Chia seeds are rapidly spreading and gaining popularity among supporters of healthy eating. But many people, standing in front of the supermarket shelf with this fairly rare product so far, think, is it worth it to take it? Why are these strange seeds so useful and, most importantly, how to cook them? Let's find out.
The seeds of this sage plant came to us from Central America. In 2005, the European Union recognized chia seeds as a "promising food. Yes, it is a very promising food indeed. Especially when you consider that just two tablespoons of these seeds - which is enough to make this delicious and refreshing raspberry "jam" - contain as much as 5 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber for 140 kilocalories. And don't let the 9 grams of fat in this serving scare you. A couple tablespoons of chia seeds will more than provide your daily allowance of alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and about one-sixth of the linoleic (omega-6) fatty acids.
Let me remind you that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are called essential because they are critical to the health of the human body, which cannot synthesize them on its own. That's why it's so important to eat foods that contain these healthy fats. And chia changes are among them by right. Thanks to omega-3 and omega-6 they reduce inflammation in the body, which leads to various diseases, have a beneficial effect on blood vessels and joints. These fatty acids help with dry eyes and support retinal function, and they are needed for healthy glowing skin.
The benefits of small gray grains do not end here, because they are also rich in other micronutrients. Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain about 40 percent of the daily allowance of manganese, one-third of copper, phosphorus and selenium, a quarter of the daily allowance of magnesium and almost 20 percent of the recommended daily dose of calcium. Needless to say, all these elements perform a huge number of functions in our body and are important in their own way for its normal functioning. For example, manganese is involved in the formation of bone and connective tissues, magnesium is necessary for cardiovascular health, and copper improves the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates and helps provide oxygen to cells.
In addition, together with two tablespoons of chia seeds you will get almost 15% of the daily allowance of vitamin B1 and PP (niacin equivalent). The former is part of carbohydrate and energy metabolism enzymes, which provide our body with energy, as well as amino acid metabolism. Deficiency of this vitamin leads to serious disorders of the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems. The second is involved in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Deficiency of this vitamin worsens the skin, disrupts the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
Cooking chia seeds is always fascinating, because they have a magical property: if you pour water on them, they turn into a gel-like substance. By the way, this "jelly" has a positive effect on the digestive processes and balances the absorption of useful and harmful substances in the body.
So how to cook chia seeds? There are a lot of options. About raspberry "jam" you already know. The simplest option is to add them to a vegetable or fruit smoothie and whip in a blender. For example, mix a handful of spinach, a small bunch of parsley, a small cucumber, a celery stalk, a pear or banana, a tablespoon of flax seeds and a tablespoon of chia seeds. Control the thickness by adding water.
Chia is also ideal for homemade plant-based ice cream. To get it, you need a smoothie made with banana, strawberries, kiwi and chia seeds, pour it into ice cream molds and put it in the freezer.
It is important to keep in mind that drinks or desserts made with chia are better to drink/eat immediately or freeze, otherwise the seeds begin to oxidize and lose their usefulness.
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