Cha-cha-cha-chia!

Remember those plant pets popular in the 90s?  Turns out that the plant is much more useful than for just watching spouts grow into the shape of an animal. Chia seeds have become somewhat of a health craze lately and for good reasons.  This is one health fad that hopefully does not fade.

The tiny seeds of the chia plant are LOADED with anti-inflammatory nutrients.  Below are just some of the reasons you may want to think about incorporating chia seeds into your diet.

First look at the nutrition label info: 1 Tbsp of chia seeds: ~Fat: 1.8g (0.2 g saturated fat) ~Carbs: 2.6g      ~Fiber: 2.2 g (all carbs come from fiber which essentially makes gives this a net carb count of zero) ~Protein: 1g Very good source of: calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, copper, zinc  1.       Omega-3 fatty acids. Chia are full of these protective fats. In fact, they have about 2x more omega-3s than walnuts (oz for oz). Walnuts are one of the main plant sources of these essential nutrients.  Omega-3s help protect the arteries, heart and brain from damage due to chronic inflammation (i.e. the inflammation that is generated by eating a typical American diet). There is also much evidence that they decrease the severity of autoimmune diseases and depression. These fats have been shown to decrease triglycerides and increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Flax seeds, too, are a source of omega-3s, but these seeds must be ground up prior to ingestion for the body to access and absorb the fats.  Chia seed omega-3s are more bioavailable so you can add them whole to any product and still absorb the beneficial nutrients. 2.       Fiber.  Oz for oz, chia have about 3x more fiber than oatmeal and about 33% more fiber than flax seeds.  I’ve given my speal about fiber before, but basically consuming more fiber is extremely beneficial in the prevention and management of almost ANY chronic (and some acute gastrointestinal) medical problems.  EAT MORE FIBER! 3.       Calcium. Again, oz for oz, these seeds have 5x more calcium than whole milk! If you’re trying to cut back on dairy for any reason, here is a great way to get calcium. One serving (considered 5 Tbsp) of chia gives you 20% of your daily calcium needs.  Plus, you can avoid the cholesterol, hormones and acidic animal proteins that all tag along with the calcium in milk.  As far as the uses of chia, the possibilities are almost endless. When put in liquid and allowed to sit (~15-30min) the seeds expand dramatically, which adds bulk to many foods without adding many calories. Try putting chia in smoothies or soups.  I enjoy a bit in oatmeal (adding the chia and letting it sit makes for a GIANT bowl of oatmeal).  You can use it just like you would flax seeds, putting it in baked products or using the seeds to add texture variety to yogurt or salads. One neat thing to try with chia (or flax) is using it in place of an egg. 1 chia egg = 1 tbsp ground chia + 3 tbsp water This combo mimics the binding characteristic that eggs are typically used for in baking recipes. You can find chia in bulk sections of some grocery stores or in the health food section. The Dole company has just come out with 9.5oz containers of ground and whole chia, which store well.