Years ago, I did this post on chia. Since it is now commonplace on the shelves, I felt a remix was needed and probably highly anticipated. Many chia products have sprung up on the shelves, and I for one, am excited to see this little wonder seed get its 15 minutes of fame.Last week, I came up with a great chia drink recipe I was loving that had 3 simple ingredients: chia, water, and 100% cherry juice. It was so good. However, as I was touting this wonderfulness to my hubby I mentioned how sweet it was even without added sugar. This lead me to check the sugar content on that cherry juice, and lo and behold, it had hella sugar (50 grams per 8 oz.) in it! So I decided to stop drinking that, and opted for just adding chia into my water. Boring maybe, healthy definitely!
Chia seeds do much more than grow cute little houseplants, they are super-nutritious and are a powerful diet aid. I discovered them (in a Columbus sort of way) when I did the raw food cleanse. They are these tiny little seeds that are so powerful that they can absorb nine times their volume in water. Because they are such powerful absorbers you have to make sure you soak them before you eat them. Once you soak them they form a gel that is 90% soluble fiber which aids digestion and can help lower cholesterol more effectively than oatmeal. The fiber also helps you feel fuller longer.
Chia seeds:
- Have twice the protein of any other seed or grain
- Have 5 times the calcium of milk
- Contain omega-3 and omega-6 oils
- More magnesium than broccoli
- More iron than spinach
- And the list goes on and on...
Chia is a best kept secret. It is truly a super seed! No wonder it has been used for thousands of years for endurance. The word chia actually comes from the Mayan word chiabaan, meaning strengthening.
The easiest way to prepare chia is to make it into a gel. Chia seed gel is super easy to make. I mix a big batch when I make it because we use it in everything smoothies, yogurt, salads, we even eat it straight (it tastes a bit like flavorless Jello). All you have to do to make the gel is mix 1/3 cup of chia seeds with 2 cups of water. Let it sit for a few minutes shake it up, then let it sit for about 20 minutes. We use so much I usually use 1 cup of the chia to 6 cups of water. Then just store it in jar in the fridge where it keeps for up to two weeks. Be careful though, if it starts to grow sprouts it is no longer edible, and should be transferred to the nearest clay pottery cat you can find.
If you don't try anything else I share, TRY THIS! It is truly amazing.
*Remember never eat them without soaking or they can absorb your bodily fluids and cause digestive issues and dehydration.
XOXO,
Riss
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