Chia Seeds

One of my favorite websites www.greenereating.com shared some great information on chia seeds http://www.greenereating.com/2010/05/chia-seeds.html and I've been adding them to my smoothie ever since. My current smoothie is soaked chia seeds (a Tbl or two in a few tablespoons of water,) spinach or kale, peaches, dark cherries, and soy milk.


This is some of the information they shared about chia seeds on their website: They are the number one source of Omega 3 fatty acids, even more than flax seeds. This Omega 3 helps circulation and the heart. The omega 3s break up the lipids which cause blood clots, varicose veins, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, and high triglycerides. Besides this aspect of them, they help diabetics by slowing blood sugar spikes. They have 3 times the antioxidants than blueberries. The fiber in chia seeds helps with digestion. In 2 ounces of milk there are 120 milligrams of calcium. In 2 ounces of chia, there are 600 milligrams of calcium. That means chia has 5 times the amount of calcium than milk! The other aspect of chia seeds, is their ability to fuel endurance activity such as running, which is why i love them so much. They have 2 times the potassium as a banana which means more electrolytes than in Gatorade. The seeds absorb up to 30 times their weight when put in water so they are great for keeping hydrated during athletic events and just throughout the day. The other reason why they are so good for endurance sports is because the chia gel (formed when you soak the seeds in water) causes a slow release of carbohydrates, which slowly convert to glucose that your body can use for energy.