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Miracle Chia Seeds
Health Benefits of Chi Seeds
Get read to add a new "superfood" to your superfood list - Chia Seeds! These little chia seeds are most familiar as chia pets, sold at Christmas time, but people are finding out the chia seed is a great addition to a healthy diet.
The nutritional profile of the Chia seed is amazing. Here are some of the nutrients you'll find in chia seeds:
- high in omega 3 fatty acids - The Chia seed naturally contains 60% omega 3 fatty acid
- high in fiber - Chia seeds absorb up to 30 times its weight in water or other liquids like juices. A 15 gm serving of chia seeds will provide 4 to 5 gm of fiber. We all need at least 35gm of fiber per day to stay healthy.
- high in Protein - between 19 to 23% of the seed by weight is protein
- full of antioxidants
- B Vitamins - Chia seeds contain Vitamins C and E, plus Cinnamic acids, which prevent the good fats in Chia seeds from oxidizing, or going bad.
- Boron - necessary to bone health
- Calcium - 2 oz of chia seeds contains 600 mg of Calcium, compared to 120mg for a cup of milk.
Chia seeds are useful for:
- weight loss
- heart disease
- diabetes
- bone health
- digestive disorders
How to Use Chia Seeds
You can add Chia seeds to just about anything - yogurt, cereal, jams and jellies, peanut butter, smoothies, even barbecue sauce. Chia seeds make a great fat substitute and promote energy and endurance in the body, as well as helping to regulate blood sugar.
(Use about 1/4 teaspoon per serving)
The simplest way to use chia seeds is sprinkling them directly on your foods, either whole or ground. You can grind them in a pepper mill or coffee/nut grinder. or sprinkle them on top of foods, including:
- On Salads
- In your favorite smoothie recipe
- Cereals (hot or cold)
- Salad Dressings
- In Soups
- On Sandwiches or in wraps
- On Scrambled eggs
- In Ground meats - add to meatloaf before cooking
- Salsas
- Pastas
- Humus
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Grilled foods
- Stir Fry
Chia seeds are also excellent when included in baked goods, including breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, macaroons, etc. Be creative: consider adding chia seeds for recipes that you might usually use flax, sesame, poppy, or hemp seeds.
Chia Gel Recipe
Put nine parts of water into a sealable plastic container. Slowly pour one part seed into the water and whisk to avoid any clumping. Wait a few minutes and whisk again. Let Chia Seeds stand for a about 10 more minutes, then stir again to break up any last clumps.
Store in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Add this gel to any of the foods mentioned above and mix well.
Where Can I get Chia Seeds?
You can order Chai Seeds online or your local health food store.
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