Chia seeds….. tiny little seed that looks like it couldn’t do anyone any benefit but oh how wrong that is.
Chia seed goodness
Chia seeds a little powerhouse of goodness! They were an important crop for the Aztecs and it’s said that they had chia seeds to give them long lasting energy when hunting, travelling etc. They were largely unknown but modern society until around 30 years ago and since then they have gained popularity. Many people will think of the ch ch ch chia pet adverts when thinking about chia seeds but they are so much more than a decorative pet. Just looking at the stats, 2 tablespoons of them will provide you with around 11g of dietary fibre, they’re packed with Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for brain health, they are a good source of phosphorus which the body uses to make protein to help cell and tissue repair and growth, they contain tryptophan which helps regulate appetite, sleep and can help improve your mood.
Another little trick these tiny guys do is to secrete a gel when they get wet. I personally use this to make a chia seed drink but freshly squeezing some oranges (you can use shop bought OJ but fresh is always best) then adding 2-3 tablespoons of chia seeds and string for a while. After 5-10 minutes you have quite a gloopy orange juice (chia seeds don’t really taste of anything) that is filling, mega nutritious and also very good as cleaning your intestinal system out of impacted food. Keeping our gut healthy is as important as the rest of the body. It’s said that the primary cause of a lowered immune system could be the health of your gut.
So try some teeny tiny chia seeds, try adding them to your diet, make drinks out of them, add them to smoothies, add them to juices after you’ve juiced or even sprinkle them onto salads. However you add them to your diet, you’ll be glad you did.
Daz 🙂
Simply Healthy with Darren 