Chia seeds - superfood explained

in #health6 years ago (edited)
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds that come from the plant Salvia hispanica which is, surprisingly, related to mint. These little seeds are considered to be superfood because of their many benefits to human health and vast nutritional value. Ancient Mayans used to eat them and it just so happens to be that the word chia is a Mayan word for strength.


Royality free photo, Pixabay, author: ValeriaJa , adapted by me

These seeds are often regarded as the healthiest food on our planet and when you read about what they have inside them, you really will feel almost like a superhero for eating them. A superhero of your health.

Salvia hispanica is an edible plant native to Central America. It has tiny little oval seeds only around 1 millimeter in diameter that are black or grey with white spots on them but can be entirely white too. These seeds absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid and develop a mucilaginous coating so your food or drink gets a gel-like texture. This is one of the reasons why they are excellent for making puddings.

Chia was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times and people used to give it out as an annual tribute to their rulers in 21 of the 38 Aztec provincial states (evident in 6th-century Codex Mendoza). The Aztec priesthood was paid with the offerings of these seeds.

It almost has
no flavour

Some people say that chia seeds have a mild, nutty flavor. I disagree. I have been eating chia seeds for years now and to me, they are tasteless. That is the biggest reason why I love them so much. Usually, health means nasty flavor, at least to me and I go to great lengths to make healthy food taste good but not with chia. I add them to almost anything, from soup to juices and they do not change the flavor of food AT ALL. I put them in salads, lemonades, sauces, desserts, oatmeal, juices, puddings...

Chia seeds are loaded with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and so much more. They are like tiny packets of energy. Eating only 2 tablespoons (around 28 grams or one ounce) of these seeds can have a great impact on your health.

By eating only two tablespoons of these lovelies, you will provide your body with the following:

  • Fiber: 11 grams.
  • Protein: 4 grams.
  • Fat: 9 grams (5 are omega-3s).
  • Calcium: 18% of the RDI.
  • Manganese: 30% of the RDI.
  • Magnesium: 30% of the RDI.
  • Phosphorus: 27% of the RDI.
  • Calories: 137
  • + zinc, vitamin B3 (niacin), potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B2

Naturally free of gluten
whole-grain food,
& non-GMO!

Do I have to say more? :)

Even though chia seeds are excellent for your health, keep in mind that eating them will not change your life and health if you do not change your behavior. That includes exercise, enough rest and sleep and overall a healthy diet. There are no shortcuts to a healthy living and there is no magic wand that will take your extra weight away. That being said, here are some amazing health benefits from eating chia seeds for you to consider.

Chia seeds have a lot of antioxidants and most researchers agree that antioxidants fight the production of free radicals, which would otherwise damage cell molecules and contribute to aging and diseases. Chia seeds are also considered a low-carb food since the most of the carbs in them are fiber so if you are avoiding or taking care of your carb intake, chia seeds are safe to include in your meal.

14% of chia seeds is protein

Chia seeds are highly recommended for people who eat little or no animal products. Most plants are low on their protein levels but chia comes to the rescue. Not only is it higher in protein than most plants but is also has a good balance of essential amino acids which means that the protein will be put to good use in your body.

Don't like dairy?
Try chia seeds...

Chia seeds are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and protein, all of which are essential for bone health. You will get a decent amount of calcium from chia seeds but you have to be careful because they also contain phytic acid which reduces calcium absorption so do not rely on them to be your only source of calcium.

As I already mentioned, I put chia seeds in almost everything I eat, at least just a pinch of it. They are really easy to prepare. JUST ADD WATER. That is all you have to do to prepare them. You can add them to your every meal because they will not change its taste, from soups and smoothies to bread and puddings, add them to whatever you want.


Royality free photo, Pixabay, author: stevepb, adapted by me

The important thing to remember is that chia seeds alone will not change your health, you have to combine them with other healthy habits but to get more information about them, visit these resources:

Chia seed - from wikipedia
11 Proven Health Benefits of Chia Seeds - from healthline.com
The Truth About Chia - from webmd.com

Until next time,
KEEP YOUR SMILE ON
& eat your CHIA SEEDS!

Image sources :

- line divider that I use is from FREE CLIPART LIBRARY, and is here
- images of titles are made by me using the image from pixabay that can be found here
- every image used in the post is free for commercial use and it has a source under it
- my bitmoji avatar was created on https://www.bitmoji.com/, visit the site to create yourown

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Chia is one of the core ingredients of our gluten-free kitchen. From Bread to Smoothies we put them in a whole lot of meals. Thanks for this detailed post on it with some information I didn’t even know!

That is nice to hear, I put them in a lot of things too. Thank you for your lovely comment 💚

keep in mind that eating them will not change your life and health if you do not change your behavior. That includes exercise, enough rest and sleep and overall a healthy diet.

Dang! I still have to eat healthy and exercise? I thought my search for a real superfood had ended. 😉

In all seriousness though, I like the chia seed beverage I get from the store, maybe I should be grabbing it more often. Thanks for educating us on this amazing food! ❤

Or even better, try making your own, I looooove putting them in my lemonade 💚
Thanks for making me smile with your comment 😉

I add chia seeds (and flax seeds) to my yogurt breakfast cups... you barely know they're in the cup and i know I am adding extra vitamins to my body.

Yeah, I eat them for breakfast too most of the times 💚

I am a longtime Chia fan myself! Thanks for the breakdown in health benefits though, much appreciated! Namaste

It was my pleasure, thank you for reading 💚

a mix it in my oatmeal. in norway its super expensive. over here in canada its not so bad. so its a nice supliment as u are saying. its a lot of bad info on it so nice the clean it up a bit.

I am glad they are not too expensive over there and their price in Norway surprises me but then again, I think it depends on the store. At my place the price range is huge, some stores have them at 3 times higher the price then others and the product they sell is from the same producer :)

Yay another chia seed lover. I've been eating them for years and like you say you can literally toss them in anything. Great way to keep your your good fat up and for such a small little thing it is loaded with so many other benefits.

Exactly! I am glad you like them too 💚

I've been aware of Chia seeds for years, yet I rarely use them. I'm going to make that change right suddenly. I am a low carb guy, and just don't think of Chia. I'm going to the store today and already have them on the list.

Thanks Petra for another great reminder to me.

I am so glad I reminded you of them, you most definitely will not regret using them 💚

Woo! Love your post - we've given you a wee upvote and hope it helps you continue to write such amazing posts. We have also put you on the list for next weeks curation. Feel free to use the #naturalmedicine tag for posts of this kind. 💚

If you're a supporter of all things natural healing, and haven't already got on board our collective, you might like to read our introductory post here. We'd also love to welcome you on Discord here!!

Thank you 💚💚💚

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I've heard from a lot of people that they don't really like the taste of them. I completely disagree though, I think chia seeds are really delicious. I don't eat them for the health benefits, just purely for the taste :P

You could taste them? Really? I can not taste them :D How can people not like their taste? It is so gentle and almost not there and not there at all for me :) 💚

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