Health benefits of chia seeds plus 3 fail proof recipes

If you’re new to eating chia and want to know the health benefits of chia seeds, this post is for you (!). Never tried eating chia? Don’t worry- we have 3 fail proof recipes for chia pudding at the bottom of the post.

The history of chia seeds

Chia (Salvia hispanica) is a species of flowering plant from the mint family and is native to Mexico and Guatemala but its main producer is Australia. Traditionally, chia is an Aztec food dating back to 3500B.C and was prized by Aztec warriors in central Mexico as a food to promote endurance and consumed with bread prior to battle, or with water before running long distances.Further, chia seeds were used for medical purposes including soothing skin conditions, treating gastrointestinal conditions, lowering fevers and as a paste for eye infections and open wounds.

Chia seeds were considered sacred and they were used as a sacrifice in religious ceremonies (so cool!) and because of this reason chia was banned when the Spanish conquered South America. The ancient civilisations believed that the chia seed provided supernatural powers, in Mayan chia means strength- pretty interesting huh!

What you need to know about chia

So as we now know, the health benefits of chia seeds have been known for areally freaking long time- they’re so much more then just a delicious start to the day, this tiny seed packs a serious nutritional punch. Packed full of protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids 3+6, as well as containing all 9 essential amino acids.

While this might sound impressive you might be wondering, what does that mean? What are essential amino acids, or omega 3’s?.. Lets dive into that a little.

Omega 3’s

Omega 3 fatty acids are considered an essential nutrient because, even though our body can make them from other days, it’s a fickle process heavily depend on an array of other nutrients. They can be particularly hard for vegans and vegetari and to obtain in their diet however omega 3 deficiency is a world wide problem across all diets. Further, the balance between omega 3 and omega 6 intake in the diet is an important consideration, and this explains why many carnivores are at risk of omega 3 deficiency.

Here’s what we know about omega 3s:

• Omega 3’s are vital for optimal heart and brain health. They are an important part of cell function, regulating hormones, eye and skin health.
• Sufficient omega 3’s in the diet have been shown to help prevent heart disease and stroke, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions.

Chia seeds are the highest know plant based source of Omega 3’s, flax seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds algae oils are also great sources.

Essential amino acids

Chia seeds contain all 9 essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and play a crucial role in many bodily functions such as transporting and storing nutrients, cell structure, forming our organs , glands, arteries and muscles. They are also essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially in the muscles, skin, bones and hair.

We know you’re excited to try our chia pudding recipes, so here’s a few more we know you’ll love.

• Baked nectarine parfaits with rawnola 
• Almond butter date smoothie
• Low carb vegan bliss balls 

Wo hope the by learning about the health benefits of chia seeds you’re inclined to add more of this miraculous seed into your diet. If you’re in Australia (like we are) please seek local produce and keep south American grown chia in South America for the locals.

 

We hope you like this recipe as much as we do! We love hearing your feedback, so if you try this recipe please leave a review or a comment at the bottom of the page. Have a great day.

Probiotic rose chia pudding

Ingredients-

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut yoghurt
• 1 Tbsp imbibe probiotic drink (My code is PP15)
• 1/2 tsp rose petal powder oR 1 tsp freeze dried berries

Method-

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Allow to set for 30 mins in the fridge, whisking again to remove any lumps.
2. Serve chia in a jar, stacked up with nut butter, yoghurt, fruit nuts or seeds. 

Cacao and maple chia pudding

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup coconut yoghurt
• 1 Tbsp cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup 

Method-

1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together. Allow to set for 30 mins in the fridge, whisking again to remove any lumps. 
2. Serve chia in a bowl topped with desired fruits and extra yoghurt 

Peanut butter jam chia pudding

• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

• 1/2 cup raspberries
• Splash of water
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

Method-