Ch-ch-ch-CHIA!
Hi everyone!
This is April writing to you today. :) I hope you had a chance to read Katie's prior post about our March blog theme: detoxing our bodies. What could be more important than taking care of the only body we have so we can not only lead successful, healthy and happy lives, but to be around for a long time for our loved ones?
We live in a society that is, in my opinion, over-flowing with overabundance. But, if you look closely, it is often an overabundance of JUNK! Yep, junk! It can be overwhelming to read so much information and figure out where to start getting your health on track (or if you're already healthy, STAYING healthy!). Katie and I hope everyone will learn and implement new things this month.
You may be wondering why the title of my post today brought you back to the 80's. Who had a chia (pronounced chee-ah) pet? Or at least knows what one is? Just in case you are so unfortunate as to not be familiar with these beauties, here's a photo to spark your memory.
What I didn't know until last year, was that all those little seeds that made fun (and weird) chia pets, were actually nutritional powerhouses with a unique blend of protein, healthy fat, fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates. Would I have cared if I had known this as a kid? Probably not so much. Chia pets were just cool. However, now as an adult (or so they say I am:), I'm really trying to detox my body and improve my health.
You should include chia seeds in your diet every single day! They are relatively inexpensive, virtually tasteless, easy to prepare, and work nutritional magic on your body. :) Here's what chia seeds look like up close.
Chia seeds help regulate blood sugar, provide extra (natural!) energy, keep your heart healthy, improves hydration, reduces cravings for JUNK (which can naturally help you lose weight), aid in proper digestion and elimination, and so much more. They are an excellent, condensed source of many vital nutrients. They are also gluten-free.
An easy, and probably most effective way, to eat chia seeds is to make a gel out of them. You simply mix them with water, let them sit for about 15 minutes, stir again and voila! Chia gel. You can mix this gel into anything wet or soft. Try making your own salad dressing with chia gel as a base. I have mixed it into drinks, applesauce, oatmeal, yogurt, soup...the possibilities are endless. Sometimes I just eat a big spoonful of it. It really has virtually no flavor, so it blends into everything well. Have you ever had boba (small tapioca pearls in drinks)? The texture is slightly similar. Soaking them kind of 'pops' the seeds open, releaseing more nutrition than you could get just from eating the seeds dry. Here's what the gel looks like.
We will soon be posting an excellent and tasty detox drink recipe that contains chia gel, so keep an eye out for that. Please Google 'chia benefits' for more information on the long-standing history and use of chia and prepared to be amazed. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg here in this post. I personally have noticed a huge difference in my health since I started taking chia. Chia is safe, healthy, inexpensive and extremely beneficial to our bodies, most of which are actually starving for real nutrition.
Let me know if you have tried chia or if you have any questions about it! :)
This is April writing to you today. :) I hope you had a chance to read Katie's prior post about our March blog theme: detoxing our bodies. What could be more important than taking care of the only body we have so we can not only lead successful, healthy and happy lives, but to be around for a long time for our loved ones?
We live in a society that is, in my opinion, over-flowing with overabundance. But, if you look closely, it is often an overabundance of JUNK! Yep, junk! It can be overwhelming to read so much information and figure out where to start getting your health on track (or if you're already healthy, STAYING healthy!). Katie and I hope everyone will learn and implement new things this month.
You may be wondering why the title of my post today brought you back to the 80's. Who had a chia (pronounced chee-ah) pet? Or at least knows what one is? Just in case you are so unfortunate as to not be familiar with these beauties, here's a photo to spark your memory.
What I didn't know until last year, was that all those little seeds that made fun (and weird) chia pets, were actually nutritional powerhouses with a unique blend of protein, healthy fat, fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbohydrates. Would I have cared if I had known this as a kid? Probably not so much. Chia pets were just cool. However, now as an adult (or so they say I am:), I'm really trying to detox my body and improve my health.
You should include chia seeds in your diet every single day! They are relatively inexpensive, virtually tasteless, easy to prepare, and work nutritional magic on your body. :) Here's what chia seeds look like up close.
Chia seeds help regulate blood sugar, provide extra (natural!) energy, keep your heart healthy, improves hydration, reduces cravings for JUNK (which can naturally help you lose weight), aid in proper digestion and elimination, and so much more. They are an excellent, condensed source of many vital nutrients. They are also gluten-free.
An easy, and probably most effective way, to eat chia seeds is to make a gel out of them. You simply mix them with water, let them sit for about 15 minutes, stir again and voila! Chia gel. You can mix this gel into anything wet or soft. Try making your own salad dressing with chia gel as a base. I have mixed it into drinks, applesauce, oatmeal, yogurt, soup...the possibilities are endless. Sometimes I just eat a big spoonful of it. It really has virtually no flavor, so it blends into everything well. Have you ever had boba (small tapioca pearls in drinks)? The texture is slightly similar. Soaking them kind of 'pops' the seeds open, releaseing more nutrition than you could get just from eating the seeds dry. Here's what the gel looks like.
We will soon be posting an excellent and tasty detox drink recipe that contains chia gel, so keep an eye out for that. Please Google 'chia benefits' for more information on the long-standing history and use of chia and prepared to be amazed. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg here in this post. I personally have noticed a huge difference in my health since I started taking chia. Chia is safe, healthy, inexpensive and extremely beneficial to our bodies, most of which are actually starving for real nutrition.
Let me know if you have tried chia or if you have any questions about it! :)
Comments
Thanks!