One of the first and best ways to help the environment is to go vegan. What you put in your body is not only critical to living a healthy life but can be critical to save the planet too. Let's have a look at chia seeds.
Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are tiny black, white and brown seeds. Chia seeds were an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans back in the day. Chia is the ancient Mayan word for strength and these seeds were revered for their ability to provide sustainable energy.
Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet and only recently became recognized as a modern day superfood. It's remained in regular use in its native countries, but was largely unknown in North America until researcher Wayne Coates began studying chia as an alternative crop for farmers in northern Argentina in 1991. They are loaded with nutrients (and very few calories) that can have important benefits for your body and brain. Chia seeds contain fiber, protein, fat, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, Viatmin B1 and Vitamin B2. Interestingly… if you subtract the fiber, which may not end up as usable calories for the body, chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce. Chia seeds are also a “whole grain” food, are usually grown organically, are non-GMO and naturally free of gluten, this means it can be absorbed by the body (unlike flaxseeds).
Chia seeds can be eaten whole or milled, while flax seeds have to be ground before consumption in order to access their health benefits for example. When you're buying chia, both the white and black seeds are good choices. Make sure you avoid the red seeds or black seeds that are smaller than the regular chia seeds. The easiest way to add these seeds to your diet is to add it to everything and anything! The seeds are tasteless so they won't affect the flavour profile of your food, which makes them easy to integrate into your meals. They can be sprinkled whole on top of salads, cereal, vegetables, rice dishes, yoghurt or toast or added milled to smoothies, drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel.
The benefits of adding Chia seeds to your diet
* Chia combats diabetes
Chia is being studied as a potential natural treatment for type-2 diabetes because of its ability to slow down digestion. The gelatinous coating chia seeds develops when exposed to liquids-can also prevent blood sugar spikes.
* Get More Fibre
Just a 28-gram or one-ounce serving of chia has 11 grams of dietary fibre — about a third of the recommended daily intake for adults. Adding some chia to your diet is an easy way to make sure you're getting a good amount of fibre, which is important for digestive health.
* Stock Up On Omega-3
Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, with nearly five grams in a one-ounce serving. These fats are important for brain health.
* Stronger Teeth And Bones
A serving of chia seeds has 18 per cent of the recommended daily intake for calcium, which puts your well on your way to maintaining bone and oral health, and preventing osteoporosis.
* Manganese
Manganese isn't a well-known nutrient, but it's important for our health: it's good for your bones and helps your body use other essential nutrients like biotin and thiamin. One serving of chia seeds, or 28 grams, has 30 per cent of your recommended intake of this mineral.
* Plenty Of Phosphorus
With 27 per cent of your daily value for phosphorus, chia seeds also helps you maintain healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus is also used by the body to synthesize protein for cell and tissue growth and repair.
* Pack In The Protein
Chia seeds also make a great source of protein for vegetarians and don't have any cholesterol. One 28-gram serving of these super seeds has 4.4 grams of protein, nearly 10 per cent of the daily value.
* Fight Belly Fat
Chia's stabilizing effect on blood sugar also fights insulin resistance which can be tied to an increase in belly fat, according to Live Strong. This type of resistance can also be harmful for your overall health.
* Get Full. Faster
Tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey, is also found in chia seeds. While tryptophan is responsible for that strong urge to nap after a big Thanksgiving dinner for example, it also helps regulate appetite, sleep and improve mood.
* Improve Heart Health
According to the Cleveland Clinic, chia seeds have been shown to improve blood pressure in diabetics, and may also increase healthy cholesterol while lowering total, LDL, and triglyceride cholesterol. All good news for your ticker!
Chia seeds have exceptional health benefits and should definitely be part of all our diets.
Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet and only recently became recognized as a modern day superfood. It's remained in regular use in its native countries, but was largely unknown in North America until researcher Wayne Coates began studying chia as an alternative crop for farmers in northern Argentina in 1991. They are loaded with nutrients (and very few calories) that can have important benefits for your body and brain. Chia seeds contain fiber, protein, fat, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, Viatmin B1 and Vitamin B2. Interestingly… if you subtract the fiber, which may not end up as usable calories for the body, chia seeds only contain 101 calories per ounce. Chia seeds are also a “whole grain” food, are usually grown organically, are non-GMO and naturally free of gluten, this means it can be absorbed by the body (unlike flaxseeds).
Chia seeds can be eaten whole or milled, while flax seeds have to be ground before consumption in order to access their health benefits for example. When you're buying chia, both the white and black seeds are good choices. Make sure you avoid the red seeds or black seeds that are smaller than the regular chia seeds. The easiest way to add these seeds to your diet is to add it to everything and anything! The seeds are tasteless so they won't affect the flavour profile of your food, which makes them easy to integrate into your meals. They can be sprinkled whole on top of salads, cereal, vegetables, rice dishes, yoghurt or toast or added milled to smoothies, drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel.
The benefits of adding Chia seeds to your diet
* Chia combats diabetes
Chia is being studied as a potential natural treatment for type-2 diabetes because of its ability to slow down digestion. The gelatinous coating chia seeds develops when exposed to liquids-can also prevent blood sugar spikes.
* Get More Fibre
Just a 28-gram or one-ounce serving of chia has 11 grams of dietary fibre — about a third of the recommended daily intake for adults. Adding some chia to your diet is an easy way to make sure you're getting a good amount of fibre, which is important for digestive health.
* Stock Up On Omega-3
Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, with nearly five grams in a one-ounce serving. These fats are important for brain health.
* Stronger Teeth And Bones
A serving of chia seeds has 18 per cent of the recommended daily intake for calcium, which puts your well on your way to maintaining bone and oral health, and preventing osteoporosis.
* Manganese
Manganese isn't a well-known nutrient, but it's important for our health: it's good for your bones and helps your body use other essential nutrients like biotin and thiamin. One serving of chia seeds, or 28 grams, has 30 per cent of your recommended intake of this mineral.
* Plenty Of Phosphorus
With 27 per cent of your daily value for phosphorus, chia seeds also helps you maintain healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus is also used by the body to synthesize protein for cell and tissue growth and repair.
* Pack In The Protein
Chia seeds also make a great source of protein for vegetarians and don't have any cholesterol. One 28-gram serving of these super seeds has 4.4 grams of protein, nearly 10 per cent of the daily value.
* Fight Belly Fat
Chia's stabilizing effect on blood sugar also fights insulin resistance which can be tied to an increase in belly fat, according to Live Strong. This type of resistance can also be harmful for your overall health.
* Get Full. Faster
Tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey, is also found in chia seeds. While tryptophan is responsible for that strong urge to nap after a big Thanksgiving dinner for example, it also helps regulate appetite, sleep and improve mood.
* Improve Heart Health
According to the Cleveland Clinic, chia seeds have been shown to improve blood pressure in diabetics, and may also increase healthy cholesterol while lowering total, LDL, and triglyceride cholesterol. All good news for your ticker!
Chia seeds have exceptional health benefits and should definitely be part of all our diets.
**Saving the environment through what we eat series was written to inspire people to change their eating habits in order to save the environment and the world we live in from climate change. Eating more plant-based foods can stop deforestation, soil degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, help slow climate change and secure global food supply.
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