Believe it or not, chia seeds have more calcium than dairy products. Yes wow! So if you are looking, and I include myself in this one, to strengthen your bones, chia seeds is a way to get there. The perks? This food does not have the high fat content associated with dairy products. And with that great news we can talk a little bit more about all the benefits of this great superfood.
Let’s begin by describing what it is: Chia is an edible seed that comes from a plant called Salvia hispanica, grown in Mexico. Chia means strength (very appropriate).
Back in the days, Mayan and Aztecs days, it was used as an energy booster, which makes complete sense right? These seeds are a concentrated healthy omega-3, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium kind of food. And to all my Vegan and Vegetarians friends out there, Chia seeds are a great source of nutrients.
Do not be fooled by the size, ok? Almost all of the carbs in chia seeds are fiber, and this means that it gives the ability to absorb 10 times their weight water, imagine that. And we all know how good fiber is for our health right?
Chia seeds contain other minerals as well, that are essential to our health such as magnesium and phosphorus. This superfood is so easy to incorporate into our daily habits, and I will tell you why. They have kind of a bland taste, so you can pretty much add them to almost anything. They can be eaten raw, soaked in a juice, added to your salads, smoothies, baked foods, you can even sprinkle them on veggies.
Types of Chia, you can find the Whole Chia Seeds, this will be the natural form, tiny black and white seeds. It also comes Ground or milled, there is not different between them “benefits” speaking, it is sold this way to satisfy people’s preference for texture, this form is more powder-like it can be stirred into liquid or food and it completely disappears, milled chia seeds are great in smoothies, puddings.
The Nutrition facts get from Chia Seeds are particularly impressive when you consider that we are just talking about 1 oz. of Chia seeds. This makes them one of the best sources of several nutrients, calorie for calorie. And to top things off, chia seeds are a whole grain food, and are usually grown organically, can we ask for a better superfood? They are GMO-free and Gluten free, which make them just perfect for me.
Among of all the trendy superfoods that we have today, Chia seeds really deserves to be called like that. Start adding Chia seeds to your food today and enjoy all the benefits from it.
Have a great weekend!
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