Why Eat Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds are still eaten in Mexico. Those little seeds sold on television that grow on those clay figurines are edible and extremely nutritious. The people of Mexico have known this for hundreds of years and still utilize this ancient food that fueled their ancestors. The seeds were once considered so valuable that they served as currency.

This humble little seed was once a staple in the Aztec diet. Those who ate it had endurance and good health. The Aztecs used it exclusively when at war. It is said that as little as a teaspoon of the seeds could keep soldiers on the march for 24 hours. The natives of the American Southwest only took chia seeds with them to eat when they traveled from the Colorado River to the California coastline for trading.

Chia’s Secret

When chia seeds are mixed with water, they create a gel through their mucilaginous nature. The gel comes from the soluble fiber inside the seeds reacting to the water. This also happens in your stomach when you eat the seeds. This gel soothes the stomach, slows down digestion of carbohydrates, and makes the energy you get from your food last longer. This quality can help diabetics by preventing blood sugar spikes.

Chia also can absorb up to 12 times its own weight in water. The water is slowly released in the body, keeping you hydrated while regulating how your body absorbs the nutrients that you eat. The combined qualities of the mucilage and the ability to hold water makes chia seeds hydrophilic colloids. Raw foods do this to a certain extent, but cooking them changes their chemistry. If you eat all your foods cooked, it can cause slow digestion, gas, heartburn and other issues in the body. Eating more raw foods or a food like chia seeds can help correct this.

Its seeds are also full of protein. This particular protein is easily digested and absorbed. This quality makes chia seeds an excellent food for anyone during growth spurts, athletes, pregnant and lactating women and anyone else who wants a healthier body. Chia is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which your body needs to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Using Chia Seeds

Let the seeds soak in pure water before adding them to your recipes. In less than 10 minutes, the seeds can soak up to 9 times its weight. It can displace those extra calories and help your food to stretch. Add it to cereals, jellies, yogurt, condiments, and so on to reduce your calories while keeping the full flavor of the food. It also gives you all the added nutrition of the chia seeds.

If you like to bake, add the seeds instead of the oil in the recipe. Your baked Mexican dessert will still taste great but you’ll get more nutrition and fewer calories. Baked goods with the seeds added also have a longer shelf life.

Besides being eaten, chia was used to promote healing and avoid infections. Poultices of chia seeds were used on gunshot wounds by missionaries and native tribes in Mexico and America. It is thought the mucilaginous quality would help draw out the impurities in the wound.

Mexican food features delicious seafood like ceviche. This is a fresh dish that is naturally low in fats and carbohydrates. Make it with the freshest seafood you can find. Shrimp, fish, and other seafood can be used on their own or mixed in this delicious dish.