Food of the Week: Cha, Cha, Cha Chia!

No, I’m not talking about the famous Chia Pet that seemed to grace the home of millions back in the early 90’s! I’m talking…Chia seeds! What was once considered to be a sacred food to the Native Americans, is now taking the world by storm again thanks to Oprah’s recent plug!

The name, chia, is Maya for strength or strengthening and rightfully so. Chia is a excellent source for the essential omega 3 & 6 oils. They also have approximately two times the protein concentration and up to ten times the oil concentration of other grains, and are digestible without grinding, unlike the Flax seed.

Chia seeds are small and have the unique feature of a shell that turns gelatinous (mucilaginous) when it gets wet. This gel is thought to create a barrier in the stomach between the carbohydrates and digestive enzymes - slowing the breakdown of carbos into sugar and prolonging endurance. The seed can absorb more than 10 times its weight in water which can prolong hydration and retain electrolytes in body fluids.

Chia Seeds Also Offer Powerful Health-Building Benefits:

• Super-Energizing For Increased Endurance and Sustained Energy. A Balanced Blend of Protein, Essential Fats, Fiber, Complex Carbohydrates, and Antioxidants. Chia is unrivalled among all seeds and grains for providing energy to your mind and body. Native peoples knew about chia and made it their power food of choice. The energy and endurance of native athletes, runners, and warriors is legendary. Now you can benefit from their knowledge about chia!

• Improves Cardiovascular Health. Provides Extremely High Levels of Heart-Healthy Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Chia’s oil contains the highest-known percentage of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, an incredible 62%–64%! Foods really can be the ‘best medicine.’ And chia’s benefits just get better!

• Stabilizes Blood Sugar. Reduces Blood Glucose Swings and Supports Conditions of Hypoglycemia and Diabetes. Chia’s soluble giber exerts a stabilizing influence on blood glucose levels by regulating the rate at which complex carbohydrates are digested and assimilated in the body. This creates steady, stable blood glucose levels…which also means steady, high energy levels. That’s the ‘magic’ of chia, based on the best nutritional science and traditional tribal knowledge!

• Reduces Cravings for Sweets and Junk Foods. Chia’s Soluble Fiber Allows the Measured Release of its Natural, Unrefined Carbohydrate Energy into the Bloodstream. This is exactly the opposite of a blood sugar rise followed by a crash, which happens when consuming foods high in sugar, refined carbohydrates (e.g., white-bread products), and concentrated sweeteners (such as high-fructose corn syrup).

Some people may not even know what normal blood sugar regulation feels like (due to poor diets or long-term blood sugar problems). Chia can help restore normalcy to blood glucose levels, especially for individuals suffering from lifelong consumption of ‘standard American diets’ (SAD) in our sugar-and-carbs-gone-wild civilization.

• Improved Mental Focus and Concentration. Chia’s Balanced Essential Fats (Omega-3 and Omega-6) Can Signficantly Boost Brain Power…and Brighten Mood (EFAs are known for their antidepressive effects). Essential fats make cell membranes more flexible, and enable more efficient membrane function, including better nerve transmission and nutrient transport into cells. A healthy nervous system supports more efficient brain function. In fact, the essential fats in chia are well-known for helping improve brain function!

• High-Quality Protein. Chia Contains 20% or More Protein…a higher percentage than found in other grains, such as wheat, corn, rice, or oats. Plus, chia is high in Natural Antioxidants (unlike flax), which means it stays fresh far longer and supplies powerful dietary antioxidants. In addition, chia’s high-quality, vegetable-source protein works synergistically with its other benefits (like reducing cravings and cardioprotective properties). The cumulative effect of consuming chia is super nutrition giving you exceptional staying power and supporting your active, healthy lifestyle!

• Promotes Lean Muscle Mass. Chia’s High-Quality Vegetable Protein Helps Build Increased Lean Muscle Mass. Therefore it is useful for weight loss and weight maintenance. Chia is suitable for all lifestyles and dietary regimens, including low-carb diets and vegetarian diets. In addition, chia’s essential fatty acids (see above) actually boost metabolism and contribute to optimal metabolic function, thereby serving to build and maintain lean muscle mass.

• Gluten-Free. Unlike Typical Grain-Source Proteins, Chia Protein Contains No Gluten. Chia thereby is an ideal food for individuals having gluten sensitivity, carbohydrate intolerance, hypoglycemia, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, or for anyone wishing to avoid common gluten-containing grains like corn, barley, and wheat. (Moreover, simple carbohydrates—including high-gluten foods—are implicated in obesity and blood glucose instability, and generally provide poor nutrient-density.) Chia is a gluten-free, nutrient-dense alternative to grain-source proteins!

• An Ideal Superfood. Chia is an Excellent Functional Food for Most People, including individuals exhibiting food allergies, food sensitivities, or food and chemical hypersensitivity. One study found no evidence of allergic response to chia, even among individuals having peanut and tree nut allergies.

Plus, chia is an ideal superfood because it is portable, won’t easily spoil (i.e., protected by natural antioxidants), and safely can be stored for extended periods; chia can be eaten raw, but also remains fresh after grinding; and even after being ground and mixed with water, chia (as a gel) can keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Chia absolutely puts the “super” in “superfood”!

• Super-Hydration and Electrolyte Balance. Chia’s Soluble Fiber (i.e., Hydrophilic Colloids) Massively Retains Water…keeping you well-hydrated and maintaining your electrolyte balance. Chia seeds hold 12 (or more!) times their weight in water. When consuming chia seeds that have been hydrated, you thereby obtain that hydration for yourself for hours!

Because when chia is placed in water, juice, or mixed (whole or ground) into moist foods, it greatly swells and thereby provides effective super-hydration for your body. This uniquely powerful swelling capacity also provides special properties (i.e., thickening) you may find useful in the kitchen…or anywhere you happen to be when you need hydration.

Given that water is the major component of our bodies, chia’s value for hydration is very significant indeed, especially for active persons, and can make a huge difference in your levels of hydration, and thereby in your quality of life!

• Supports Healthy Elimination and Detoxification. Healthy Oils and Soluble Fiber work together supporting greater regularity and comfort…beneficial effects not to be underestimated! Considering that most Americans are deficient both in essential fats and soluble fiber, chia is an obvious choice for supporting better elimination and natural detoxification, naturally.

• Uniquely Balanced. Chia Offers Amazingly Balanced Ratios of Macronutrients. In fact, chia’s ratios are better balanced than most grains, seeds, and many other foods. That’s why chia is considered by many to be Nature’s perfect food! Add chia to your diet, and witness your own transformation for yourself!

Have you gotten your Chia today? I have been drinking Uri Life’s The Feast every morning for the last 8 months and have noticed amazing results. While I knew The Feast contained Chia Seeds, I had no idea just how beneficial the Chia seeds truly were. After doing a little digging I have considered adding even more Chia to my diet.

Stay Tuned for some Cha, Cha, Cha, Chia recipes later this week!

To True Optimal Health!

Brandi