for all age groups, and in some cases, they work better than traditional medicines and are natural, so they don’t have any negative side effects on the human body. They can be quickly and easily digested for a quick boost of energy.

Tazdat® Date Spread With Honey

Date Syrup

A recent study suggests that date syrup could exhibit health benefits through its antibacterial activities, similar or sometimes stronger than honey! Date syrup actually contained a number of phenolic compounds that form naturally in the date fruit as it matures. These compounds can influence the flavour, colour and texture of the syrup, and are known for their antioxidant potential; but now they're being shown to have antibacterial activity, too.

When the syrup was mixed with a range of disease-causing bacteria - including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa - it inhibited their growth in about six hours, which researchers say is faster than manuka honey, which is known for its antibacterial and wound healing properties.

Tazdat Date Syrup

Medjool Dates

Multiple Nutrients

Medjool dates are loaded with calories, carbohydrates, proteins and no fat. The sugar in them is usually glucose, fructose and traces of sucrose and maltose.

Fiber Rich

Medjool dates have a great amount of dietary fiber, supplying you with 27% of the recommended daily allowance. Their soluble fiber is important in regulation of blood sugar as well as levels of cholesterol. Notably, the beta-D-glucan in Medjool dates aids in water absorption hence adding bulk to stool. This prevents constipation.

Source of Potassium

Medjool dates contain more potassium than other known mineral to man. Potassium assists in balancing body pH, maintaining intercellular fluid balance as well as blood sugar regulation. Deficiency in this mineral could cause elevated blood pressure hence the 20% RDA comes handy.

Rich in Copper

With 18 percent of the recommended daily allowance of copper mineral, medjool dates are useful in the body for absorption of iron, formation of collagen, red blood cells formation, healthy nervous system as well as energy generation.

Provides Satiety

Medjool dates are great foods to control addiction for sweet foods. Their high fiber content keeps you full for long hence curbing the cravings. It also aids in keeping a healthy digestive system, hanks to loads of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and plenty of amino acids. Additionally, it helps in dealing with irritable bowel and constipation.

Healthy Snack

You do not have to worry about weight gain when you eat Medjool dates; they are bereft of any fats and have absolutely no sodium or cholesterol. So, go ahead and indulge in eating this healthy fruit snack!

Regulation of Blood Pressure

The high natural sugar levels in Medjool dates as well as potassium keep you invigorated with energy. Potassium in Medjool dates (by the way they contain more potassium than bananas) builds muscles tone, enhancing you physically.

Combats Arteriosclerosis

The anti-oxidants in Medjool dates play an important role in ridding from the body bad fats as well as reducing the risk cancers. Their high fiber content also plays an important role in fighting deposition of plaque, mostly associated with development of arteriosclerosis.

Anti-oxidant Properties

Manganese in Medjool dates serve as co-factor for a compound known as superoxide dismutase. This anti-oxidant is useful in the body for destroying free radicals which damage to cells. The other anti-oxidant, phenols, aids in lowering high levels blood triglycerides.

Tazdat® Medjool Dates

Tahini

High in Healthy Fats and Amino Acids

Compared to other nuts and seeds, sesame seeds have one of the highest oil contents by weight — which is why tahini is exceptionally silky smooth compared to other nut butters (like peanut or almond butter). Sesame seeds contain up to 55 percent oil and 20 percent protein, exactly why they’re well-known for providing both healthy fats and certain essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein). While it might be a high-calorie food based on volume, a small amount of tahini goes a long way. It has a rich, nutty flavor that comes through strongly in recipes, plus tahini can benefit your heart, hormonal and skin health even when you use just a small amount. Most of sesame seeds’ fat is polyunsaturated fat, while a small amount is monounsaturated and saturated. Roughly 50 percent to 60 percent of the fat within tahini is made up of two beneficial compounds: sesamin and sesamolin. Tahini also contains phenolic compounds, linoleic acid, oleic acid, gamma-tocopherol, and amino acids including lysine, tryptophan and methionine. Sesame seeds are around about 20 percent protein by weight, making them a higher protein food than most other seeds or nuts.

Great Source of Essential Vitamins & Minerals

Tahini is a great way to obtain B vitamins like thiamine, along with minerals, including magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and zinc. Adding tahini to recipes is a good way to get your daily copper — which is needed to maintain nerve, bone and metabolic health — and prevent copper deficiency. The iron in tahini helps prevent anemia, which is a disorder characterized by low red blood cell counts, iron deficiency and fatigue. And B vitamins within tahini are important for metabolic functions, dealing with stress and many cognitive processes. Another important attribute of sesame seeds their plant lignans content. Lignans have been shown to have anticancer effects and heart-promoting abilities. Studies have found that precursors from sesame seeds are converted by the bacterial flora in the colon to mammalian lignans equivalent to those obtained from flaxseeds, which have always been thought of as the best lignan source.

