Ch-ch-ch-Chia!
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| Source: Amazon.ca |
Today I will be discussing the benefits of Chia seeds as
part of a healthy diet. Chia first became
a household name when a company named Joseph Inc. began producing pottery animals
(and later other shapes) that you could soak and apply chia seeds to and it
would grow a vegetation coat that looks something like fur or hair. I never had a Chia pet, but my wife got a Chia
kitten for a Christmas gift as a child and said she often wondered if the chia
seeds or greens were edible. They are
the same seeds, actually and are thus not only edible but healthy, but don’t eat
the chia seeds that come with your Chia pet; they are not officially food grade
chia, plus there is only a table spoon of seeds in the package that comes with
the Chia pet planter, so that would make them pretty expensive to eat.
Now that we know Chia seeds are edible, why should we eat
chia seeds? Well for starters chia seeds
are packed with essential fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 which can help lower
cholesterol, and boost skin, hair and immune system health.
In addition to Omega 3 and Omega 6, chia seeds are also
packed with fibre. And unlike flax,
which is also a great healthy seed packed with nutrients, Chia seeds are easily
digestible and do not need to be ground up.
Chia seeds are also great for your diet as when they are wet, they gain
a gel coating and bulk up to nearly 10 times its original weight, giving your
stomach a more full feeling after eating them.
Chia seeds are also known to be an antioxidant.
So here’s to the amazing super seed, Chia! And in addition to health benefits from
eating Chia, you can also use them when your Chia planter runs out of seeds,
which will happen about a week after you buy the planter because there is only
enough for 3 coatings, and after Christmas you can’t buy official Chia pet
seeds and thus have a naked chia pet…you can always buy whole chia seeds at
your local health food section and use those for your chia pet.
