I know that I have talked about Chia Seeds in the past, but they came up in a book that I was reading, so I decided that I wanted to mention them again!
I started reading Born To Run by Christopher MacDougall last week and when I hit page 44, I was psyched! [If you are a runner and haven’t read the book, you should definitely do so. I haven’t finished yet, but I love it already!]
The author had met up with the Tarahumaras and they had given him something to drink, iskiate. Check out what he says below:
“Months later, I’d learn that iskiate is otherwise known as chia fresca – “chilly chia.” It’s brewed up by dissolving chia seeds in water with a little sugar and a squirt of lime. In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re super packed with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet, you could probably swim home. Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican state of Chiapas is actually names after the seed; it used to rank right up there with corn and beans as cash crop. Despite its liquid-gold status, chia is ridiculously easy to grow; if you own a Chia Pet, in fact, you’re only a few stepped away from your own batch of the devil drink.” From Born To Run by Christopher McDougall.
Now do you believe how great chia seeds are for you?!
Yes, by chia seeds, I mean the same ones that come from our favorite pets…
(Source)
…the chia pet is sprouts grown from the seeds. Obviously, if kept dry, yours will not sprout.
Initially, some may not like the texture of the seeds, but it does grow on you! They take in a lot of water and have a sort of slimy texture. If you mix it them into smoothies or oatmeal, or sprinkle them on your foods, you can barely tell they are there. 🙂
Chia seeds have amazing health benefits:
- you do not need to grind the seed to make it digestible
- helps stabilize your blood sugar
- has nutrients like Omega-3’s, calcium, proteins, antioxidants, fiber and complex carbohydrates
- maintains hydration
- help to fill you up – chia seeds expand to more than 30 times their size
- and much more…
Chia seeds can basically be added to anything. In the past, I have added them to many things:
Smoothies
Overnight oats – before & after
Granola Bars
They are also great as salad toppers, oatmeal toppers and cereal toppers. And, I have heard that they can replace flaxseeds in some recipes. I hope to try that out soon!
Chia seeds have become very widely available over the past few years. I have always seen them at Whole Foods and my local health food store. Give them a try!
Filed under: Eating Laps, Product Reviews | Tagged: chia seeds, reviews | 2 Comments »
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