Chia seeds are jammed packed with with beneficial nutrients that provide a lot of health benefits. They are ideal for anyone on a gluten free or vegan diet. Despite how they look chia seeds are really tasty and can keep you full for a long time. Add them with blueberries, bananas, raspberries for even more nutritional punch. They are great as a snack to cut binging as well as a meal replacement! There are many weight loss success stories from women who have decided to incorporate these fat melting seeds into their daily diet. They are considered one of the most effective weight loss food in the market today. If you eat just two tablespoons of chia seeds per day you can effectively loose more weight in a month than on any other diet.
What are Chia Seeds?
Chia seeds are tiny oval shaped white or black colored beads from the Chia herb. Don’t eat the brown version as these are not considered ripe. They originally hail from Central America and Mexico and were eaten by the Mayans for energy. With the intense metabolism boost they provide they were used in ancient times for such purposes. As a hydrophilic they are highly absorbent. When soaked in liquid a liquid gel forms which causes satiety when consumed.
These little tasty seeds boast a very high concentration of omega 3’s, more potassium than a banana and more calcium than milk. They also contain high levels of alpha-linolenic acid which is very beneficial for optimum heart health. Being full of antioxidants, soluble and insoluble fiber its no wonder this is a favorite for weight loss. Therefore, this makes them one of the most nutrient dense food in the world.
When cooking, its their ability to gel that makes them ideal for replacing eggs, thickener in soups and sauces and to improve the texture of gluten free breads. If you are on a vegan diet you can simply mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water per egg. Try this substitution in our fluffy oat pancake recipe.
The Slimming Effect
If you desire to loose weight aim to snack on chia pudding once a day. Alternatively you can add about 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to you favorite meals, smoothies, salads, oatmeal, yogurt or casseroles. In order to really see results only use unprocessed wholesome ingredients. Did you know that just one ounce creates a lap-band effect? This same ounce packs ten grams of fiber, nine grams of health fat and almost five grams of protein. Once they have been digested they absorb fluid making them expand in your tummy which results in satiety. Overall it creates hunger suppression no different then if you had the expensive lap-band surgery.
Interesting fact: adiponectin is a hormone that helps the body break down fat. A body that has low levels of adiponectin will have increased belly fat whereas one with high levels of this hormone will have less belly fat. Why? This is because chia seeds cause a spike in adiponectin which reduces belly fat.
Did you also know that chia helps the body cut down on insulin, a hormone that aggressively stores extra sugar and carbs we eat as fat? Another benefit of these little black darlings is that they effectively block blood sugar spikes and indirectly boost our fat burning power. Chia can make you more active helping you burn lots of calories and build metabolism boosting muscle.
Benefits of Chia Pudding
When I first started going gluten free I felt very fatigued, grouchy and miserable. One day I decided to try adding chia to my smoothies and found it to be simply amazing. Not only did I have more energy I felt full, more cheerful and lighter. Not only did they help me feel better but I was able to keep munching at bay which helped me shed some unwanted pounds. I encourage everyone to add the following recipe to their diet plans:
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup organic maple syrup
- ½ cup frozen strawberries (or any fruit you desire)
- ¼ cup cinnamon
- pinch of cloves
- 1 scoop plant based protein powder
- ½ cup chia seeds
In a blender, blend all ingredients except the chia seeds until smooth. Then whisk in the chia seeds. Portion into glass and place in refrigerator for at least 5 hours until gel is formed.