I know you've heard the commercials for years about the chia pets where a person hydrates these seeds and spreads them on a clay figurine and then watches them grow into fluff. Cha-cha-cha-chia! Well...now you have reason to hydrate them and add them to your life! My first exposure to these little wonders happened when my brother in law, the mortuary guy, came home from a funeral. He said there was a bishop at the chapel who had lost eighty pounds by adding chia seed to his diet. He was not the guy who died. He was the guy who decided to take his own health into his own hands...When I bring this up with the chia, I'm not talking about a gimmick diet plan here, just sensible use of a wonderful grain. Imagine my joy at finding the Chia Seeds in a 1 lb bag at a really low price (just around 10$) at our local Preparing Wisely store. I wanted to try it out. Well...the owner Troy was kind enough to show me how to use them.
According to Troy's website, Chia was cultivated by the ancient Aztecs, and was honored as a super food. Chia is one of the best plant sources of beneficial Omega-3 oils, especially a-linolenic acid (ALA). Scientific Research on Omega-3 and other essential fatty acids (EFA) continues to prove that EFAs support cardiovascular health, comfortable joint mobility, immune system function and overall cellular energy. Chia is often stored for long periods of time as a Survival Food, since it does not quickly turn rancid like other sources of Essential Fatty Acids. Chia is high in vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium and phosphorous. It contains many antioxidants, including significant levels of caffeic acids, quercetin and flavonols. Chia is an excellent source of high molecular weight soluble fiber, which supports healthy bowel function.
When Chia is mixed into a liquid, it forms a thick mass due to its high content of beneficial mucilages. This slows the digestion of carbohydrates in the digestive system, leading to a feeling of fullness, and reduces the spike in blood sugar that often accompanies the ingestion of carbohydrates.
Looking at the Nutrition Facts and Analysis for chia seeds revealed a glycemic index of 1. That's amazing for a grain!
So, I decided to give it a try as a drink. 2T mixed into 2 cups of cool distilled water.
The seeds make this crazy suspension that made my little boys say I was drinking frog eggs. I don't care. I was now sucked into the new world of chia.
I drop one or two droppers of stevia natural sweetener into the chia and water mixture and drink it like a thin pudding. I've had it everyday for breakfast for the last two weeks. I've lost six pounds. So...I'm going to keep taking chia shots. They're all natural and a wonderful way to add fiber and wholesome goodness to my life. Thanks most especially to Troy at Preparing Wiselyfor having these bags in the store! I'm also down to my last few tablespoons...and that means I'm going to see them soon. Hooray for chia! Try them out. I love them!
22 comments:
Wow, I'll have to check if they carry this at my health food store!
BTW: I made your Freezer Rolls for my son's class for snack today (-: Love me some Chef Tess (-:
I have issues with texture in drinks.. don't think I could manage this but I'm excited about all the health benefits. Have you tried it in other ways?
I ordered some to try. I need Omega oils for my skin condition, but I don't like fish at all and most of the supplements I can't take because I burp up fish taste all day...even the flavored ones. This sounds like a good alternative. From what I have read you can make a gel and use it to replace oil in baked goods too. I see some chia seed whole wheat banana bread in my future!
Ooo a paste to replace oil in baking! Brilliant! I'm doing it.
Wow, let us know how that works to use it as oil in baking. I found 3lb bag on amazon for $24 with free shipping. Enough to try and to give out to the family.
This sounds like it is something that I could live with.
On this site about 3/4 of the way down it says how to make the gel to replace fats/oils in baked goods.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html
Are you having it instead of your regular breakfast, or in addition to it?
Yea, the Preparing wisely has them at the store for 8$ a 1 lb bag. I'm happy with that price. I can definitely keep everyone updated on how much more they help with weight loss. Since I joined the Sione Fa family in the biggest loser in the family weigh in contest that will last a year...it will be an ongoing journey for me. Totally have to face a lot of food demons on the way. But...if I was alcoholic, I'd have to face those demons. Food addiction, wearing the proof of the weakness is a journey. Coby...thank you for the info on that site! I'll check it out...in depth. "A"...I am having them instead of breakfast. I'm always on the run anyway so I'm okay with it. Better I guess than grabbing coffee or a fat bomb breakfast sandwich somewhere.
FASCINATING!!!! Did you ever eat breakfast before this? Wonder if I could try it as a snack, or like Coby said, as an oil substitute. Keep me updated!
Yes...I'm a big fan of breakfast, but I figured ,"hey I like a quick liquid breakfast too." I promise I will keep chia going.
I think maybe I'll try this to replace lunch, if I can find some. I find I need a decent breakfast to function. Anyhow, so you just suspend them in water and eat them straight away? Or do you have to let them sit for a while? Can you eat them without the water, or is there some benefit to floating them in the water? Like Coby, I could use some omega for my skin condition, but my fish allergy doesn't make that easy.
Suspending them in water is an amazing way to stay hydrated. I've read that marathon runners use them to help keep hydrated long term. I'm not running marathons, but with Tae Kwan Do, gardening for hours on end in the heat, and running from place to place with the kids, I've noticed a lot more stamina. I love them in a smoothie with fruit and soy milk too. You can drink them along with a regular breakfast. I usually have several snacks throughout the day instead of sit down meals since I am going so much lately. They just seem to fit into my life.
Suspend them in water and wait about 10 minutes. I have been doing the jar suspension at night and leaving it on the kitchen counter. A little cocoa powder and stevia make a nice chocolate treat out of the whole batch.
I have my ever-present pot of tea for hydration, but I am going to see if I can find these...I've never seen them before. So you swallow it whole, instead of chewing them? It looks almost like bubble tea.
So I'm trying to picture how you drink this...just swallow the seeds whole, or do you try to chew them? Do you still get benefit from them if they are eaten whole or do they have to be "broken" to release their goodness?
Do you swallow the seeds or do you try to chew them? Can you still get the health benefits when swallowed whole?
I swallow the seeds whole, but when I put them in smoothie form they blend up pretty well. I need to find out if the body can break down the seeds, but I end up chewing a few. I'm experimenting now with grinding the seeds in my spice grinder and making a paste out of them to replace fat in baking recipes. I'll keep you posted.
Ok, so I baked my first experiment with the seeds replacing the butter. I made whole wheat blackberry lemon scones. The verdict...pretty good. The texture was good, no additional flavor. I like them! Thought this is a new to me recipe, so not sure how they compare.
Later, I am going to try banana bread. I was going to do whole wheat, but I want to see how the chia seeds are with all purpose flour in a recipe I have made many many times. I am just waiting for my frozen bananas to thaw.
That is interesting. I'm kinda of curious if flax wouldnt work as well. I know it has similar gel properties...2 tablespoons in a glass of liquid to make a smoothie. I know it sells for 15 cent/lb at the farm gate, don't know what that translates to in the store. Just wondering...I started eating yellow flax because the snaps I make are soo good...I couldn't have cared less about Omega 3's or any health benefits so I was really caught off guard when I started experiencing the benifits. Anyways...if you are going to consume omega 3's, for sure you will want your spouse to be on them as well! Then if these omega 3's are as good for the brain as some claim...why wouldn't you want them in your kids diet? Anyways, my family chews through 2 lbs. of flax in no time at all so economy becomes a big factor.
The chia seed does sound exciting...but if it is omega oils you want I can't help but think that flax is best
The best thing I have found with chia is that you don't need to mill it to break down the seed to get the omega's. The seeds are a lot smaller than flax, so it's less of a gag reflex for me. But, that being said, I absolutely adore flax seed in so many things already. Our granola bars alone just wouldn't be the same without the healthy one cup dose. So far the chia is baking well in everything and I am really loving it.
I am curious about using the Chia in baking. I had a friend bring a cookie bar to a party, that was AMAZING! She used Chia in place of the oil/fat and you would have never guessed. How do you substitute the Chia for fat in baked goods?
So far I haven't experimented enough with chia to replace fat. I'm sorry I've slacked in that area. I need to look into it more, but I do know that when I add them to bread dough I have to increase the water by about 20%. They are thirsty little seeds.
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