The Benefit of Chia Seeds – Chia Seed Fizz Drink!

I never heard of Chia seeds until the July/August issue of Clean Eating Magazine.

I read a very interesting article about them. The ancient Aztecs claimed they provided energy and endurance. The seeds come from the Salvia Hispanica plant, and according to the Aztecs, 1 tablespoon is said to have sustained Aztec warriors for an entire day!

This is another super food you can easily incorporate into your diet. I bought mine from Whole Foods in the bulk bin section, so you don’t have to pay a lot for a whole package. I got 4 good size scoops for $4.00. They have a long shelf life. No refrigeration required, they can be stored in a cool dry place for up to 2 years!

Just read what a 1 oz. serving contains according to www.nutritiondata.com:

137 calories
9 grams of fat
1 gram saturated fat
6.5 grams poly-unsaturated fat
12 grams of carbs
11 grams of fiber
4 grams of protein
4915 mg of Omega 3’s
1620 mg of Omega 6’s

According to Christine Avanti, a Los Angeles based nutritionist, “They are loaded with short-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis.”

They are also high in fiber, and are gluten free. I even found a web site that sells gluten free chia flour!

Suggestions for use are, sprinkle them on cereal, in your yogurt, salads and soups or added to baked goods, like muffins, pancakes, or smoothies.

This is what they look like. Very tiny seeds. However, when they are added to liquids, they can absorb up to 12x their weight in water. They also form a kind of gel like covering when added to a liquid.

Clean eating had a recipe for a drink called “The Chia Fizz”

Ingredients for “Chia Fizz” featured in the July/August 2009 Issue of Clean Eating Magazine

12 fresh mint leaves
1/2 lime, left in peel, cut into thirds, and divided
1 tsp. light agave syrup (you could probably use sugar, or honey)
1 TB. Chia seeds
8 oz. Seltzer or Sparkling water

1. In a large glass, muddle mint leaves and 2 lime wedges with a muddler, or back of a wooden spoon.

2. Add agave, seeds and seltzer, stir.

3. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow chia seeds to gel.

4. Garnish with remaining lime wedge.

Serves 1

100 calories
4.5 grams fat
2,490 mg Omega 3’s
820 mg Omega 6’s
15 grams carbs
6 grams of fiber
5 grams of sugar
2 grams of protein

Another fact I read which I thought was pretty interesting about the Chia seed is this:

The chia seed gels when becoming wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, helps prevent some of the food, hence calories that we eat from getting absorbed into our system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes the chia seed a great diet helper. Eating the seeds also helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry!

Apparently I missed the boat about Oprah’s Dr. Oz. promoting these on her show. Also, Dr. Andrew Weil, a noted Doctor and health guru touts them as a perfect food!

We’ll see what happens. I’m going to try them in a smoothie….here’s to your health!

For further reference, check out Dr. Weil’s site here

Also, check out www.thechiaseed.com

And www.therawfoodworld.com

AND last but not least: Weigh in Friday!!

– 1/2 a pound! I still feel I did great this week, took a boot camp class, rode my bike to work every day. Next week, I am going to job/walk during lunch 3 days + take the boot camp class, so tune in next week for the results!!