Tag: chia seeds

Girl Who Would be King, Health + LifeStyle

Health – on the seedy side

CHIA vs FLAX?  I don’t know if one is better than the other so I use both.

Chia Seeds
Chia Seeds

Both are considered super-seeds. At least Flax was spared the humility of being sold as a pet.  Let’s focus on chia seeds for now.

Not so long ago chia seeds were most well known for being spread onto terracotta pottery so that they would grow fur to resemble some kind of animal.  I never had one of those and thought them to be in the same category as the useless pet rock.

But then we found out that the seeds are much more useful than for making novelty items; they’re incredibly beneficial for your health.  So to be on the healthy safe side I put a handful into my vitamix to add to smoothies and top granola and oatmeal with the potent little seeds that have similar benefits to Flax except they don’t have to be ground prior to consumption, and they don’t go rancid as quickly either.

Chia seeds, along with mint, were a prized food to the ancient Aztecs and Mayans. “Chia” is the ancient Mayan word for strength, and the tiny seeds were valued for their energy-boosting properties.

A Rich Source of Healthy Fats and Nutrients

Chia seeds are a quick and easy-to-use source of protein, healthy fats, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, all rolled into one neat package. That’s a lot to boast about.

20160112_100741In addition, chia seeds contain a number of additional phytochemicals, each with its own unique benefits. This includes myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol, known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, and caffeic acid.

As it goes with the latest “IT” health boosters, you can buy it in other forms like the “Mamma Chia” energy drink shown here which has other added health benefits like spinach, kale, mint & spirulina and tastes similar to bubble tea.

Do you use Chia?

 

FUN

B well – with natural mood boosters

Little healthful tidbits that go a long way…

Fight of the Superfoods:superfood The Good Seeds

We know we can’t go wrong with eating cancer fighting foods like broccoli, blueberries and flaxseeds.  These all-around great-for-you staples will get the thumbs-up from any nutritionist.  But when it comes to targeting specific health concerns, like boosing bone health or improving your mood, some superfoods might be a little more super than others.  Here are the champs:

pumpkinseedsBest Mood Booster: Pumpkin Seeds

With Sunflower seeds being a close second. They may have similar calories per ounce – 158 for pumpkin and 164 for sunflower – but pumpkin seeds pack 68 percent more tryptophan, an amino acid that aids in the production of serotonin, a mood-regulating neurotransmitter.  Pumpkin seeds also offer more than five times as much magnesium per cup; a recent study found that postgrad students whose diets regularly met or exceeded their RDA for magnesium (320 milligrams for women, or roughly half a cup of pumpkin seeds) were less likely to be depressed than students whose diets contained the least.

Try using them in salads & cereal.  I put toasted pepitas (same thing) in my granola.

chiaBest Bone Builder: Chia Seeds

With Flax seeds a close second.  There’s no debate that both seeds should be celebrated for their high concentration of heart-healthy omega-3s, but chia seeds happen to be a better source of calcium, with two tablespoons providing up to 16 percent of your RDA – four and a half times the amount in the same quantity of ground flax.  And with nearly 150 percent more phosphorus and more than 100 percent more manganese (two minerals that play key roles in bone formulation), chia seeds get the gold medal for helping to build and maintain strong bones.

Not only are they gluten/grain free naturally, but one tablespoon of chia seeds has more calcium than a glass of milk, more Omega-3s than Salmon, and more antioxidants than blueberries. Perfect? Almost… they will get stuck in your teeth if you chew them plain.

They also give you tons of energy but also won’t keep you awake at night. They’re supposed to be great for weight loss because they can absorb many times their size/weight in liquid, they are great for preventing dehydration during exercise or exposure to heat.

Supposedly, the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans used chia as a staple of their diet and as an energy food. Chia means “strength” in the Mayan language, and they were known as the “Indian Running Food” because runners and warriors would use them for sustenance  while running long distances or during battle.

Try a handful in shakes + salads. Mixed with some almond flour and garlic powder, Chia Seeds make an excellent “breading” for fish or chicken.

You can even make your own homemade Chia Pet – but you can find that in someone else’s blog.
Also, **Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America.

Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health