Helps Regulate Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

Sesamolin and sesamin prevalent in sesame seeds have been found to have antithrombotic properties, meaning sesame might help prevent cardiovascular diseases tied to disruptive effects and legions within the arteries, such as acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular death. Phytosterols are a type of nutrient found in sesame seeds that have effects on hormonal levels, arterial health and cholesterol levels. The majority of the plantsterols in tahini are called beta-sitosterol. Sesame seeds rank highest in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols among 27 different nuts, seeds, legumes and grains tested (400 grams of phytosterols per every 200 grams of seeds)! Although sesame seeds are high in fat and calories, this isn’t a bad thing when it comes to heart health. Research suggests that phytosterols can be used to treat arteriosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty buildup within the arteries. Phytosterols are able to help regulate cholesterol in the body because they have a similar structure to cholesterol, which means they can help replace some of it and block its absorption within the intestinal tract. This decreases the amount of absorbable cholesterol within the bloodstream and is beneficial for people suffering from certain heart complications. Sesame seeds used to make tahini are also high in plant lignans, which help improve blood lipid profiles and can normalize cholesterol and blood pressure. Research shows that lignans help lower cholesterol naturally, both serum blood cholesterol and liver cholesterol levels. This means they have positive effects on total cholesterol, lowering LDL cholesterol (the so called “bad kind”) and improving the LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. (5) If you suffer from high blood pressure, tahini can help with that too. Sesame seeds have antihypertensive properties according to studies investigating the effects of sesame taken by adults with high blood pressure. A 2006 study published in The Yale Journal of Biology And Medicine followed 32 hypertensive patients over the course of 45 days as they used sesame oil as their only form of dietary oil. Researchers found that over the 45 days sesame oil helped significantly lower blood pressure, decrease lipid peroxidation and increase antioxidant status in the majority of patients. (6)

Can Help Balance Hormones (Especially in Menopausal Women)

Phytoestrogens are a controversial topic, especially when it comes to their effects on hormones. Phytoestrogens both mimic estrogen and act as estrogen antagonists (meaning they behave in the opposite way of biological estrogen), which makes them a bit confusing to understand. They affect the body by attaching to estrogen receptors, which tricks your body into thinking you have more or less estrogen than you really do. It’s not so cut-and-dry as to say whether or not phytoestrogens are either good or bad, but studies show they do have their benefits. Estrogen-building foods usually get a bad reputation — and for good reason, considering the standard American diet tends to be high in foods that promote estrogen dominance, which is problematic. But not all of phytoestrogens’ effects are bad. For certain people, especially in post-menopausal women over 50 or women who are otherwise low in estrogen, phytoestrogen foods can actually be beneficial because they naturally balance hormones, help maintain strong bones, and lower the risk for various diseases like cancer and osteoporosis. Dietary estrogens seem to be most protective for women during menopause, a time in which a woman transitions from her last menstrual cycle, ends fertility and experiences adjustments in hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone. Purposefully increasing phytoestrogen intake isn’t a good idea for most people and might be harmful, but it can also help counteract the effects of hormonal imbalances that women begin to experience as they get older. Some studies have found that increased phytoestrogens help drastically reduce menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, bone loss, weakness, mood changes, low sex drive, etc. There’s even some evidence that phytoestrogen foods are protective against cancers related to hormone production in some cases. Phytoestrogens have been studied in connection with breast and ovarian cancers, with many studies showing positive results.

Helps Improve Skin Health

Sesame seeds are a good source of amino acids, vitamin E, B vitamins, trace minerals and fatty acids that all help with skin cell rejuvenation and preventing early signs of aging. While you might not want to go slathering tahini directly on your skin, even eating tahini can help improve the integrity of your skin by boosting your fat and nutrient intake. Sesame oil has been used to treat skin wounds, burns, sensitivities and dryness for thousands of years, which is why it’s sometimes called “the queen of oils.” (8) It’s a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent, meaning it kills bacteria that can clog pores. Healthy fats in general are key for skin health because fats are needed to lower inflammation and keep skin moist. Tahini also provides minerals like zinc, which are needed to repair damaged tissue and produce collagen that gives skin its youthful elasticity and firmness.

Boosts Nutrient Absorption

Studies have found that sesame seeds help boost absorption of protective fat-soluble compounds like tocopherol, the major nutrients within vitamin E that play a role in the prevention of human aging-related diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. When researchers tested the effects of sesame seed consumption in humans over a five-day period, they found that sesame (but not walnuts or soy oil) significantly elevated serum gamma-tocopherol levels by an average of 19.1 percent in subjects. The fact that sesame leads to elevated plasma gamma-tocopherol and enhanced vitamin E bioactivity means it might be effective for preventing inflammation, oxidative stress and therefore chronic disease development.

Tazdat® Date Spread with Tahini