Chia Seeds – The Ancient Food of the Future

Each year it seems like there’s a new superfood coming into the mix. Some are no more than a fad; whereas others maintain a prominent presence in our diets and a permanent placehold in our cupboards. This superfood is without a doubt the latter of the two. It’s called the Chia seed and it’s widely considered to be Mother Nature’s gift to humanity.

Chia has been around for literally millions of years, but for one reason or another it is just starting to gain the recognition it deserves. Back in the day, the Aztec warriors of Mexico subsisted on Chia seeds during their battles and hunting expeditions. Nowadays, these wonderful black and white seeds are used by long-distance hikers, athletes, and health-freaks.

Chia is perhaps the only all-encompassing superfood, almost exactly containing the essential components to the human diet. So without further ado, here’s what makes the Chia seed so darn super:

• A quarter-cup supplies as much Omega-3 as a salmon fillet
• They have about three times as much iron as spinach
• More protein than beef or beans (in addition to 19 amino acids)
• 15 times the amount of magnesium content of broccoli
• Twice the amount of dietary fibre found in bran flakes
• Four times more selenium than flax seeds
• Two times more potassium than bananas
• Six times the amount of calcium of milk
• Thrice as many anti-oxidants as blueberries
• Helps the body retain electrolytes
• Completely gluten-free
• Rich in vitamins and minerals

Phew! That’s a long list. Take my word for it, Chia is a great way to improve your daily diet and can be added to the meals you eat on a regular basis without altering the flavour. It is recommended to get a daily serve of 15 grams of Chia, which is the equivalent of about a tablespoon. Try Chia with your salads, cereals, dips, stir-fries, and cooking ingredients.

Do more than just read – eat Chia seeds!

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Posted by Joel Nicholson on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012. Filed under Real World, _Index. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry