Posts Tagged ‘chia gel’

“Chia” is the Mayan word for strength. The chia plant is a member of the sage family. There is no commercial growing of chia in the U.S. Chia is imported from Mexico and Central and South America-Ecuador, Argentina, and Bolivia.

Individuals who try chia claim that they can literally feel the energy of the seeds; a strengthening and sustained surge unlike anything resulting from any other food.

What makes them work? Synergy between all their outstanding features is at least part of the answer. Chia seeds are high in:

• easily digestible protein
• essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3
• vitamins
• soluble fiber
• antioxidants
• minerals
• Chia seeds have much in common with flax seeds, which have a deserved reputation as a superfood. If you run down a comparative chart, you see a back and forth, with chia higher in some nutrients, flax higher in others. The clear advantage for chia seeds is that their natural antioxidants make them stable, whereas flax quickly becomes rancid.

Like flax, chia seeds have the ability to hold about twelve times as much water as their own weight. Thus, one of the best uses of chia seeds is to convert them into chia gel. To do this you add 1/3 cups of seeds to 2 cups of water, stir well to break up any clumps, and let sit in your refrigerator for about twelve hours (It will gel in less than an hour, but the additional soaking increases the nutritional impact of the gel.).

Good candidates for chia gel are salad dressings, dips, and spreads. Chia gel can also be used as a fat replacer in many baking recipes.

In any recipe that calls for flax seeds, consider substituting chia seeds. The chia flavor is bland, so they work great in smoothies and can be sprinkled on just about anything. Two to four tablespoons a day will improve your nutrition and encourage intestinal regularity (And, yes, the “hair” on Chia Pets is from chia seeds!).

Nutrition researchers looking at chia have called it an “almost perfect food”. Its many benefits include:

• Providing energy
• Boosting strength
• Bolstering endurance
• Leveling blood sugar
• Inducing weight loss
• Aiding intestinal regularity

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