GO THE ‘CHIA’ WAY TO A HEALTHY YOU!!!
Chia seeds, a staple seed in the diet of the Mayan civilization in the bygone ages, has found its way through modern times, and made its presence in the diet of the modern era as a superfood. The word ‘chia’ denoted ‘strength’ in the Mayan language, which they especially added to various beverages to make it an envigorating pre workout drink. Another novel way to incorporate this wonder seed in our daily diet is to add it in nutritional bars, along with nuts, to make them complete with energy & protein.
Owing to the increased interest of researchers & experts in exploring the varied health benefits of this wonder seed, the importance of chia seeds have been felt only in recent times. Chia seeds, may be black or white in colour, and is locally well known as Subja or Falooda seeds. A single tablespoon of chia seeds contain approx. 70 kcals, 2 gms of protein, 4.5 gms of essential fat and 5 gms of dietary fiber.
Health experts have discovered a plethora of health benefits connected with chia seeds. Among them, the important ones are as follows :
- Cardioprotective
- Good Glycemic Control
- Weight Management
- Digestive Aid
- Energy Booster
- Bone Health
- Anti-inflammatory Action
- Chia seeds can be roasted & consumed raw, like any other edible seeds.
- They can be soaked in fruit juices, smoothies, veggie juices, lemonades & had in other refreshing beverages.
- They can be added in muesli & milk, and had in the form of puddings. Or, they can even be added to yoghurt, muesli & fruit mixture and had as a parfait for snack.
- They can be roasted & powdered to be added in our daily all purpose flour, which shall increase the fiber content of our staple foods such as chapatis, parathas, theplas.
- They can be added to rolled oats or cornmeal while making bread, muffins, cookies or other baked produces.
- Another way of using chia seeds is as part of nutritional bars. Nutritional bars serve as a great source of protein & energy combo snack item, which can be grabbed while on the go, to curb those in between hunger pangs.