What Are Chia Seeds?
Many people I run across have never heard of chia seeds. They usually ask me, “What are chia seeds?” I tell them what makes chia seeds so special from other foods is that they are so good for us.
Physically, chia seeds are just tiny little seeds, that don’t look like much on the surface, but they are great sources of fiber, full of antioxidants, loaded with protein, packed with vitamins and minerals, and contain the richest plant source of omega-3.
Chia seeds can be eaten whole or soaked in a liquid to make them gelatinous.
From chia seeds, you can make chia oil and even chia flour, so your baked goods are even healthier. Although chia flour can’t fully replace flour entirely, but will substitute for about half of the flour requirement.
What are Chia Seeds – A Superfood?
The term superfood is more than anything a marketing term that is used to hype or promote healthy foods, but in most cases the hype surpasses the actual health benefits.
However, what are chia seeds if not a superfood. Chia seeds are a raw food that can be used to replace meals and even to make the meals that we eat more nutritious.
If you are battling weight loss, consuming chia gel prior to eating a meal creates a protective barrier in your digestive tract that helps delay the breaking down of carbohydrates into sugars helping regulate the body’s blood sugar levels, thus reducing hunger pangs and making you feel fuller.
What’s the Big Deal About Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are required by your body as a primary building block of every cell in your body. You need these omega-3s for proper cell membrane formation and function.
Chia has the highest-known percentage of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid among plants. Research shows that consumption of omega-3 fatty acids correlates with greater levels of cardiovascular health.
In fact when comparing chia seeds to salmon, you’ll find chia has eight times more Omega 3s to salmon and can be ingested every day!
The question you should be asking yourself now isn’t, what are chia seeds, but what aren’t chia seeds?
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