Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia.......

Do you remember the commercials for chia pets? 

 I remember singing along when the commercial came on but never actually got to have one. 

Did you ever have one when you were a kid?

I don't even know if "Yellow Front" sold them. LOL!! 

(You had to grow up in the "sticks" to know about Yellow Front)

This is something you will want in your pantry!!!

This past year I have been searching for more ways of getting better nutrition into my diet.  In the book "Thrive, The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life" by Brendan Brazier it mentions that chia is an excellent source of protein and since I'm not eating meat I am trying to find more ways to get protein into my diet.  I started researching chia and found that it is an AMAZING seed that was used by many of the indian tribes years ago.  Here is some of what I found:

Chia seed is called a super food because it does have amazing health benefits, stores well, and easy to prepare. If you want to have something ready in an emergency, chia is the answer. Keep in a 72 hour kit. Grab a bag and go. You could live for months without cooking or grinding. Simply soak 1 teaspoon in a glass of water, wait 10 minutes, and drink it down. Ancient warriors used to carry a bag and live off the seeds for months. It provided the needed protein and carbohydrates to give plenty of energy to the warriors. Many athletes have performed better with chia as told in the book "Born to Run".

Chia does not need to be ground, cooked or sprouted. It has a much longer shelf life than flax.

1. Chia is the number one source of Omega 3 fatty acids in the plant form,  A-linolenic acid (ALA). 
2. Omega 3 fatty acids help the heart and circulation.  The omega 3s break up the lipids which cause blood clots, varicose veins, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, and high triglycerides.
3. Omega 3 fatty acids cause significant protection against cancer.
4. Omega 3s prevent or reverse arthritis and Parkinson's.
5. Omega 3s promote brain health, relieving depression and anxiety, ADD and memory loss.  Some promising studies show help for bi-polar and schizophrenia.
6. Omega 3s increase immunity.
7. Omega 3s help prevent age related blindness.
8. Omega 3's are correlated to lower waist circumference and less obesity.
9. Chia absorbs ten times its volume in water. This hydrophilic quality helps the body hydrate. Hydrating is essential for athletes.
10. Chia coats the stomach relieving gas and gerd.
11. Chia slows the blood sugar spike a benefit for diabetics. 
12. Chia provides a full feeling. This natural appetite suppressant helps weight loss. 
13. Chia supplies 3 times more antioxidants than blueberries.  Blueberries topped the list for high antioxidants until chia was studied. Antioxidants slow free radicals that cause aging and cancer.
14. The chia gel lines the intestine and pulls out toxins.
15. No need to buy organic, because chia is naturally bug resistant.
16. High fiber in chia helps digestion and elimination.
17. Chia supplies a complete protein.
18. Chia supplies 5 times more calcium than milk.  It also supplies the other minerals needed for bone health including boron and magnesium.
19. Chia supplies 2 times more potassium than bananas.  These natural electrolyte minerals make it better than Gatorade for athletes.
20. The magnesium in chia helps heart rhythm, bones, blood sugar, chronic fatigue, emotional balance, and restless leg syndrome.
21. Folic acid in chia promotes a healthy pregnancy, brain function, cancer prevention, intestinal health, circulation, and teeth and gums.
22. The naturally occurring iron in chia helps the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
23. If you lived on food storage basics, you would suffer from vitamin C deficiency. Add plenty of chia to your storage basics because it supplies 7 times more vitamin C than an orange.
24. Chia, as an ingredient, is a dieters dream food.  There are limitless ways to incorporate the Chia seed into your diet.  Chia must be prepared with pure water before using recipes.  The seed will absorb 9 times it’s weight in water in less than 10 minutes and is very simple to prepare. 

Making Chia Gel

Put 2 cups of water in a sealable plastic container and slowly pour 1/3 cup chia seeds into water while briskly mixing with a wire whisk. This process will avoid any clumping of the seed.  Wait a couple of minutes, whisk again and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.  Whisk again before using or storing in refrigerator (Gel will keep up to 2 weeks). You can add this mix to jams, jellies, hot or cold cereals, yogurts, mustard, catsup, tarter sauce, BBQ sauce, etc..  Add the gel, between 50% to 75% by volume, to any of the non-bake mentioned foods, mix well and taste. You will notice a very smooth texture with the integrity of the flavour intact. In addition to adding up to 50% to 75% more volume to the foods used, you have displaced calories and fat by incorporating an ingredient that is 90% water. Use as a fat replacer, for energy and endurance, or for added great taste, by substituting half the oil in your breads with Chia gel. Top your favorite bread dough before baking with Chia gel (for toping on baked goods, breads, cookies, piecrust, etc., reduce the water ration to 8 parts water to 1 part Chia seed) for added shelf life.

Or you can simply sprinkle it on a salad or add to anything you are eating.

Now who wouldn't want all of that??  My daughter's boyfriend is a wrestler and I convinced him to give chia a try.  He uses it daily now and drinks chia water instead of gatorade.  He will tell you that he noticed a big difference once he started using it.  Even "The Man" wants chia in his green drink every morning.  Now that right there says something.  There is no taste to it so -  

GIVE IT A TRY!