Have you guys heard of
Chia seeds? My SIL introduced me to them and they are pretty amazing. They are those same seeds that you would smear all over those clay heads that grew leaves to look like hair. Except you eat them, you don't grow them.
Here are just a few of the health benefits from these little suckers:
- They fill you up. When they come in contact with water, pudding, juice, yogurt etc. they grow to 9x their size and they slow down the absorption of carbs to control the appetite.
- They are great for workouts. Prior to a run or athletic event which you need to hydrate, Chia Seeds in a bottle of water will help you hydrate. They will also help with protein to do the event without cramping up. Chia is good for the digestive system because it is a hydrophillic colloid.
- They are good at lowering your cholesterol. Chia seed supplies fiber in 2 forms: insoluble (won't dissolve in water) from its outer coat and soluble fiber (will dissolve in water) from its inner shell. Soluble fiber has been found helpful in lowering cholesterol and diabetes. Also the omega 3 and 6 has been shown to help.
So I have just been throwing a handful of some seeds into my green smoothies each morning, since the seeds themselves are easily digested.
Another amazing way to use Chia is to create a gel from them by adding water.
2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Chia
-Let stand at least 10 mins. Stores for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
This gel can be substituted for the oil in a recipe. My SIL made some brownies the other day and substituted the get for oil and they still tasted amazing. She also adds the gel to soups, pasta sauces, and anything else with that kind of consistency. I'm totally going to start doing this.
These are usually sold at most health food stores, like Good Earth. My SIL picked hers up from Utah. A big 5 lb bag cost her about $15
Labels: recipes
