Cassie woke with a start; her alarm had not gone off. She sat up, “What time is it? This daylight-saving time business is for the early birds,” she smiled at her pun. “I’ll be glad when we don’t have to do it anymore.”

She looked at her watch and then her calendar while drinking her first glass of water, “I’m meeting Annie at the studio for an 8:30 show, and I haven’t done any prep work, yikes!”

Thirty minutes later, she walked into the kitchen and took a jar of Oceanic Chia Seed Breakfast Pudding from the refrigerator made the night before.

She breathlessly charged through the studio doors at eight o’clock, “Hi Annie. You beat me getting here. Did you eat breakfast? I brought a batch of Healthy Breakfast Cookies.”

“Good morning, Cassie. I wanted to make sure I was on time, so I left home extra early. I am a big fan of your breakfast cookies, so hand them over,” laughed Annie.

“Here you go, and I also squeezed orange juice last night. It’s in this jug. Shake it up before you pour. I’ll meet you in the recording studio.”

Once inside the recording room, Annie adjusted her seat and checked her notes, “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Cassie smiled at her and turned on the microphones, “Annie, it’s great to have you back to discuss another segment of Healthy Healing Eats. I read recently about the 7 wonders of the nutrition world. What are they, and why do we need them?”

Annie chuckled, “That’s a great way to describe what could otherwise be a hard-to-understand subject.

There are more than 40 different nutrients in whole food. Each is categorized into one of 7 major groups: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Vitamins, Minerals, Fiber, and Water. Everyone must consume these seven nutrients daily to help them build their bodies and maintain their health.

So, let’s talk about the chia seeds you ate for breakfast; they are an excellent example of how the best food for us contains nutrients found in each of the seven categories. Chia seeds, unlike flax seeds, can be absorbed by the body. The vitamin D in chia seeds helps the body absorb calcium. Chia seeds’ calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus (minerals) support bone health. The seeds are also a rich source of protein and fiber. Protein helps you feel fuller longer, and fiber helps keep you regular. The healthy fat in chia seeds is essential for joint and brain health, and carbohydrates the body’s energy source. Chia seeds can absorb ten times their weight in water, so when you made the breakfast pudding with plant-based milk and created a gel, you included hydration. So your chia seed pudding contains all 7 of the major nutrient groups. And to put a fine point on it, while each of these groups performs different functions, they all work synergistically to support good health.”

Cassie nodded, “well, first, I’m glad I had chia seed breakfast pudding today because using it as the framework for our discussion made the 7 wonders of the nutrition world much easier to understand. And second, how nutrients work together is a fascinating topic for another podcast, but for now, can you tell us why that is important?”

“Sure,” said Annie. “We know you should get most and ideally all of your nutrition from whole foods. Current research shows when whole food is eaten together, its synergistic benefits are significant, such as a salad that includes veggies, nuts, and a healthy-fat salad dressing. Conversely, most supplements and all processed foods have little to no nutritional value so cannot participate in a synergistic diet.”

“Therefore, eating food in its natural form is our best bet for accessing the 7 major nutrient groups, improving health, and preventing disease?” asked Cassie.

“Indeed,” said Annie.

Annie and LJ are a fictional couple. Their storyline promotes healthy eating and earth-friendly practices.