Cha Cha Cha Chia!

Chia seeds are a good source of several essential minerals. They contain calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, iron, selenium, and zinc. Oh my! In addition to minerals, they also contain other important nutrients like fiber, protein, and healthy fats.

Chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids (healthy fats) which are essential for heart health. What I love is they'll attach to toxins and help to pull excess estrogen out of the body. That's huge!

They contain lots of fiber and expand to 10x their size so make sure to drink lots of water when consuming them. If you're dealing with an inflammatory digestive tract you might want to hold off eating until you're further along in your healing process. Start low and go slow if you're not used to eating a lot of fiber. Excessive fiber can cause gas, bloating and even constipation.

A fun way to get your chia intake in is to make a pudding:

Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

4 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup of your favorite milk (I love Good Karma unsweetened vanilla)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or to your desired taste)

Optional Ingredients

A sweetener of your choice - I like Vanilla Creme liquid Stevia but try maple syrup, honey, monkfruit...

Fruit - organic berries, mashed banana, coconut flakes...

Spices - ceylon cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin spice, cacao

Instructions

~ Add 4 tablespoons of chia seeds into a jar or bowl

~ Pour in 1 cup of milk

~ Add vanilla extract

~ Add sweetener of choice and spices if you want to doctor it up

STIR WELL

~ Best to let it sit for a few minutes then stir again to avoid clumps.

~ Add lid or top and put in fridge for an hour or two (even overnight) to best absorb the milk.

Chia seeds are easy to use so try adding them to oatmeal, smoothies and baked goods. Chia seeds can be used as an egg substitute in many recipes, especially in vegan or egg-free baking because they have a similiar binding ability. To make a chia seed egg:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

3 tablespoons of water

Instructions:

~ Grind the chia seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor until they become a fine powder.

~ Mix the chia seed powder with water in a small bowl.

~ Let sit for @ 5-10 minutes until it thickens and forms a gel-like consistency.

Use this mixture as a replacement for one egg in your recipe. Keep in mind the texture and flavor might be different.

Enjoy!