3 Reasons To Add Chia Seeds To Everything You Eat
You’ve probably seen chia seeds added to recipes on your favorite food blog or Pinterest board, but they’re not just a trend, these seeds have some serious health benefits that live up to the hype. According to our favorite chia seed provider, Mamma Chia, chia seeds were the main component of both Aztec & Maya diets; one tablespoon was believed to sustain a warrior for 24 hours. We still need the same nutrients today that those warriors did way back when, and now we are fighting the possibility of processed foods and their lack of nutrition.
No need to fear a lack of nutrients when you have a bag of chia seeds at your side. The best thing about chia is that you don’t even need to follow any elaborate recipes to incorporate them into your diet; you can pretty much add them to anything. You can sprinkle them on top of salads or granola, blend them on a smoothie, bake them in your favorite muffins, or even just in your glass of water. If you’re still not convinced, we’ve listed a few more reasons why chia seeds are your new best friends.
The Fiber Is Real
Many Americans don’t even get half of the amount of fiber they require daily. With one ounce of chia seeds, you get 10 grams of fiber, that’s half the amount of fiber women need daily. Fiber keeps you feeling full for longer, helping with maintaining and losing weight, it can help lower blood pressure, and high fiber diets are associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Fiber is also a vital part of a healthy preventative diet and if you've been diagnosed, especially fiber from greens and seeds.
Calcium For The Win
We’ve all heard that we need to drink our milk to help keep our bones strong, but really all you need are leafy greens and some chia in your life. A serving of chia has 18 percent of your daily calcium intake; just one smoothie and you’re on your way to keeping those bones and teeth happy and healthy. They also contain a hefty amount of phosphorus, which also keeps bones healthy and even aids in the cell repair and regrowth.
Brain Health to the Omega-3
With nearly 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids in each serving, chia seeds are taking brain health and heart disease very serious. They are vital in brain memory and function, and a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids has been known to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiac related diseases. It has been found that Omega-3s actually help the heart beat stay steady and not veer in a dangerous direction.
Not enough to convince you?! Ok, ok, we’ve even made this delicious smoothie to add the final cherry on top of the pile of evidence that chia seeds kick butt and need to be in a jar on your counter so you can use them all day long!
Simple Green Smoothie Formula
2 Cups Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard)
2 Cups Liquid Base (Water, Coconut Water, Coconut Milk, Almond Milk)
3 Cups Ripe Fruit (Banana, Mango, Berries, Avocado, Apple, Pineapple, Grapes)
1 Oz Chia Seeds
Fun Additions: Cocoa powder, hemp protein powder, cinnamon, acai powder
1. Blend leafy greens and liquid together first
2. Add fruits and blend again
3. Add Chia seeds to the top
4. Mix and Enjoy!