Chia Gel

Making chia gel is another way to get all the nutritious properties of chia into your body.

Chia gel provides all the beneficial nutrients in chia seeds, including essential fats (EFAs), complex carbohydrates,

protein, soluble fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, polysaccharides, and more.

To make chia gel, just add chia seeds to any sort of liquid, and in a relatively short period of time you’ll have your gel.

Chia Gel – A Detailed Approach

To make chia gel, simply add one third cup of Chia seeds (Salvia Hispanica) to two cups of water, stir well to prevent clumping several times during the first few minutes.

Or the way I make it is that you just add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to one cup of water and cover, then refrigerate. After about 10-15 minutes you’ll see the chia seeds have absorbed the water to form a gel.

Throughout the day I’ll open the fridge and dip a spoon into the gel that I created and just eat a spoonful. The chia gel doesn’t taste like much, so I’m eating healthy, while feeling full.

 

Huge Benefit of Chia

One of the primary benefits of chia gel is that it slows the conversion of carbohydrates into sugars, thereby regulating and sustaining healthy blood sugar levels in the body.

Chia gel creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, which slows the conversion of carbs into sugar.

A person who has added chia gel to their diet is able to eat a meal with normal portions, yet only consume about half the calories they would normally eat; plus, they are getting a nutritious meal.

In fact, for individuals having diabetes or anyone desiring to stabilize blood sugar levels, research suggests taking 3 tablespoons of chia gel with each meal for an optimal slowing of the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar, as well as providing better assimilation of the foods that are eaten.

How to Use in Recipes

Making a chia gel softens the seeds and makes them easier to eat and more versatile for use in recipes.

Chia gel may also be used in place of fats within recipes, even within baked goods. Chia Gel can replace up to half of the butter or oil in any recipe without altering the flavor or the cooking method.

A good idea is to have some water based chia gel on hand in the fridge to add as an egg or butter substiute to cakes or cookies, one tablespoon of gel replaces one egg.

Chia gel may be taken by itself or added to creamy and liquid foods, significantly boosting nutrition and acting both as a food extender and a calorie displacer.

The gel can be added to sauces, drinks, yogurt, salad dressings, cream cheese, jams, jellies, preserves, salsa, hot/cold cereals, yogurt, dips, puddings, soups, or other liquid or creamy foods.

And since chia seeds have no flavor of their own, they distribute and take on the taste of whatever food or drink you add them to.

I think the above video is great on showing you exactly what chia gel looks like, but I would skip the sugar and lemon juice, unless it is part of a recipe.

Chia Gel – Hydration and Nutrition for Athletes

In addition to adding up to 50% to 75% more volume to the foods used, Chia removes calories and fat because its gel is 90% water.

Chia seeds are great for endurance sports and running because the seed is very hydrophilic, holding 9-12 times its weight in water. In other words, they are great for athletes because the chia gel will hydrate the body.

Because chia gel contains so much water it helps with nutrition and hydration, and provides lots of energy that seems to release over time, as opposed to the spike and crash of traditional energy gels and drinks.

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