Chia seeds are classed as power superfoods; you know the kind you really want to have in your diet. The seeds fit comfortably with the raft of other ‘magical’ foods such as the goji berry, acai and wheatgrass. These are all believed to offer higher than average levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help to boost your health and stimulate your energy levels, in a natural way. In the following, we will talk about chia seeds and how to use chia seeds for weight loss
What are chia seeds?
Chia Seeds (also known as Salvia hispanica L), are part of the mint family and while they are pretty much well-known across the US, Europe has only recently started to pick up on the trend.
The Aztecs originally used chia seeds for both medicinal and religious purposes. In Mexico and Guatemala, chia seeds have been a staple food source for several centuries and people swear by the many health benefits these seeds provide.
Chia seeds are shaped like small ovals and are greyish brown, with speckles of black and white. Although these seeds look unassuming, they certainly pack a punch in terms of their nutritional value. They are rich in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids and protein. In fact, chia seeds are said to have higher levels of fatty acid than salmon, and that’s really saying something.
A helping of just 2 tbsp (approx. 15g) of these seeds will provide you with roughly 3g of protein, 4.5g of fat and 6g of soluble fibre. Chia seeds also contain high levels of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals such as niacin, thiamin, phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium and sodium, which are necessary for your body’s overall functioning.
how to use chia seeds for weight loss?
People everywhere are falling over themselves to shout about how amazing the chia seed is for weight loss, but is there any truth in this? Actually, there isn’t anything extraordinary about chia seeds when it comes to weight loss. And this is echoed by scientific studies that claim chia seeds are not a miracle cure for weight loss.
That’s not to say that chia seeds don’t offer some assistance in weight control, after all, they do contain extraordinarily high levels of soluble fibre, which is known to make you feel fuller for longer. ground chia seeds added to liquid form a pulpy gel-like solution, filling up your stomach and making you less prone to over-eating. But then and again, the same can be said of other fibre-rich foods.
Depending on which camp you are in, you’ll either love the nutty taste of chia or you’ll condemn it as bland and tasteless. If you fall into the second camp all is not lost. The good thing about chia is that you can find so many ways of adding it to your diet without having to taste it necessarily.
For example, you could add it to your favourite cereal in the morning, grind the seeds down and add them to your Juice detox or sprinkle them onto your salad. You’ll hardly notice the taste and still reap the many health benefits of chia.
One thing to note if you’re adding chia seeds to your Juice detox is that it will expand slightly creating a pulp. This doesn’t affect the taste, but it fills your stomach, making you feel less hungry.
So as you can see, it’s not the chia seed itself that stops you from putting on weight. That said, chia seeds offer many other health benefits, which make them a worthy addition to your diet.
Where can you buy chia seeds?
You can find chia seeds in most health food shops across the US and UK. Also, don’t forget chia seeds are readily available online. Amazon.com is selling a 2-pound bag of chia seeds for just under $22, whilst a 5-pound bag of the seeds will cost you around $50. In fact, if you buy online, you’ll be saving yourself quite a few dollars – let’s face it, chia seeds are definitely more expensive than regular seeds, so it’s worth exploring online options.
Just be mindful that it isn‘t always easy to spot genuine items online, so stick to reputable retailers or brands you know you can trust.
