Ch Ch Ch Chia……

I am often asked about Chia Seeds. So in case you were wondering about them too, here’s the scoop.

They are fabulous!!!!

Some of you might care that these seeds were a staple food used by the Indians of the Southwest and Mexico. They were known as the running food. They were also used as a high endurance energy food by the ancient Aztecs.

Some of you might have read the article about the NFL’s “top secret seed.”

But mostly you’ll want to know what they will do for YOU and how to use them.

Ok, so here you go.

Chia seeds are:

– extremely high in the essential fatty acid Omega-3.

– higher in antioxidants than blueberries.

– great at keeping your blood sugar balanced. Their gelling action (if you soak them in water you will see them get gelatinous – in 30 minutes you will get a glass of almost solid gelatin) and their unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combines to slow down your body’s conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. No more ups and downs of sugar levels.

– great at keeping you hydrated. They hold 10 – 12 times their weight in water, making them great for endurance if you are an athlete or just out for a long hike on a hot day.

– great at helping your body think it’s full.

– an egg substitute. Replace eggs in a recipe with 1 Tbsp of Chia seeds soaked in about 1/4 cup of liquid for about 15 minutes. Great for baking.

– for thickening soups, puddings, smoothies.

– great sprinkled onto a salad, on oatmeal, into yogurt.

I can go on & on, but I think you get the gist of it. Buy some & start using them.

Please be careful with young children because these seeds can potentially be a choking hazard. The seeds swell up into a gelatinous form as noted above, so do not let kiddies play with them. They can bulk up in little throats.